WebPros turns complexity into 47% growth for Plesk

From reporting to multivariate testing, see how Cleverbridge helped Plesk build a faster, more scalable monetization strategy.

The challenge

Plesk, a leading hosting solution under WebPros’ portfolio of brands, helps customers manage websites, applications, and servers through its professional-grade control panel. While the platform already had a solid global footprint, Plesk wanted to accelerate revenue growth by optimizing its digital customer journey — particularly in the areas of checkout, subscription management, trial experiences, and post-purchase engagement.

The primary goals were clear: attract more traffic to ecommerce pages, improve conversion rates, and reduce levels of customer friction across the journey. Executing on these ambitions required both a platform and strategic partner that could keep up with Plesk’s pace.

When assessing its specific requirements, Plesk realized it needed flexible and scalable ecommerce infrastructure that could handle global tax and compliance, enable real-time reporting, and support robust experimentation without heavy development overhead. With multiple initiatives in flight, from cart restructuring to new customer acquisition and renewal optimization, the solution had to be both technically sophisticated and operationally agile.

Just as importantly, the team needed clear visibility into what was working and what wasn’t, so they could make fast, data-driven decisions across every stage of the customer lifecycle.

The solution

Cleverbridge brought both the technology and the team. Plesk was immediately retrofitted with a full-stack merchant of record (MoR) solution that handled global payments, taxes, and compliance out of the box — reducing operational overhead while unlocking time for strategic initiatives. However, it was Cleverbridge’s flexibility and self-serve optionality that truly transformed the way Plesk operated.

Kate Tekunova, who joined Plesk in 2024 as Ecommerce Lead, took over the Cleverbridge relationship. That turned out to be a major plus — Tekunova had deep, positive experiences utilizing Cleverbridge at other companies. She immediately saw its potential beyond operational support, and as a lever to enable real experimentation and growth.

Using Cleverbridge’s robust reporting tools, Tekunova and her team could build custom reports across multiple metrics and dimensions in minutes, sometimes seconds. “It’s like Google Analytics, but for our entire sales engine,” noted Tekunova. The speed of deliverability made data more actionable and created a stronger connection between ecommerce and executive leadership. With immediate answers at her fingertips, Tekunova could communicate strategy and performance with greater precision and credibility.

“Only with Cleverbridge can I answer virtually any question asked — whether it’s about sales structure, renewals, or chargebacks — no matter if it’s coming from a customer or a C-level executive,” Tekunova explained.

The partnership included deep collaboration with Cleverbridge’s Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) team. With the CRO team’s guidance and support, Plesk began running regular A/B and multivariate tests on everything from cart structures to checkout UX and product catalog pages.

Cleverbridge also allowed Plesk to launch and manage experiments directly through self-serve — without requiring assistance from product or development teams. “You can do so much on your own. The blocker isn't a lack of functionality — it’s choosing which of the many tools to use,” Tekunova noted.

Beyond CRO, Plesk also tapped into other Digital Marketing Services, working with teams across email and affiliate marketing. Together, they launched custom renewal flows (easily trackable in the company’s marketing automation platform) and kicked off a brand-new affiliate program. Tekunova praised the modular nature of Cleverbridge’s services, noting that clients aren’t locked into rigid bundles and can scale their use of services over time.

The affiliate program, still in its first year, is already showing momentum. We’re already in the positive with that channel,” said Tekunova. “It’s growing month over month and generating new billings.”

The results

Recent numbers speak for themselves. In the first five months of 2025, new billings increased by 47% year-over-year — a result of conversion gains, better reporting, and scalable marketing execution. That growth was supported by a 94% payment authorization rate and a 3.5% reduction in churn year-over-year.

Most notably, Plesk’s ARR (annual recurring revenue) grew 18.6% during the same period, a testament to Cleverbridge’s ability to optimize retention, streamline renewals, and power subscription scalability through its modular platform and strategic services.

Much of that success comes down to speed and control. From checkout optimization to affiliate onboarding, Cleverbride gave Plesk the tools to move quickly without waiting on dev tickets or external support. And with enhanced analytics, Tekunova’s team could track impact immediately, using real data to inform future experiments.

Looking ahead, Plesk is rolling out Cleverbridge’s new subscription management features, including an updated checkout experience and self-service portal.

At the same time, the partnership continues to evolve strategically. Cleverbridge’s CRO team has worked closely with Plesk to test and refine new initiatives aimed at lifting average order value (AOV) and conversion rates. The ongoing experimentation has helped surface new growth levers, with early A/B tests already pointing to strong impact.

When asked if she would recommend Cleverbridge to others, Tekunova didn’t hesitate.

“Some companies get scared off by transaction-based pricing, because they don’t realize what they’re actually getting,” Tekunova said of the merchant of record model. “If you're not working with an MoR, you’re managing your own tax compliance, your own payment providers, your own fraud prevention. Cleverbridge handles it all. Just add up the real costs — you’ll see the difference.”