1 Bn GMV US-based precious metal dealer SD Bullion improved conversion by 40% with Hyvä
Merchant profile and Adobe Commerce project snapshot
- URL: www.sdbullion.com
- Country: USA
- Industry Vertical: Precious Metals
- Business model: B2C
- Annual GMV: $1 Billion
- Accolade: #76 in Digital Commerce 360’s 2024 Top 1000 Database; EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Michigan and Northwest Ohio for founder Dr. Tyler Wall
- Hyvä Products Used: Hyvä Theme and Hyvä Enterprise
- Platform: Adobe Commerce
Hyvä Project Scope and Key Results
Scope:
-
Migration to Hyvä Theme and Hyvä Enterprise on Adobe Commerce
-
Full performance optimisation across desktop and mobile
-
Refactoring legacy code and integrations for Hyvä compatibility
-
Checkout optimisation to improve conversions and average order value
Key Results:
-
+40% increase in conversion rates across all product categories
-
+35% increase in mobile conversions
-
+15% uplift in average order value
-
CLS improved by 60%, LCP by 45%, and INP by 40%
-
$150,000 annual development time savings
-
25% reduction in infrastructure costs
What SD Bullion says about the results
The remarkable results we're seeing, particularly the 40% increase in conversion rates, are a testament to the exceptional work of the Bemeier team in optimizing Hyvä.
While we've observed some fluctuations in our technical metrics, what truly stands out is how the team has enhanced our overall user experience by leveraging Hyvä.
This success story isn't just about numbers – it's about our agency’s team's ability to identify and implement solutions that truly matter to our users. Their expertise has proven that when you focus on the right balance of technical excellence and user experience, exceptional results follow.”
About SD Bullion: Billion-Dollar Precious Metals Merchant
In the world of eCommerce, few categories are as high-stakes as precious metals. Prices change by the minute, customer trust is paramount, and speed can mean the difference between closing a sale or losing it entirely.
Founded in 2012 by Dr. Tyler Wall and another entrepreneur, SD Bullion began as an extension of the Silver Doctors website with a simple mission: make investing in gold, silver, and platinum more affordable and accessible.
From its base in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, the company has grown into a billion-dollar business, serving over 450,000 customers and processing more than $5 billion in transactions. They’ve earned a reputation for some of the lowest premiums over spot prices in the industry and a relentless focus on customer service, recognition that’s landed them on Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing companies list and firmly in the top 100 of Digital Commerce 360’s rankings.
The eCommerce performance challenges SD Bullion faced
By early 2024, SD Bullion’s Adobe Commerce storefront was showing signs of strain. Years of growth and ongoing customisation had created performance bottlenecks that risked impacting both user experience and conversion rates.
Customer-facing issues included:
-
Pages shifting during load (CLS instability)
-
Delays in responsiveness on mobile and desktop (FID and INP issues)
-
Slow rendering of main content (LCP challenges)
Behind the scenes, the technical challenges were clear:
-
Legacy code architecture creating slowdowns
-
Multiple third-party scripts affecting page speed
-
Large media assets without optimal delivery strategies
-
Inconsistent caching and server response times across regions
In a market where purchase decisions can happen in seconds, often during narrow price windows, every delay mattered. SD Bullion needed a fix that would deliver immediate gains without disrupting the day-to-day business.
Selecting Bemeir and Hyvä for the project
The SD Bullion leadership team knew a quick patch wouldn’t cut it. They needed a strategic partner who could overhaul performance from the ground up while safeguarding stability and scalability.
Their search led them to Bemeir, the first Hyvä Gold Partner in the United States and a well-known name in the Magento and Adobe Commerce community. With a proven track record of complex Hyvä implementations, Bemeir was the clear choice.
Why Hyvä was the right fit:
-
Lightweight, modern architecture optimised for speed
-
Proven to deliver significant Core Web Vitals improvements
-
Developer-friendly with Alpine.js and TailwindCSS
-
Elimination of jQuery dependencies and legacy theme bloat
-
Active community and long-term product roadmap
For a merchant at SD Bullion’s scale, Hyvä Theme + Hyvä Enterprise offered the ideal combination: a performance-focused frontend and advanced tools for ongoing growth.
Implementing Hyvä on Adobe Commerce – The process
Bemeir began with a comprehensive site audit to identify bottlenecks and opportunities. From there, they developed a phased migration plan to minimise disruption, with clear milestones and KPIs to track progress.
Key implementation steps:
-
Refactored legacy code for Hyvä compatibility
-
Converted custom modules and third-party integrations
-
Optimised the critical rendering path for faster perceived loads
-
Improved caching and applied lazy loading for images and assets
-
Integrated performance monitoring for ongoing insight
Throughout the project, Bemeir maintained transparent communication with SD Bullion’s teams, ensuring technical decisions aligned with both operational needs and business priorities.
