The Web 2.0 customer is not equivalent to the kind of customer who reads magazines. Traditionally, what worked in printed press worked on the web - but this is no longer true. The clients flocking to Web 2.0 sites have different expectations.

First of all, the chances that your Web 2.0 visitor is a geek are much smaller than they used to be. The audience has broadened - which also means that the technical skills of your visitor may or may not be very advanced. This means that your Web 2.0 site needs to be easy to use and intuitive.

Web 2.0 visitors are also much more eager to buy online. A couple of years ago, ordering something online was both annoying and risky, since security features were only just emerging. This is no longer happening with sites that are adopting Web 2.0 technology - and the number of people who buy products online has increased exponentially.

Remember, Internet purchasers are generally picky. They will buy items online - as long as the process is not too complicated, their credit card number is safe and the entire process is transparent.

The relationship between buyers and sellers has also changed noticeably. Clients no longer want you to be the person who's selling, and nothing more - they expect you to have a closer relationship with them, they expect the decisions you make to be transparent, and they expect their concerns and demands to be taken seriously.

There have been radical changes in the online marketplace across the board. This has happened for a variety of reasons:

1. As we saw earlier, the audience has broadened to the point where people from every imaginable category are surfing the web.
2. At the same time, people are becoming increasingly accustomed to buying a product they see online and want, without even looking at the country or the currency.
3. Most non-Americans are now used to buying and selling online in US dollars, then converting to their local currency.
4. Delivery services have improved out of sight, both domestic and international.
5. Companies like PayPal and ClickBank provide solid, trusted alternatives to the credit card companies, and often act quicker than banks in processing the financial side of transactions.
6. Vendors are becoming more and more used to selling to overseas buyers, aided by todays experienced, reliable and speedy financial and transport intermediaries.

In a nutshell, the market for consumer goods and electronic purchases has become very diverse. Or, as Chris Anderson of Wired Magazine said it has developed a Long Tail.

What is this long tail? Here is what is meant by "the long tail" market. Firstly, the "head" of the market is dominated by a small number of very popular products. However, there is also another part of the market -the "tail" - made up of a very large number of products that are not as popular as those in the head, but continue to sell over a long period. This long tail section is perfectly suited for Web 2.0 marketing. The basic idea is: create the infrastructure for producing and delivering products exactly when the need for them emerges, instead of stocking them up, holding the stock at great expense, and waiting for customers. Then ride the wave of demand, much as a surfer rides a wave: in the moment, adjusting quickly as necessary.

If you can do that, you get more business, keep your costs down, and get great wraps from the bloggers and other Web 2.0 community members. And of course, you'll have your own blog, to keep the good news circulating!