In a world where competition for decent well-paying jobs is stiff, online marketing offers one of the easiest routes to financial freedom.

 What is online marketing? What are the specific strategies one can apply to earn a decent living through internet marketing? How can you enhance your online marketing earnings? Read on for the answers.

What is Online Marketing?

 The term online marketing refers to a collection of strategies for promoting services and products through online platforms. The advent and widespread nature of the internet and related technologies has spawned a unique form of commerce, which is conducted mainly across the internet.

Online marketing, also known as digital marketing, web marketing, search engine marketing and internet marketing, has gained popularity especially due to increased use of mobile phones to access internet services.

 If you venture into digital marketing, you will enjoy better control of your business, lower expenses, high growth prospects, efficient communication and closer and more fulfilling engagement with customers. You also get to target specific demographics by utilising up-to- date and highly-accurate analytics.

 The journey to financial freedom through online marketing begins with identifying a need and a market. Craft a good strategy to solve the need, by knowing the right product or service to meet the need.

 Now create an online platform where customers can purchase the product, pay for it conveniently, and receive their products. Promote the products on different online and offline platforms. Watch your business grow. Reap the profits.

Internet Marketing Business Models

 To understand exactly how web marketing functions, it’s critical to understand the main models of this business.

E-commerce

 E-commerce (or electronic commerce) entails creating a website through which customers can choose products they want to buy, pay for the items, and have the items shipped or delivered to preferred destinations. Services can also be sold or brought across the internet.

In the traditional brick-and-mortar business model, the customer has to visit a shop, place an order or buy the product, then transport it to the destination. Money is often exchanged directly and the deal sealed.

 In the process, the owner of the business incurs expenses such as electricity, security and water bills. If the store is large and serves many customers, the proprietor employs personnel, thus increasing operational expenses.

 Not so with e-commerce. All you need is a warehouse or some small space in your house. As soon as the customer purchases the product online, you pack and ship it to the destination. There are no additional costs for running the business.

What kind of products or services can you sell online?

 Any product you can purchase from a shop, market or store can be sold online. Virtually every industry is represented: beauty, health and fitness, books, stationery, computer accessories, spare parts, furniture, home decorations, consultancy services, mobile phones, food products, televisions. The list is endless.

 You can even sell your homemade products through dedicated websites. If you are good at making dresses, knitting, baking, decorating, writing, sculpting, photography and so on, you can create a website just for that.

Business models that support e-commerce

To be successful in internet marketing, you don’t need to have the products physically when the customer purchases them on your site. There are several cheaper options available that ensure you don’t disappoint your customer.

1.Drop-shipping

Drop-shipping entails having an arrangement with a third party to deliver the product to the customer once the customer purchases it from you. For instance, if you are selling mobile phones on your e-commerce website, you don’t need to have the gadgets with you.

You can arrange with a dealer or the manufacturer to send the phone to the client. You will then pay the person who sent the product. In essence, you don’t have to see or handle the product, but you get the profit.

 Unlike a normal online seller, you don’t have stock or inventory. The third party does most of the work. You only connect the buyer and the product. This was you become financially free at a very low cost.

2.Amazon FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon)

Amazon is arguably the most renowned and successful e-commerce company in the world. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world receive products they have purchased online, thanks to Amazon.

While you might consider this competition for your e-commerce store, Amazon will boost your business if you enrol in FBA. This innovative fulfilment network is meant for online merchants who would like to store their “products in Amazon Fulfilment Centers”.

 Now, here is the good news. When your customers purchase from your site, Amazon will “pick, pack, ship and provide customer service for” your products. This way you can boost your enterprise and increase your customer base.

 This implies that you will concentrate on marketing your business to prospective clients instead of minding about storage and shipping matters. Leveraging on the logistical capabilities and global reach of Amazon gives you an advantage over your competitors.

3.Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing works well for e-commerce but also for another critical form of online marketing – blogging. Now, a blog is a website in which a writer shares knowledge, information and insights on a specific topic which blog followers have an interest.

Credible and committed writers eventually build a faithful following. Blogs that have a large following become fecund grounds for advertisement, one of the best sources of income and a path to financial freedom.

 Affiliate marketing is a form of advertising. You can get into an agreement with third parties to post links to products being sold by the third party. The products whose link you are promoting are those that fall within your area of expertise – what you share on your blog.

 When visitors to your site click on the link, they are redirected to the original site, where they purchase the product. You are then paid a commission for every purchased product. The challenge now becomes how to increase the number of your blog followers, which in turn increases the chance that they will click on an affiliate link and earn you commissions.

 Apart from Amazon, you can reach out to other companies that sell products that your blog followers are interested. Affiliate links may also come from companies whose products or services you are using, e.g. online payment methods like Payoneer and website-creation services like WordPress.

 On an e-commerce website, you can create a blog section where you promote products you don’t sell directly on your site, but which can be bought by customers who follow the affiliate links you provide. best seo expert in india