Measurable results from the Hyvä implementation
The results spoke for themselves, not only in improved Core Web Vitals scores but in tangible business growth.
Revenue and conversion:
-
+40% increase in conversion rates
-
+25% reduction in cart abandonment
-
+35% growth in mobile conversions
-
+15% increase in AOV after checkout optimisation
-
+28% increase in return customer rate
Performance and UX:
-
CLS improved by 60%
-
LCP improved by 45%
-
INP improved by 40%
-
Mobile performance score rose from 45 to 89
Development efficiency:
-
45% faster development cycle
-
60% faster theme customisation
-
55% faster bug resolution
-
40% quicker new feature deployments
-
50% improvement in code maintenance efficiency
Cost savings:
-
35% lower hosting costs
-
~$150,000 annual development time savings
-
40% reduction in third-party performance tools
-
25% annual infrastructure savings
-
45% drop in support ticket volume
More than just performance gains
While the data points are impressive, the human impact was equally important.
For customers, the new site felt instantly faster and smoother, especially on mobile. For the internal teams, everything from launching campaigns to updating product listings became simpler and faster.
Lessons learned from SD Bullion’s Hyvä project
The biggest takeaway is that this isn't just a technical upgrade – it's a business transformation. Work with partners who understand both the technical and business aspects of your operation. Our partnership with Bemeir and the decision to implement Hyvä has been transformative not just for our platform performance but for our entire business approach to digital commerce.”
When looking back, Chase Turner breaks it down into five key pieces of advice for any merchant considering a similar journey:
-
Trust the Experts
"Don't try to reinvent the wheel. We initially hesitated about some of Bemeir's recommendations, but their expertise proved invaluable. When they suggested Hyvä, it was the right call." -
Focus on Data-Driven Decisions
"Track everything. Our success wasn't just about implementing new technology – it was about understanding our metrics and making informed decisions based on real data." -
Invest in the Complete Solution
"While it might be tempting to implement partial solutions, investing in the complete Hyvä experience (Theme and Enterprise) gave us the best results. Don't cut corners on your foundation." -
Communicate with Your Customers
"We kept our customers informed about improvements we were making. Their feedback during the process was invaluable, and they appreciated being part of the journey." -
Prepare Your Team
"Make sure your internal team is ready for change. We found that team buy-in was crucial for successful implementation and ongoing optimisation."
Bemeir’s advice to merchants
Don't rush into solutions before fully understanding your performance landscape. We always start with a comprehensive audit to establish clear baselines and identify specific pain points. ”
From their work with SD Bullion and other large-scale Hyvä projects, Bemeir recommends:
-
Start with a full performance audit & analytics – Understand your full performance landscape, establish clear baselines, and invest in proper analytics setup. The more data you have, the better decisions you can make.
-
Align technical decisions with business objectives – Define measurable success metrics, realistic timelines, and a clear ROI framework to keep the project focused on outcomes that matter.
-
Budget holistically – Include not just implementation costs but also training, support, long-term maintenance, and any short-term disruption during rollout.
-
Ensure team readiness – Nominate an internal project champion, secure cross-department buy-in, and provide training so your team can hit the ground running.
-
Phase major changes to reduce risk – Break the project into manageable steps, prioritise high-impact improvements first, and allow proper testing at each stage.
-
Maintain transparent communication – Schedule regular check-ins, document key decisions, and keep stakeholders informed from start to finish.
-
Plan for continuous optimisation – Post-launch, commit to regular performance audits, iterative improvements, and scalability planning to keep pace with future growth.
Why Choose Hyvä?
From Bemeir’s experience across multiple enterprise implementations, Hyvä stands out for:
-
Faster development times – Projects move significantly quicker compared to traditional Adobe Commerce themes, reducing cost and complexity.
-
Proven performance gains – Consistent, measurable improvements in Core Web Vitals and real-world user experience.
-
Developer-first architecture – Modern stack with Alpine.js and TailwindCSS, free from legacy dependencies like jQuery.
-
Strong community and ecosystem – Backed by an active developer network and continuous product innovation.
-
High ROI – Combines speed, scalability, and user experience for a foundation that supports growth for years to come.
The SD Bullion project exemplifies what happens when visionary merchants partner with forward-thinking technical teams. Through our implementation of the complete Hyvä experience, we didn't just solve performance challenges – we transformed their entire digital commerce experience. The 40% conversion rate increase tells only part of the story. What's truly remarkable is how this technical evolution has positioned SD Bullion for sustained growth and market leadership. This project showcases why we're so passionate about the combination of Magento, Adobe Commerce, and Hyvä – when implemented strategically, it's a game-changer for enterprise eCommerce. ”
About Bemeir
Bemeir is the first Hyvä Gold Partner in the United States. Based in Brooklyn, NY, they’ve been active in the Magento community since 2014. Their motto: Inspire. Aim Higher. Bemeir.
