Client

ICMA (International Capital Market Association)

Sector

Financial Services

Target Type

B2B & B2C

Demographic

Financial Professionals, Institutional Investors, Retail Members

Lead Time

28 weeks

Website Goal

Improve user experience,
enhance site performance,
streamline member tools,
boost SEO rankings

Services

SilverStripe Development,
UX/UI, Web Design, SEO,
CRM Integration, Email Marketing,
Content Migration

The Challenge

The International Capital Market Association (ICMA), a leading trade association established in 1969, supports resilient cross-border financial markets. However, their digital presence no longer reflected their authority in the global debt capital markets.

Key challenges included:

Outdated design and poor user experience for members
Limited functionality for event registrations and gated content
Lack of CRM and email marketing integrations
Weak SEO visibility in core markets
Difficulty managing complex navigation and permissions

The objective was clear: create a modern, scalable platform to engage members, streamline operations, and expand global visibility.

Discovery and Technical Review

Our team began by analysing ICMA’s existing infrastructure and member needs. The goal was to define a platform that would deliver speed, scalability, and seamless integrations.

Selected Headless SilverStripe as the CMS for performance and flexibility
Conducted SEO audit to identify ranking gaps in UK, US, and European markets
Designed wireframes to simplify navigation and user journeys
Prototyped responsive layouts tested for accessibility and mobile-first performance

UX and Design Research

ICMA’s global audience required a professional design that inspired trust while making complex tools and resources easy to access.

Collaborative design workshops in London and Zurich
Clean, modern design with deep blues and silvers to reflect authority and sophistication
Wireframes tested with InVision for navigation flows and accessibility
Responsive, mobile-first approach to improve engagement across audiences

The design reinforced ICMA’s brand while prioritising clarity, speed, and usability.

Marketing & SEO Strategy

To ensure ICMA’s new site was visible to the right audiences, a global SEO strategy was deployed alongside development.

Keyword research targeting “capital markets association” and finance-specific search terms
On-page optimisation with metadata, structured headings, and schema markup
Technical SEO ensuring fast load speeds, mobile optimisation, and crawl efficiency
Content migration with redirects to protect legacy rankings
Link-building campaign to enhance global authority

The SEO strategy significantly boosted visibility across UK, US, and European markets.

The Solution

Lilo delivered a scalable SilverStripe platform that reflects ICMA’s authority in the global capital markets.

Unified CMS for complex content management
Modern, mobile-first design tested for accessibility
Custom forms and workflows to drive event registrations
CRM and Mailchimp integrations for streamlined communications
SEO-led architecture for long-term visibility
Secure permissions and gated content for members

The Results

The project delivered measurable growth in visibility, engagement, and member interactions:

+595

increase in UK search visibility

+420

increase in US search visibility

+380

increase in European search visibility

+389

increase in goal conversions from event registrations and forms

+545

increase in direct traffic

Positive member feedback on usability and accessibility

ICMA now has a platform that unifies their brand, streamlines operations, and strengthens their position as a global leader in financial services.

Scope

– UX & UI Design
– SilverStripe Development
– Content Migration
– CRM & Mailchimp Integrations
– SEO Strategy
– Payment Gateway Integration

Resources

1 × Lead Designer
1 × UX Designer
2 × SilverStripe Developers
1 × Front-End Developer
3 × Back-End Developers
1 × SEO Specialist
2 × QA Testers
1 × Project Manager

Conclusion

ICMA’s new Headless SilverStripe website consolidates their digital presence, enhances global visibility, and streamlines member interactions. With scalable infrastructure, professional design, and an SEO-driven strategy, ICMA is well-positioned to continue leading in sustainable finance and global capital markets.

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Case Study: ICMA – SilverStripe Development, SEO, Financial Services