Easy money through e-commerce

Most of us have seen those articles about setting up an e-commerce store and how easy it is. You don’t even need to make your own products if you don’t want to. The way they talk, it is like printing money. You can earn a passive income easily using their method.

And, that is where the catch is—you have to use their method. Which they will provide for you, at a price. You see, they have found a relatively easy way to make a passive income online, and it is not through drop-shipping but by selling to you.

To be fair, though, it is not all that easy for them either. They have to put in a lot of time and effort to market their products. It just goes to show that there really are no shortcuts when it comes to running an online store.

Don’t believe us? Check out the infographic below. It was compiled by redbrain.com to show exactly how well the biggest brands in America are doing in terms of online shopping.

You might find the statistics surprising. Target’s online sales for 2017, for example, came in at just under 5.5 percent of their overall sales income. As you will see with most of the other stores, online sales tend to be a drop in the bucket.

Nordstrom is a notable exception here. Its online sales make up about a quarter of its total sales income. In part, that is because its products suit the online market well. It also shows that its online strategy seems to be working for the company.

The point is that online sales are not necessarily the easiest way forward. Even the businesses with established brands have to work hard at it. How much harder would it be for a new brand? One that does not have the distinction of being a household name?

We are not saying that it is impossible for a new brand to gain traction online. What we are saying is that it will take some time. Check out how long the stores listed below have had e-commerce stores for.

That will show you that there is no such thing as an overnight success or easy money in this area.

(Infographic by Redbrain)