DSNW NewsE-CommerceHyvä Theme
Client: Sarasota Numismatics
Industry: Numismatics (Coin and Currency Collectibles)
Platform: Adobe Commerce – Magento Open Source
SKUs: 50,000+
Clients: 20,000+
Background
Sarasota Numismatics has been our client for nearly 10 years and is a trusted name in the numismatic industry. Over the years, they transitioned with us from Magento 1 to Magento 2, managing an extensive catalog of over 50,000 SKUs and serving more than 20,000 customers. As their business and product offerings grew, it became essential to upgrade their eCommerce platform to ensure a seamless customer experience while keeping pace with modern web performance standards.
The Challenge
Despite the robust capabilities of Magento 2 and the familiar Luma base theme, Sarasota Numismatics began encountering performance bottlenecks:
• Performance Limitations: The Luma theme, while feature-rich, was not optimized for the high demands of their extensive product catalog. The existing setup was struggling to maintain speed and responsiveness during peak traffic periods.
• User Experience: With an increasing emphasis on speed and mobile performance, it was critical to optimize page load times to improve customer satisfaction and SEO rankings.
• Scalability: As the business continued to grow, there was a need for a more agile, future-proof platform that could accommodate new functionalities without compromising performance.
These challenges highlighted the necessity for a fundamental shift in their frontend architecture to support their evolving business requirements.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, we embarked on a strategic overhaul by migrating from the traditional Luma base theme to the modern and performance-focused Hyvä theme. This transition was complemented by the integration of our proprietary numismatic-based modules and tools, specifically tailored to address the unique needs of the industry.
What Hyvä Brings to the Table
Hyvä is more than just a theme—it’s a reimagining of the Magento frontend experience, built to prioritize speed, simplicity, and developer efficiency. Here are some key specifics that Hyvä introduces (more details can be found at hyva.io):
• Lean & Modern Architecture:
• Minimalistic Codebase: Hyvä dramatically reduces the typical frontend bloat seen in traditional Magento themes. By eliminating unnecessary dependencies and legacy code, it provides a lean codebase that contributes to a faster and more responsive website.
• Tailwind CSS Integration: Leveraging Tailwind CSS, Hyvä allows for rapid styling and ensures that only the styles you actually use are loaded, reducing file sizes and speeding up page rendering.
• Alpine.js for Interactivity: Instead of heavy JavaScript frameworks, Hyvä uses Alpine.js—a lightweight library that provides dynamic functionality with minimal overhead, enhancing performance without sacrificing user experience.
• Improved Developer Experience:
• Streamlined Workflow: The modern tooling and clear structure of the Hyvä theme reduce complexity for developers. This means faster development cycles, easier maintenance, and quicker iterations for custom features.
• Enhanced Customizability: With a modular approach and cleaner code architecture, tailoring the storefront to specific business needs becomes significantly simpler and more efficient.
• Performance Optimization:
• Reduced Bundle Sizes: By cutting down on unnecessary scripts and styles, Hyvä minimizes the resources loaded on each page, which translates directly into faster load times.
• Optimized for SEO: The clean, efficient codebase helps achieve higher Google Page Speed scores, which is crucial for both user experience and search engine ranking.
These improvements collectively contribute to a substantial enhancement in page speed, responsiveness, and overall performance—a perfect fit for Sarasota Numismatics’ growing demands.
Custom Numismatic Modules & Tools
In addition to the performance enhancements provided by the Hyvä theme, our suite of custom numismatic modules and tools played a pivotal role in optimizing operations for Sarasota Numismatics. With over three dozen specialized modules, these tools were designed to address the unique requirements of the numismatic industry and streamline critical business processes.
Key Features of Our Custom Modules:
• Product Onboarding & Data Integration:
• Seamless Onboarding: Facilitate the smooth integration of products from local databases and external sources.
• API Integrations: Connect seamlessly with major grading and authentication services such as PCGS, NGC, CACG, PCGS Banknotes, CGC Cards, PSA, CGC Comics, and more—ensuring accurate and real-time product data.
• Operational Efficiency & Automation:
• Automated Cost Codes: Streamline financial operations by automating cost code assignments.
• Barcode Labels & Asset Tracking: Enhance inventory management with automated barcode label generation and real-time asset tracking.
