From Shopify 1.0 to 2.0. A Smoother, Faster, Higher-Converting Website for Cheese Brothers

We started working with the Cheese Brothers in early 2024. In that time we feel like we’ve become partners, an extension of their team.

Many of the changes they requested became increasingly time-consuming due to their highly customised Shopify 1.0 theme.

Upgrading to Shopify 2.0 offered an opportunity to improve site speed, stability and make future development more efficient.

Back in April of this year, the conversation ramped up and the project was re-scoped to provide a full website redesign and push the brand forward in addition to the Shopify 2.0 upgrade.

Collaboration is key

Cheese Brothers already worked with RevPop, a talented brand and design agency based in Milwaukee. We needed to work collaboratively with Scott and the guys to bring their vision to life.

We also brought in our go-to dev, James, as we do on many other Shopify websites that have complex needs such as bespoke cart and checkout experiences, bringing the dream-team together.

Understanding the audience

Around 80% of Cheese Brothers’ customers shop on mobile, so a mobile-first approach was essential. We tested across multiple devices — iOS, Android and different screen sizes — to ensure every visitor had a smooth experience.

Project management

For a company like the Cheese Brothers who have a large user base spread across the United States, with a very high volume of traffic, a large ad spend and logistical concerns (shipping cheese is no easy task) we needed to carefully manage this project.

We met regularly via Google Meet, recording and transcribing discussions using Gemini AI to create accurate meeting notes and action points. It was a simple but powerful workflow that kept everyone aligned.

Alongside this, ClickUp kept the internal project structured, and was a great way to make sure discussions and actions were documented and never missed.

Outcomes

We launched the new website on 7 October. From the very first day we saw great results. 

Technically, we saw impressive improvements. The site speed and all of Google Core Web Vitals were instantly improved.

A lot of lingering code from historic app removals (back when apps required additional code to be added to the theme to work) and bespoke ‘functionality workarounds’ disappeared. No more unnecessary JavaScript slowing the site down.

But the most important factor is conversions and revenue. And in the few weeks since launch things are looking very much improved. OK, there are seasonal influences and the wider marketing strategies are evolving, but to see these results is impressive.

Outside of paid ad campaigns, the organic results over the first 2 weeks were encouraging.

Results after launch (first two weeks)

Organic performance (excluding paid campaigns):

• 57% increase in revenue
• 50% increase in purchases
• 42% new users
• 4% increase in the average order value

What's next?

It doesn’t end here. We aim to be long term partners for every client we work with. During the course of this project, we chatted about a host of things we’d like to implement into the site over time, and how we can continue to increase sales.

Over the coming months we’ll continue supporting Cheese Brothers through SEO, UX improvements and app integrations designed to further boost sales.

Here’s to the next 12 months.

Would you like to work with us?

We’re a small team, but that’s our advantage. We can work agile and effectively across a range of Shopify requirements,  from simple customisations, to SEO, to new app development. 

If you’re looking to grow your ecommerce business, get in touch with us.

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