Internet presence requires email and a web site as a minimum. Additional services such as dedicated newsgroups (discussion message boards), online chat (live discussions) allow interaction among the users. An organisation's web site features its latest advertisements, its brochures, and its public point of contact. Web sites are also increasingly used to provide goods and services. Because of this diversity, the scope and aims of an Internet presence should be clearly defined and implemented in stages according to a plan.

Internet presence should form an integral part of an organisation’s communications strategy, both internal and external. If external email is to be promptly dealt with, it should be directed to the right people within the organisation and the resulting actions tracked and monitored. If the web site is to be up to date and effective, it should reflect the current campaigns and strategies, not obsolete data.

Integrating an Internet presence into the communications structure can never be achieved overnight. It requires changes in procedure and perspective that take time to materialise. Policies should be reviewed regularly to improve their effectiveness.

[text written in early 1997 with minor changes since]

A Domain Name is an organisation’s global address. It should be easy to remember and type on the keyboard. An Internet address with lots of dots and slashes or uncommon spelling and ending will simply be ignored or forgotten. Thousands of Domain Names are registered each day. The earlier an organisation registers domain names for itself, its products or trademarks, the better chance it has to obtain the most obvious spellings and avoid the name being taken by another.

The introduction of new domain name endings such as .biz or .info, in addition to .com, .org and .net, only adds to the need for registering all possible alternative names (even common misspellings).