Montreal Gold Buyers’ Digital Revival
Silver and Gold for Cash came to us for help with a major challenge that was affecting the growth of their business. Their online presence performed poorly despite being the leading gold buyer in Montreal, offering exceptional service at competitive rates. The WordPress site they had was old, did not generate quality leads, and did not effectively display their gold and silver purchasing services. The owner explained to me during our first meeting that, although we knew we had the best prices for gold and silver available in Montreal, customers couldn't locate us online. "Our competitors dominated the local searches, while we were virtually invisible despite having an excellent reputation." We noticed that their WordPress site was slow, had poor mobile functionality, and lacked features that would keep visitors engaged. The design was outdated and did not inspire confidence, which is crucial for businesses where customers are selling expensive items. The site did not provide a clear path for users to ask questions or start the selling process.
Digital Audit: Discovering Gold Mines of Opportunities
The audit revealed several serious issues:
- The theme is outdated and has poor performance as well as security vulnerabilities
- Designing for mobile devices that are not responsive can be frustrating
- Technical SEO elements are critical to ranking
- Local business no longer requires structured data or schema markup
- Content in French is missing despite serving a largely bilingual market
- There is a lack of information about the value of gold and silver
- Visitors are not engaged by interactive elements
- Montreal Business Directory: minimal presence
- Unclaimed and unoptimized Google Business Profile
- Inconsistent branding across digital channels
- The precious metals sector is at risk if there are no trust signals
The website received very little targeted traffic, and those few visitors who did visit rarely became leads. The majority of new business was generated by word-of-mouth, which severely limited growth potential in Montreal’s competitive precious metals markets.
Digital Transformation Strategy
We developed a 12-month digital transformation strategy after conducting research and having two in-depth sessions with the Silver and Gold for Cash team:
- Create a custom CodeIgniter platform for maximum performance and safety
- Implement bilingual functionality to better serve Quebec's diverse populations
- Create interactive tools, including a gold value calculator
- Live feeds of current gold and silver prices
- Create a product catalog that includes gold bars, coins, and other products
- Create a system that is easy to use for people who want to request free kits by mail
- Implement comprehensive technical SEO starting from the ground up
- Create educational content on precious metals value
- Search engine optimization plan for Montreal market
- Create and implement a targeted social media strategy
- Track and optimize performance in real time
Their team was both enthusiastic and cautious. The office manager said that previous developers had promised results but provided generic solutions which did not understand the unique needs of our industry. We need a partner that understands the technical aspects as well as the trust-building factors essential to the precious metals industry.
Phase 1: Building Custom Digital Platform
We started with a complete rebuild of the platform using CodeIgniter. We focused on security, performance, and user engagement.
- Security is critical for financial services businesses
- Professional design that reflects the high-end nature of precious metals
- Full bilingual functionality with seamless language switch
- All devices are optimized for responsive design
- Lightning-fast loading (under 1.5 seconds)
- SSL certification and enhanced security features
- Placement of contact forms, calls-to-action, and other elements strategically
Custom Interactive Features
We developed custom interactive elements to differentiate Silver and Gold for Cash from the competition:
- Gold Calculator: a custom-built tool that allows visitors to estimate the current value of gold items using weight, karat, and market prices
- Live Precious Metals Price Feeds: real-time display of gold, silver, and platinum prices
- Product Catalog: a comprehensive showcase of gold coins, bars, and investment products
- Kit Request System: a streamlined process to allow customers to order pre-paid shipping kits
- Educational Hub: resources that explain the valuation process, metal purity, and market factors
The pages are carefully designed to:
- Descriptions of each service
- Security guarantees and privacy policies are among the elements that build trust
- The selling process explained step-by-step
- Verified customer testimonials
- Conversion-optimized calls to action with prominent calls-to-action
Phase 2: Comprehensive SEO & Digital Marketing
We implemented our multifaceted digital marketing strategies with the launch of this new platform:
Bilingual Keyword Research & Content Optimization
We found over 50 keywords with high value in both English & French, which balanced the search volume and conversion potential. 
The content of each page is then optimized by using the keywords while still maintaining a natural and informative tone that builds trust and demonstrates expertise.
Technical SEO Implementation
- Local businesses can benefit from schema markup
- Structured data for the product and service offerings
- Metadata optimized in both languages for Montreal and Quebec
- Sitemap in XML with hreflang tags to target languages
- Internal linking structure focusing on high-value pages
- Image optimization with alt texts in both languages
- All pages have faster page speeds
- Mobile usability improvements focusing on touch interactions
Local Search Domination
- Google Business Profile fully optimized with bilingual descriptions
- Weekly updates on new products and market insights
- Strategic review management system with response protocols
- Citations built across 40+ relevant local directories
- Montreal financial institutions and businesses are being contacted to establish local backlinks
- Sponsorship of local events with digital promotion
Social Media Strategy
- Create branded profiles on Facebook and Instagram
- Content calendar in both languages focusing on precious-metals education, market updates, and customer success stories
- Montreal-targeted engagement campaigns
- Posts targeted at specific demographics with an interest in precious metals and investment
- Share gold and silver news and analyses regularly
The Results: Digital Performance at Its Best
After six months, Silver and Gold for Cash has achieved impressive results:
- Website traffic has increased by 500% since its launch
- Google English and French: 50+ keywords on Page 1 and 2
- Gold value calculator is used by more than 1,200 unique visitors per month
- Requests for free kits have increased by 315% in comparison to the previous system
- The number of phone inquiries that mention the website has increased by 167%
- The number of social media followers grew from 500 to 3,500 across all platforms
- The average time spent on site has increased from 1:05 minutes to 4:20
- Customers expanded beyond Montreal and surrounding Quebec regions
The director of operations commented, "After years of digital disappointment, we finally have an online presence that equals our in-person customer service quality." We have gained hundreds of new clients who are grateful for the transparency they receive before even visiting. "Working with Luminary Software fundamentally changed the way we acquire new customers."
The Learnings of This Project
Each project provides valuable insight that helps us to improve our approach.
- Tools that are industry-specific create engagement: the custom gold calculator became the most-visited page, proving interactive elements with utility-focused features can be powerful conversion tools for specialized industries.
- Bilingual content is essential in Quebec market: pages with optimized French-language content outperformed English-only pages by 340% on the Montreal market.
- Educational content generates qualified leads: visitors who read articles on gold valuation convert at 3.7x the rate of those who don't. This shows that establishing expertise is powerful.
- Real-time data generates repeat visitors: 47% of users bookmark or return to this feature regularly.
Silver and Gold for Cash Today: Sustained Digital Growth
For over a year, Silver and Gold for Cash has experienced strong growth in digital sales. Their website is now their primary lead-generation tool. It consistently brings in qualified prospects and builds trust before the initial interaction. The owner recently reflected on this: "Before partnering up with Luminary Software, we were virtually invisible online despite our 17-year history in business." Our website is responsible for the majority of our new business today, it educates our clients, and it has helped us to expand across Quebec. "The return on investment was remarkable. I only wish we had made this change earlier."
