Online marketing is basically the advertising efforts that diverts the online traffic to a specific website and leads to direct sales . If we are talking about the present scenario online marketing is the most widely tool that has been used by the e-commerce portals. They use this technology to widen their reach and to increase their visiblity.

Now, the question is how this online marketing thing helps to increase the sales:

1- It increases the visbility of the websites all over the world.
2- It helps to attract the customers by showing lucrative offers online.
3- Helps to generate interest among the customers.
4- And finally after generating a desire for a product it leads to immediate action to purchase the product online.

In India the total number of internet users are about 185 million and it shows the future of Online marketing is really bright and in the coming times the mobile marketing will be the best option to increse sales.

Online marketing in India is growing rapidly both in terms of consumer reach and revenue generating. In today's world of globalization and technology driven online space is providing massive opportunity for the companies to reach their target customers. E-commerce growth has been significant in India. Companies like Flipkart, amazon, Snapdeal etc are creating a buzz in India as they are providing cheap stuffs comparing to the retailers. The pace of life in India is changing on fast lane so people don't have time to go to market and buy so they find it easy on e-commerce site and they are getting free delivery at their place and that too payment after delivery...Its a win win situation for both companies and end consumers...

Online marketing is a form of marketing that uses different forms of internet marketing such as pay-per-click, search engine optimization campaigns, email marketing campaigns and banner advertising. Many small businesses advertise the traditional way, but are looking to expand and explore online marketing. Online marketing is different from traditional marketing because you have the potential to reach people globally.
It helps in-
* Lower operations cost
* Tracking results
*Demographic targeting
*Global marketing

As per 2014 statistics, Total number of people using internet worldwide is 2.92 billion and in India number is more than 243 million. This figure is increasing at a drastic speed, So there is a huge population waiting whom a marketer can approach. Having said this, Lets have a look at what is online marketing and the skills required for online marketing.
In Simple terms,
“Online marketing is the act of presenting something to someone else online”. Skills required are: Online Research Skills, Planning Skills, Budgeting Skills, Project Management Skills, Copywriting Skills, Analytical Skills, Communication Skills and Technical Skills. But the most important skill required for online marketing is to “Think like the Customer”. To get inside your customers head and figure out what they do and what they do.

Online Marketing is the art and science of selling products and/or services over digital networks, such as the Internet and cellular phone networks. The art of online marketing involves finding the right online marketing mix of strategies that appeals to your target market and will actually translate into sales.

Online marketing can deliver several benefits such as:
1.Growth in potential
2. Reduced expenses
3.Elegant communications
4.Better control
5.Improved customer service
6.Competitive advantage

Online Marketing is a form of advertising which uses the Internet to deliver promotional marketing messages to consumers. It includes email marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, many types of display advertising (including web banner advertising), and mobile advertising. Online marketing includes a wider range of marketing elements than traditional business marketing due to the extra channels and marketing mechanisms available on the Internet. Online marketing can deliver several benefits such as:
1.Growth in potential
2.Reduced expenses
3.Elegant communications
4.Better control
5.Improved customer service
6.Competitive advantage

Online Marketing is the fastest growing form of direct marketing. Recent technological advances have created a digital age. Widespread use of is having a dramatic impact on both buyers and marketers who serve them. Much of the world's business today is carried out over digital networks that connect people and companies. The internet, a vast public web of computer networks, connects users of all types all around the world to each other and to an amazingly large information repository.The web has fundamentally changed consumer's notion of convenience, speed, price, product information and service.

Now a days, the means of communication has been developed rapidly as there is a huge increase in the inventions of technology. This lead people to get things from their current place itself. This is all due to the e- commercial sales and purchase of goods and services. Marketing or advertising or promoting goods and services through internet is known as Online marketing. Online marketing also includes the traditional concepts of the advertising just the way as through radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. Online marketing is classified into three categories- Web marketing, email marketing and Social media marketing.
Web marketing: It includes e-commerce websites, search engines and promotional websites.
email marketing: promoting the efforts through emails to the concerned customer.
Social Media marketing: promoting the goods through social media like Facebook, twitter etc.,
Advantages of Online marketing:
1. low cost of promotion
2. Improve their visibility among the customers
3. To reach customizable and narrow market segments
4. Global coverage
5. high speed, ads can be deployed immediately.

Online marketing:-
Online marketing is set of tools and methodologies used for promoting products and services through the internet and this online marketing can be called as web marketing, digital marketing and search engine marketing. It has several benefits like reduces expenses, better customer service and competitive advantage. Pay per click is the most useful online marketing.
By using this online marketing we can target customers demographically. Customers can search about the product and they will easily understand about the product or service(price, quality) at their free time. Online marketing includes e-commerce, online advertising, email marketing, article marketing and social media marketing.
Now with increasing local search and people’s new habit of searching on the internet first, it matters. So every business should include online marketing in their marketing mix.

It is the fastest growing and most exciting branch of marketing today. It is conducted through online computer systems which link consumers with sellers electronically. It comprises not only advertising that is shown on websites but also other kinds of online activities like email and social networking. There are many online services which offer online information and marketing services to subscribers who pay a monthly fee these services are known as commercial online services. But after growing instantly these commercial online services are now being overtaken by the Internet as the primary online marketing channel. There is also a new world of electronic commerce exposed today. Electronic commerce is the process of buying and selling supported by electronic means. Electronic markets are those markets in which sellers offer their products and services electronically, and buyers search for the information, identify what they want and place orders using a credit card or other means of electronics payments. Online marketing is convenient. Customers do not have to find a parking space, nor have to battle traffic. Online buying is also easy and private because customer faces fewer buying hassles and do not have to face salesperson or open themselves up to persuasion and emotional pitches.