This article is about one of the most important and fundamental concepts in Internet Marketing.
It is often called “web presence” or “Internet presence” but more often isn’t called anything at all. Despite its importance, many in the Internet Marketing business have never heard of it.
Internet Presence is how visible you are on the Internet.
If 100 people look for someone like you online, what percentage of them will find you?
Let’s say you are selling rubber duckies, you have an online store. There are many ways someone might find you – searches on various search engines, directory listings, blog ads, etc. Some get used more than others. With some of them you might show up, with others not.
Let’s say 34% of those looking for rubber duckies search on Google and don’t go past page one. If you show up on Google page one, your Internet Presence is at 34% just from that. And If you don’t, that’s 34% of potential visitors you’ve lost out on.
There is a quality aspect to this as well. It is the overall impression someone would get about you from what’s on the web – good or bad. Because just being aware of you isn’t enough. They also need to get the right message about you.
So what percentage of those who find you on the Internet, those who are actual potential prospects, click on the link and go to your site? That’s the quality of your online presence and is reflective of your online reputation, how well worded your listings are, etc. etc.
Internet Presence reflects directly in the volume of visits to your website. The concept provides a framework for understanding where your Internet marketing is or isn’t working.
The formula is this:

Number of people looking for “rubber duckies” X
Internet Presence X
Quality of Presence =
Visitors to your website (not including “direct / bookmark”).

That tells you immediately there are five ways to increase traffic to your website:
1. Get more people looking for “rubber duckies” (usually accomplished through publicity or offline promotion).
2. Increase your presence.
3. Improve your presence (quality).
4. Get more people to your site through off-line or email promotion (shows as direct / bookmark).
5. Get more people to return to your site (shows as direct / bookmark).
ANY increase or decrease in your visits CAN be analyzed down to which of these factor or factors are affecting traffic.
You may not be able to come up with exact percentage numbers for Internet Presence (quantity and quality). But you can, with adequate web analytics (website statistics) and other tools, find out what you need to know.
This is one of the great pluses of the Internet. The ability to get good numerical information.
Then you can take action.
EFFECTIVE action.