I've lost count of the companies who've told me, in a delighted but embarrassed way, 'We're the best kept secret in the industry' like that's a good thing.  At which point, I want to explode.  They are the best kept secret in the industry because they haven't told anyone they exist & if no one knows they exist, then who is going to buy their product or service or want a job with them or invest in them? 

Of course PR goes beyond a website.  PR is about connecting to people and communities that are relevant to the aims of your organisation, whether that is to find customers or supporters.   PR is about doing that communication in ways that support your brand.  In these 'osphere days, a website is a valuable place to start. Media coverage, whether in respected trade journals, national newspapers or glossy magazines, associates you, your products or services, your business with a recognised brand.  Editorial is well-recognised as having more impact than advertising, what really makes it count is the use you make of it, whether you sit passively back and wait for people to read it or actively share it with as many people as possible.  That's why its worth doing old fashioned media as well as blogging, engaging with online conversations and generally getting caught up in the online world.  

PR gets involved wherever there is a need to communicate, whether that is to employees or prospects, customers or shareholders.  It's about making communication work.  Your PR advisor should give you the take of the outside world, should function as a court jester, with every right to tell the truth (and get laughed at or ignored) and a requirement to remind senior management of what the world beyond their organisation thinks.