Name of your website?Green Mystery Costa Rica
Your name?
Sandra Philbrick
Your Location (city, etc)
Playas del Coco
What's your web site about?
We own and operate a small resort - it's actually a small collection of vacation homes that are available for rental.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I wanted people to know who we are, what we do, and what's important to us. We're not just a place for you to stay when you visit Costa Rica - we help people find things to do, take care of our environment, and we're always helping local charities and school groups.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
About 6 months ago a friend of a friend helped us out with a quick little website. It was a good first attempt, but it didn't have the information that our new site has.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
One of our guests, Jason Lancaster of http://www.sporkmarketing.com, helped us come up with the name and developed the website.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
We spend a lot of time talking about our jungle setting, our eco-friendly practices, and the wildlife on site. We're all about the animals - I drive around with dog and cat food in my car just in case I see a hungry stray (an all too common problem here in Costa Rica).
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Help people enjoy Costa Rica, work with locals to preserve and protect Costa Rica, make some new friends, and maybe make a few dollars along the way.
Where are you from, orginially?
Canada. My husband Garth and I built our resort a few years ago after we fell in love with Costa Rica.
What services do you offer to help people find things to do?
Our web site has a great list of things to do in Costa Rica, and our contact form has a little box where people can let us know about what they might like. We just set it up.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
No - we're too small. We've only got 18 vacation homes, and a lot of them are filled by the home owners at any given time. Most of the home owners work and live in the USA or Canada and visit as they have time.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
In terms of the web site, nothing. In terms of building the resort...don't get me started.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The language barrier - learning to speak Spanish on top of everything else was hard.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
We're not sure yet - we're hoping for search engine placement.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I was expecting something simpler, but now I realize that adding lots of content was a good idea.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it running?
We'll keep it running forever - we've already had some good responses.
Do you have any advice for someone visiting Costa Rica?
Have fun! This country has everything, and you'll never be able to do it all in one or two weeks of vacation. Focus on what you want to see most, what you like to do, and enjoy it. You can always come back.
What is your website address?
Green Mystery Costa Rica
