Name of your website?Nicaragua Spanish Lessons
Your name?
Raul Gavarrette
Your Location (city, etc)
Granada
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Nicaragua Spanish Lessons web site provides information on Spanish immersion programs, culture, excursions, tourist places, hotels and hostals, history and culture of Nicaragua as well as it promotes the learning of the Spanish language in Granada the colonial jewel of Central America.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
First of all as I am a Spanish teacher I wanted to promote the learnig and teaching of this language and contribute to reduce the cultural and language gaps between Spanish speakers and other languages speakers. I wanted also to motivate people to visit my country Nicaragua, the land of Lakes and Volcanoes.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
In 2002 and it was about the same. I was teaching Spanish in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and felt I needed a web site to say this is Central America, come vist us and get to know Nicaragua and Costa Rica and learn Spanish and have fun.I wanted peopel to see the tropic, the beauty of Nature here.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Weel, as I had beenteaching Spanish I decided the best name would be a name that referes to what I was doing and my new web site is also related to it.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
Well, I am not saying I am the best in my web site. I think one must be humble and accept that we are all learning in life and never stop learning from everyone. I am not saying lies in my texts. My web site promotes the special events and celebration in the country. Offers are similars but different the way to perform them.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My main eventual goal is to promote Nicaragua and also get some income.I want to promote employment in my country and contribute to local economy by bringing international stduents to learn Spanish in Granada.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I spend a lot of time with my project in Garanada, I am fully dedicated to make it a succesful program and I if I have to use my time and my personal money to it Iīll do it. This is my dream and my pathway to success!
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would keep it simple and with some relevant pics and information to reduce expenses, I would look for a free hosting site.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Absolutely, I am a hard-working guy and I like to challenge. I am very organized and that would help me.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Some problems I had last month with the section for registration on my web site and the amount of spam I have been bombed with.
What has been your biggest challenge?
To organize all the site information in a short time when I had other jobs to do.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Classified ads, forums, links.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Weel, at first I though it was going to have plenty of visitors per day. It is still going slow on that, not what I expected.
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?
Itīs been on line for almost 2 years. I will keep it for some more years.
Are you willing to provide other kind of information that potential visitors might ask?
Of course, I have received requests on info about let say an adress in Nicaragua, info about a place that someone from another country is interested to visit. I have helped those people providing info even they were not coming to Nicaragua to learn Spanish.
What is your website address?
Nicaragua Spanish Lessons
