Case Study: CMS Migration and Infrastructure Upgrade for GeistM

GeistM  is a leading MarTech solution founded in 2013 and built by marketers for marketers. They specialize in leveraging proprietary technology and seasoned growth marketing expertise to power everything from the first impression to profitable conversions at scale. Their objective is to provide clients with best-in-class insights, facilitating high-velocity and well-informed marketing investment decisions.

GeistM approached us with a clear obstacle: their legacy CMS was no longer serving the needs of a fast-paced, performance-driven marketing team. The system made it challenging to publish, edit, or repurpose content quickly - which is critical when your business depends on real-time optimization and rapid experimentation.

Simple changes required technical workarounds. There were no plugin options. Customizations were limited and costly. Even basic layout or branding updates demanded extra effort - not to mention the platform itself charged fees to stay live, regardless of actual output. They needed a platform that could evolve with their needs.

Their goal was to migrate to WordPress, a CMS that would provide the flexibility, customization, and speed they lacked - while supporting scalable infrastructure, brand consistency, and SEO performance.

GeistM came with a clear goal - and we helped make it a reality.

In the first phase, we handled planning and discovery. We reviewed the websites to be migrated, prioritized key properties, and clarified feature needs (like post editing, SEO, and branding flexibility).

Then came the heavy lifting. We developed and implemented:

• A new WordPress setup tailored to GeistM’s structure
• Custom branding changes and design integration
• Infrastructure setup and DevOps enhancements for stability and security
• A suite of custom-built parsers, scrapers, and migration scripts that moved over 15,000 content entries to WordPress safely

We also ensured that everything was technically optimized for SEO - improving load speed, mobile responsiveness, and URL structure to support better visibility.

We migrated GeistM’s sites to a new WordPress setup with updated branding and scalable infrastructure on DigitalOcean. To handle over 15,000 content pieces, we built custom parsers and scripts. After migration, we applied technical SEO improvements like faster load times and better mobile performance, creating a solid technical foundation for future growth.

A skilled and efficient team worked on this complex project:

• 1 Project Manager
• 3 Frontend Developers
• 1 DevOps Engineer

The biggest challenge? The previous CMS provider didn’t support exports, so we engineered a custom approach to migrate large volumes of data and media without breaking structure or quality.

Here’s how each technology contributed to the success of the project:

• WordPress – the new CMS, chosen for its flexibility, scalability, and ease of use
• CSS & JavaScript – applied for responsive design and frontend behavior
• MySQL – used as the database for structured content and user data
• DigitalOcean – hosting infrastructure, optimized for speed and performance
• Cloudflare – used to boost site security and loading speed, and prevent downtime

By the end of the project, GeistM had everything they needed:

• Fully redesigned, WordPress-powered sites
• Faster, more secure infrastructure
• Simplified content workflows with improved control
• Brand-consistent layouts with flexible design updates
• A platform they own - no more vendor dependency

The client praised our work - especially how we handled complex technical challenges and maintained clear, consistent communication throughout the process.

Here’s what GeistM had to say about working with us:
“Southwave delivered fully functional WordPress websites within the agreed timeline. The team provided regular updates on progress and was responsive to the client's questions and concerns. Moreover, their genuine and hardworking approach, along with their quality work, impressed the client.”

For more information, please check our Clutch account.

If your current platform is holding you back, let’s talk. Get in touch with us to explore how we can help you migrate, optimize, and scale - without the headache!