• Purchase Orders & Quotations: Simplify procurement processes with modules that automate purchase orders and manage quotations efficiently.
• Enhanced Reporting & Analytics:
• Generate comprehensive reports covering inventory, sales, and market trends to enable data-driven decision-making.
• Market Integration & Supplier Management:
• Custom eBay Themes: Develop and deploy custom eBay themes to ensure consistent branding and optimized sales channels.
• Supplier & Vendor Management: Efficiently manage supplier data and communications with dedicated modules.
Advanced AI Tools Integration
To further enhance operational efficiency and enrich the customer experience, we integrated advanced OpenAI-powered tools into the platform. These tools are designed to streamline content creation and improve data accuracy through automation. Our AI solutions enable dynamic product description writing using custom numismatics prompts, ensuring each listing is engaging and informative. Additionally, our AI-driven system performs coin surface color detection through OpenAI’s vision in GPT4, assisting in accurate product toning detection which is then added to the final rare coin description. Other automated features include helpdesk reply generation, meta tag creation, and more—each tailored specifically for the nuances of the numismatic market. This integration not only reduces manual workload but also boosts search engine visibility and customer engagement with high-quality, data-driven content.
Key Steps in the Transformation
1. Assessment and Planning:
• Conducted a thorough performance audit of the existing site.
• Mapped out the unique requirements of numismatic eCommerce, ensuring the solution would support both the extensive product catalog and high user engagement.
2. Theme Migration:
• Hyvä Theme Adoption: Transitioned from the Luma base theme to the Hyvä theme, leveraging its modern, optimized architecture to enhance site speed and performance.
• Performance Optimization: Employed Hyvä’s lean design—utilizing Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js—to eliminate unnecessary code bloat, resulting in markedly faster load times and smoother interactions.
3. Custom Module Integration:
• Deployed our proprietary numismatic-based modules and tools, including the suite of over three dozen custom solutions designed specifically for the numismatic industry.
• Integrated tools to facilitate seamless product onboarding, API-based data synchronization with grading services, and automation of critical operational tasks.
4. Rigorous Testing:
• Conducted extensive performance testing, including Google Page Speed assessments.
• Iteratively refined the implementation to achieve optimal results across desktop and mobile platforms.
The Results
The results of the migration were transformative:
• 60% Increase in Speed:
The adoption of the Hyvä theme, along with our custom modules and AI tools, resulted in a remarkable 60% boost in site speed. This improvement significantly reduced page load times, ensuring a more fluid shopping experience.
• Google Page Speed Scores Exceeding 90%:
Post-migration, Sarasota Numismatics’ website achieved Google Page Speed test scores exceeding 90% across all metrics. This not only enhanced user experience but also positively impacted SEO performance.
• Enhanced User Experience:
Faster load times and a modern design translated into higher customer satisfaction and increased engagement.
• Scalability for Future Growth:
The new architecture is now well-positioned to support future enhancements, ensuring that Sarasota Numismatics can continue to feed their eCommerce machine without performance concerns.
"The transition to the Hyvä theme, combined with your innovative numismatic modules and AI-powered tools, has revolutionized our online store. The performance metrics speak for themselves—a 60% increase in speed and consistently high Google Page Speed scores have not only improved our customer experience but also set us up for future growth. We couldn’t be happier with the new design and the substantial performance gains."
Ben Todd
Owner
Conclusion
The successful migration of Sarasota Numismatics from the Luma base theme to the Hyvä theme exemplifies how targeted frontend optimizations and specialized module integrations can drive significant performance improvements in eCommerce. Hyvä’s modern approach—characterized by a lean architecture, Tailwind CSS integration, and Alpine.js for interactivity—ensures faster load times, better scalability, and a more intuitive developer experience. Moreover, our custom numismatic modules and advanced AI tools have streamlined complex processes, from product onboarding and API integrations to automated content creation and operational workflows, providing a robust, scalable foundation tailored to the unique demands of the numismatic industry.
This case study stands as a testament to the power of innovative technology solutions in transforming user experience and supporting business growth in highly specialized markets.
For more insights into our work and how we can help modernize your eCommerce platform, visit sarasotanumismatics.com or explore more about Hyvä at hyva.io.
