Name of your website?Lighthouse Mortgage
Your name?
Joel
Your Location (city, etc)
Temecula, CA
When did you start your website and why?
This website is still in the construction and growing phase. It was started a year or so ago with the idea that the mortgage / finance industry is archaic and that we want do not want to be stuck in the paper model. That is why we currently offer the ability to complete a loan application online, in the comfort of your home anytime you like. And that is just the start. Rather than follow the older, 'new' model of filling out an app and sending it out to multiple brokers, we want to ultimately provide the ability to do the entire process online. We are working to that end and want to know what you, the consumer, would like to see. So send your suggesstions to info@golhm.com.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
The old model for the mortgage industry is to have the loan officer come to your house (or you go to the office) and fill out a manual loan application online. The new model provides an extra step of convenience because it allows for completing your application online and then the file gets submitted to different, many times random brokers who provide you with various rates. While the concept is good, we believe you should have a choice of rates, not a choice of brokers. And when you find the loan you want, you should be able to take the process from start to finish without a single page. We are working on it.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
The technology part is easy. Determining what technical aspect provides the most value is the hard spot. We have been most fortunate with the help and input we have received from you, our biggest fans. Thank you.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
The easiest part of operating a website is to translate requirements into web pages. The hardest part is determining which requirements provide core value and what priority to deliver them in.
What was your biggest mistake?
Trying to build a static page to do the job in a dynamic world.
Who maintains your website and why?
We do for control and cost management.
Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?
I don't see a website as a benefit, I see it as a requirement. Technology, in the right hands, can provide benefit beyond belief. It has changed the way Americans and world citizens do business. We intend to be on the forefront of that curve.
What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?
Again, it is here to stay and is now an integral part of doing business regardless if you are brick and mortar or internet based business. Now it is our responsibilty to mold ecommerce and the internet into a more valuable resource. One item to note is the shift in focus from a physical market (where you have to touch and feel) to a virtual market (internet based) as the next generation comes into buying power. It will be gradual, but it is a trend we already see.
What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
I would not be here if I did not believe in SEO. It is an art, but one that must be constantly and consistently tweaked to properly utilize. It is an ever-changing animal.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
A necessary burden to bear. I don't like chasing algorithms, but do not have much choice. Search Engines are the conduit to the internet public.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Search Engines undeniably provide the biggest intrinsic value to promoting a website. The most prolific is a viral type campaign, but these are (legally) the most difficult to generate as it takes a public swell and these are often unpredictable.
What method has been least successful for promoting your website?
Not surprisingly, spam campaigns generate the most negative publicity. Unfortunately, as with anything else, negative publicity is better than no publicity.
What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?
What I would like to see change with respect to the internet is to provide different zones for different areas. For instance, a kid zone would be the primary area for children of certain ages. This area could be consistently monitored for safety. The current .com zone could be a free-for all as it is already with one exception. Adult material should be relegated to its own domain (.xxx or something like that) where it can truly be filtered. This is a pipe dream, but one I would like to see come true.
Question of my choice: Where do I see the internet tomorrow?
I feel we squander many of our talents and capabilities because we are forced to search for ways that make economic sense with the internet as opposed to finding ways to make technology work to improve our lives. The first internet pioneers had the right idea, they just did not know how to carry it out. The model behind the internet should not be dollar driven, but this 2-dimensional business model is the only way we know to apply technology. If we took away the need to derive income from the internet, what would we have? What would we apply our energy to developing? If we took away the ability to hack and spam our way to revenue, how would some of these brilliant minds apply themselves to improving lives rather than disrupting for gain. Tinge of socialism and idealism all put together I know, but I think the internet and technology transcends politics and business and this is the only way we know to apply resources to technology. And although we are not in an ideal world, capitalism and corporate application of resources has done much to advance technology. We just have to be wary and aware of which direction we head. We have a long way to go and much to learn in this journey, but it will be interesting and, in the end, we will end up the master or the slave.
What is your website address?
Lighthouse Mortgage