Name of your website?SwimSafe Swim Club
Your name?
Shari Wolson
Your Location (city, etc)
Saint Petersburg
Please give us a short summary of your website?
We offer swim lessons as well as CPR, First Aid and Emergency Response for Parents and Caregivers.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
We began SwimSafe in 1995 due to the increase of needless drownings of children in Florida. The best way to get the information across to as many people as possible is through a website.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
First website was in 2003. It was just a small personal page. Since then we got our own dominion name and began with Yahoo Small Business, now we are trying to work with Microsoft's Live, but have not completed it as of today. I hope to have it completed by March 31, in time for 2009 swim season.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
It reflects what we do, we make children safer in and around water. Hence the tagline and the name.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
Not much different in content than other swim schools. Our program is different in methods and community involvement. We do community outreach programs at schools, daycare and other places that parents and children go. We offer scholarships (financial) because these lessons are so necessary, I would hate to turn away a child and something happen top them, we do fund raising and donations to the SwimSafe Foundation. This money helps pay for community programs and scholarships.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Teach as many people in Florida to be safe around the water. More swimmers to our program is the goal.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
There is no balance. This is my life, this is who I am. Time and investment are irrelevant to the point of what I do. Success is having one of your participants save his mother and unborn brother's life based on what he learned in your program. True story!
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Better placement, flash components eye, catching graphics, able to reach as many people as possible would be nice.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, I am always looking for instructors so I have a great group to handle as much as comes my way. I have some instructors that would love to operate their own SwimSafe Swim Club facility. So we are ready to handle anything.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
The biggest thing is if the pool has mechanical problems. So if it were to breakdown, that would be the worst and unexpected thing that could happen. We have been lucky.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Our pool is not heated, so having lessons year round has been a challenge. We have the requests but November through March it is too cold to swim in.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
It have been included on all our stationery, business cards, brochures ect. and as many free advertising websites I can find.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I do not know enough about website development to have any expectations.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Its been up for three years now. Website gets hits but not many actual calls, so how long, I do not know. Internet websites should draw clients but I have not gotten many responses to make the leap to a extensive website.
Do you feel that your current website reflects your company well?
No, not at this time. It is the simplest design from Yahoo and there were not many to choose from. With the Live website there is a better chance for a better showcase of the business. I am just not that great at creating the Live website.
What is your website address?
SwimSafe Swim Club
