Confused? Well no great surprise as both statements can be true at the same time!
There are many technical differences between both types of business but the most important thing to realise is that both an online and an offline business is a BUSINESS!
Making money on the internet is not some kind of short cut to retirement instead of winning the lottery ;¬) You need to research your market, make sure you have the right product for your market and learn how to present that...