From Concept to Completion – And Then a Plot Twist
Rescuing a Digital Presence for a Heroic Organization
When Cajun Navy 2016 needed a website that captured its mission, engaged volunteers, and streamlined donations, we stepped up to deliver a high-performing, conversion-optimized platform. Our team built a site that was visually compelling, highly functional, and designed for impact, ensuring that their crucial work in disaster relief was supported by an equally powerful online presence.
However, this project took an unexpected turn. Despite our extensive work in designing, developing, and launching the website, another agency—let’s call them pineRidge Solutions—took over the project after launch, poached the client, and failed to compensate us for our efforts. While they’ve since made changes to the site, we believe in showcasing the work we originally created, as it stands as a testament to our commitment to quality web design.
Project Scope & Our Original Work
A Mission-Driven Website Built for Engagement
We approached this project with three core objectives in mind:
- Showcase Cajun Navy 2016’s Impact – Through powerful imagery, an engaging user interface, and clear storytelling, we made sure visitors understood the scale of their operations at a glance.
- Simplify Donations & Volunteer Sign-Ups—The nonprofit needed an intuitive way to collect donations and efficiently onboard volunteers. We integrated seamless donation forms, call-to-action buttons, and an optimized user flow.
- Deliver a Modern, Fast, and Responsive Experience—We built a fully responsive site that performed exceptionally well on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Before the takeover, this website was a flawless mix of functionality and visual appeal.
Critique of the Post-Launch Changes
Analyzing What Went Wrong After the Takeover
While the core structure of our work remains, pineridge Solutions (our discreet nod to the real culprit) made several modifications that, unfortunately, detract from the original user experience. Here’s our analysis of what’s changed for the worse:
Overcrowded Hero Section
Initially, we designed the homepage with a clean, visually striking hero section highlighting Cajun Navy 2016’s mission without overwhelming users.
- What changed? The new layout clutters the hero area with excessive images, leading to a chaotic first impression. Instead of directing users toward critical actions (donations, sign-ups), the current design feels more like a gallery with no clear focal point.
Poor Use of White Space & Layout Adjustments
We crafted a balanced, structured layout with well-spaced content blocks to improve readability and navigation.
- What changed? The site now feels squeezed—content is too compressed, sections lack breathing room, and the design choices create unnecessary visual strain. This negatively impacts user experience and readability.
Confusing Call-to-Action (CTA) Placement
A nonprofit’s website should make taking action easy and intuitive. We positioned clear CTAs to guide users toward donating, volunteering, and learning more.
- What changed? The takeover team buried critical CTAs under excessive visual clutter, reducing conversion opportunities. Users now have to scroll more to find donation links—a major UX failure.
Unnecessary Content Revisions
Good content doesn’t just inform—it persuades and converts. Our original copy was optimized to tell the Cajun Navy 2016 story in a concise, emotionally engaging way.
- What changed? The revised content feels overly generic, lacks impact, and dilutes the nonprofit’s compelling narrative. It has lost the emotional storytelling element that drives donations and engagement.
Performance & Speed Downgrade
We built the site with optimized assets, compressed images, and best-in-class performance practices to ensure fast load times and smooth interactions.
- What changed? Post-modifications, the site appears slower, heavier, and less optimized, which can negatively affect SEO rankings and user retention.
Performance Analysis: The Impact of Poor Website Management
AfterpPineRidge Solutions took over the project, we decided to track the site’s organic search performance in Google Search Console to assess the effectiveness of its modifications. The results speak for themselves.
Key Observations from the Google Search Console Data
- Significant Decline in Organic Performance: Initially, the site had steady impressions and clicks, showing that our SEO strategies were successfully driving traffic. However, over time, there’s a sharp decline in both metrics, suggesting that critical SEO elements were either removed or mismanaged post-launch.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) of 7.2%: A CTR of 7.2% is respectable, but it could have been higher with proper SEO-driven content strategies. Given the overall decline in clicks and impressions, visibility was lost due to poor content restructuring or ongoing optimization.
- Dropping Average Position (21.7): The site’s average ranking is 21.7, which means it hovers on the second or third page of search results. Before the takeover, our work steadily improved the site, but without sustained SEO efforts, it is losing ground against competitors.
- Lack of Sustainable Growth: The initial traffic spikes correspond to the launch, but instead of consistent growth, the traffic tapers off and remains stagnant. This suggests a failure to continue SEO efforts, optimize content, and engage users with fresh, high-value updates.
What This Means for Cajun Navy 2016
The data reinforces a hard truth—a website is not a “set it and forget it” project. It requires:
- Ongoing SEO maintenance to stay competitive
- Regular content updates to engage and convert visitors
- Technical optimizations to keep performance strong
Without these, organic reach declines, as seen in the graph above.
How We Would Have Handled It Differently
If BlakSheep Creative had retained control of the project, the website would have continued to:
- Maintain strong SEO rankings through structured optimization
- Improve click-through rates with compelling meta descriptions and title tags
- Grow organic traffic through strategic content marketing
- Enhance user engagement with data-driven UI/UX improvements
Instead, the post-launch mismanagement led to stagnation, proving that handing off a project to a team lacking SEO and content expertise is costly.
This data is another reason why partnering with an experienced agency that understands SEO, UX, and digital strategy is critical for long-term success.
Final Thoughts: The Importance of Doing It Right
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, we are still proud of the work we originally delivered. Our goal was to build a high-converting, mission-driven website for Cajun Navy 2016, and that’s precisely what we did before the project was taken from us.
At BlakSheep Creative, we believe in transparency, integrity, and quality. If your organization needs a website that is **strategically designed for engagement, donations, and impact—done the right way—let’s talk.
See How We Build Websites That Actually Perform.
Or, if you’re ready to discuss your project, fill out the form below for a free consultation, and let’s start building a website that fuels your mission.
