In modern business today you just have to have a website. If you're not up there on Google then your business is simply not happening.

I don't necessarily agree.  A website is great, as long as it has a purpose.

I always want to know, what is a website trying to achieve?  It seems to me that many of the ones I've seen are trying to be everything for everyone.  So, before building a website, isn't it important to understand what you want to get out of it. 

For example, with this website, brokermentor.com.au we have two goals.  The first is to provide information online to our broker network, allowing them to have easy access to information, documents and other resources to help them to grow their business.  The secondary goal is to help our network of brokers to both be and feel connected, through both my daily blogs and through the interactions of the forum.

The reason I bring this up, is because we've just launched our new look site www.visionms.com.au

Previously on the old website we had information sheets and calculators and many other tools, but when we really examined it, was the website achieving what we really wanted it to do, to generate enquiries to us from customers.  The unfortunate answer was no, it wasn't.  So the new website is designed to lead the reader into an online enquiry or to allow them to search for their local broker and contact them directly.  It is now a website with a purpose. 

By the way, if you're a potential customer and you've accidently stumbled across this website please don't misconstrue what I'm saying, the reason we want you to speak with us directly is so that we can help you.  Online calculators and all of that sort of thing just don't give you enough information to really make an informed choice.

Which leads me to my next point, if you're a broker in our network and you would like more business - where is your profile?  Send them in so that we can advertise you for free.

On a serious note for today, I would like to add that our thoughts are with the people of Victoria who are currently affected by the bushfires.  We have added a section in our online forum with information about how people can assist, so please login and see what you can do to help.