Websites make life easier - but what about your site?

A little while ago we took a road trip down to the golden fields and blue skies of the Wairarapa, which turned on a wonderful blast of summer for us.

We took a laptop down with us, mainly in case of any emergencies with clients' sites that needed fixing, and so that we could stay in touch with people by email.
I was astounded at how much other day to day information we use the internet for, that I hadn't even thought about.

Before we left I was able to research places to stay, and things to see and do across the North Island. During our travels I was able to do all of the following online:

• Check news and weather from http://www.nzherald.co.nz.
• Research and book places to stay. (http://www.jasons.co.nz is great.)
• Checked bank account balances and paid bills through http://www.asbbank.co.nz.
• Information on things to see and do in the Wairarapa, Tangariro National Park and Taupo - including some wonderful walks and beaches we wouldn't have known about otherwise. I started at http://www.purenz.com and also did searches on http://www.google.com.
• Got road maps from http://www.nzmaps.co.nz.

I'm sure you're thinking 'this is nice, but what's it got to do with me and my business?' - think about this:

Consumers like you and me are out there, searching for information online, every single day. You can now find information on almost anything you need, from movie times to what to cook for dinner, all online. Is your business providing information that consumers are looking for, and are you making life more convenient for your customers?