Name of your website?La Escuela Del Sol
Your name?
Jeremy Levine
Your Location (city, etc)
Montezuma
When did you start your website and why?
I started my website in March of this year as a means to find and educate prospective students about my new school in Costa Rica. Through the site, students are able to see what we're about and hopefully apply to our programs.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
La Escuela Del Sol is an immersion program for people who want to learn Spanish fast while having an adventure in a tropical paradise. The school, located in Montezuma, Costa Rica offers a 1 to 4 week, college level, Spanish language program as well as additional courses for adventure and self enhancement. Those courses currently include surfing, yoga and poi (fire dancing).
We make our money from the programs themselves and eventually through merchandising, such as selling poi and customized t-shirts. I'd like one to say "Sol Train", "Students of the Sol" or "Sol Survivor." I'm still working out the kinks.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
My web designer is in El Salvador. He's a great guy and a great designer, but there have been a lot of misspellings. My meta tags are hardly legible, etc. But they've done a great job overall. I love how the site turned out.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
The integration of my site to my email. I like that.
What was your biggest mistake?
Not knowing how to optimize the site for search engines. I'm still working on that.
Who maintains your website and why?
Roberto Palomo of Web Informatica in El Salvador. He's a dear friend of a dear friend and I really like his work. He's a pleasure to deal with.
Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?
I've added customers. It's the best way to advertise in places I'll never go.
What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?
Its reach is not going to slow down any time soon. It's great for the consumer, that's for sure.
What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
As a business owner, I think it's a necessary evil. I don't like that fact that half of the links I get on a google search are link farms, but no one's trying to send you irrelevant information. That would be a waste of everyone's time.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
As I'm learning to utilize them, they are nothing but a great help to my website. I just hope I can get the right message to the right people. If I can do that, everyone will win in the end.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Google Adwords. I can't help but feel I'm paying too much, but most of my customers have come through there.
What method has been least successful for promoting your website?
Finding people through myspace. It's way too time consuming.
What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?
I want more access to television shows. I'm moving to Costa Rica, so I'm gonna need my fix.
What is your website address?
La Escuela Del Sol
