St Michaels Academy: web design for an English academy with a virtual classroom

The project

St Michaels Academy is an English academy in El Ejido. Like almost all language centres, it had to solve two things at once: explain clearly which courses it offers to those looking for a place to study English near home and, at the same time, open a new path for those who prefer —or need— to study online.

We designed its website with an integrated e-learning department, built to sell and deliver English courses online from the same place. The screenshot shows its structure: home, about us, courses, level test, online courses, blog and contact, with a direct-access button to the virtual classroom and visible calls to action (“Ver más” and “Regístrate ya”).

The challenge

To serve two different audiences on one website: the student looking for an in-person academy in El Ejido and the one who wants to study at their own pace from home. The website had to be easy to understand for both and, at the same time, work as a small course shop, with a friendly tone of the academy's own.

What we did

• Custom web design for the academy. A website with its own identity, with a creative, friendly style that presents the course offer clearly without overwhelming the visitor.
• E-learning department. A space integrated into the website itself to sell and deliver English courses online, with direct access to the virtual classroom from the menu.
• Level test and online courses in the menu. Two entries designed for the student who does not yet know where to start: try their level and find out which courses suit them.
• Clear calls to action. Visible buttons on the home page to request information or sign up, so visitors do not have to search for how to take the next step.
• Design that adapts to every device. The website is professional, functional and adapts to mobile, tablet and computer, because many students and families browse it from their phone.

Why a language academy needs more than an informational website

People looking for an English academy usually do so with a local intent (“English academy in El Ejido”) and compare several options in minutes. A website that only says who the teachers are falls short: it has to make clear which courses there are, who they are for, how to find out your starting level and how to enrol. The fewer doubts it leaves, the easier it is for the visitor to end up getting in touch.

E-learning broadens that reach. A virtual classroom lets the academy offer courses to people who cannot fit a fixed timetable or who live far away, and it complements in-person classes instead of replacing them. To rank the website in searches in the area, it is also worth working on it with local SEO and taking care of the academy's Google Maps listing. If you want to see how we approach this sector, see our web design for language academies service.

How we approach a project like this

1. Getting to know the academy and its offer

   We review which courses are taught, to what audience, which ones are to be sold online and how enrolment is organised today.

2. Structure and content

   We organise the menu, define the course pages and plan the student's journey: from the level test to registration.

3. Online campus design and development

   We build the website and the e-learning area with reviews together with you until you are happy with the result.

4. Launch and fine-tuning

   We set up the domain, the security certificate and the basic SEO settings, test access to the classroom and publish.

What we delivered

A complete academy website, with its e-learning department and virtual classroom, ready to present courses and sell online training, and adapted to any device.

Who is this type of project for?

• Language academies and training centres that want to show their offer clearly.
• Centres that want to complement in-person classes with online courses.
• Teachers and schools in El Ejido and Almería that need a professional, easy-to-use website.