Redesigning For Impact: More Engagement, More Visibility
- Culinary Academy of Las Vegas (CALV), a nonprofit hospitality training center, needed a new digital presence that would increase awareness, drive applications and support long-term SEO growth.
- Digital Silk redesigned the site to enhance user journeys, modernize the mobile experience and implement an SEO strategy targeting both branded and high-intent local queries.
- Within 8 months, the site saw a +1200% increase in visit duration, a 21% drop in bounce rate and ~70% growth in overall traffic — reflecting higher user trust, interest, and discoverability.
The Challenge
CALV’s existing website wasn’t supporting their mission or conversions.
User behavior showed high bounce rates, minimal time on site and poor mobile engagement, especially for new visitors.
Outdated UX & Unclear Paths
Navigation was flat, CTAs were inconsistent and content lacked the structure to guide different user types like prospective students or local partners.
Limited Organic Reach
The site ranked only for branded terms and missed high-value searches like “culinary school Las Vegas” or “chef training near me.”
Low Engagement Metrics
Bounce rates exceeded 90% and the average visit lasted less than 15 seconds, limiting the Academy’s ability to build trust or drive applications.
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Mobile-Optimized UX & Funnel Design
We streamlined navigation, introduced sticky CTAs and built out dedicated pages for key actions like “Apply”, “Programs” and “Explore”.
Calendars, forms and layout were restructured for usability across devices. -
Content That Builds Confidence
We added testimonials, student outcomes and collapsible sections that helped users explore without feeling overwhelmed, fostering trust through storytelling.
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Long-Term SEO Infrastructure
Keyword research focused on low-competition, high-intent terms. Pages were optimized with custom meta, structured H1s and scalable CMS blocks.
Today, CALV ranks on page one for “culinary training Las Vegas” and more than 800 keywords, many of them non-branded. -
Navigation Aligned To Real User Goals
We introduced a mega menu organized around career pathways and outcomes, ensuring users could find the information they needed based on their intent — from culinary certifications to student-run restaurant services.
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