It’s a mind boggling concept that a startup company with a product that was developed essentially in the free time of a University professor could upset the status quo of an industry dominated by giants such as IBM and Wang. Then, years later, after becoming the market leader in word processing software, Word Perfect all but disappeared because it failed to adapt early enough to the emergence of Microsoft Windows.

The book itself is an interesting read, written in an engaging voice. It didn’t take much effort or time to complete. I recommend it if you’re in the industry because there are many lessons to be learned from a company that grew from zero to more than a half-billion dollars revenue in about a decade. And there are lessons to consider how that same company essentially disappeared in an even shorter time. It’s a free book, available online (HTML) and as a PDF. If you have a Kindle, do what I did: download the file, pay the 10 cent conversion and Whispernet fee and read it in comfort. Then let me know what you think.

You may be thinking that I’m insane to imply that there isn’t enough publishing happening on the web with the proliferation of blogs, Squidoo, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and all the other services that exist. The problem, as I see it, is that web publishing doesn’t exist on a spectrum, it is almost completely bipolar. On one end are the user-facing publishing systems like Squidoo, YouTube, Flickr, all the blogging platforms and online web page creation systems. On the other end are the expensive, custom-developed sites that are maintained for corporations by teams of skilled software developers.

While it is frustrating that new technologies are difficult for non-insiders to use, this is not a new phenomenon. The first automobiles were very similar to the current web in many ways. The first automobiles were not user friendly. Consider this snip from Wikipedia regarding hand-crank starters:

Originally, a hand crank was used to start engines, but it was inconvenient, difficult, and dangerous to crank-start an engine. Even though cranks had an overrun mechanism, when the engine started, the crank could begin to spin along with the crankshaft and potentially strike the person cranking the engine. Additionally, care had to be taken to retard the spark in order to prevent backfiring; with an advanced spark setting, the engine could kick back (run in reverse), pulling the crank with it, because the overrun safety mechanism works in one direction only.

Although users were advised to cup their fingers under the crank and pull up, it felt natural for operators to grasp the handle with the fingers on one side, the thumb on the other. Even a simple backfire could result in a broken thumb; it was possible to end up with a broken wrist, or worse. Moreover, increasingly larger engines with higher compression ratios made hand cranking a more physically demanding endeavor.

The first cars required much more maintenance and tinkering than we are accustomed to in 2009 and car experts (insiders) were the first to benefit from new innovations. In contrast, during my driving years, I have had to change only two flat tires. I’ve never (yet) run out of gas or had to carry extra fuel to ensure that I wouldn’t. I’ve always had air conditioning and I’ve had power windows and locks in all my cars except one.

Today’s web is much like early automobiles. Avid fans and tinkerers build amazing technologies on the existing web framework. New innovations spring up daily that influence the very early developers of this new set of technologies. But for the end user, the web is still not very accessible or friendly. My conversations with small business owners and individuals remind me how foreign and unintuitive much of my world still is.

I started this blog because I want to more provide information about what technologies are available, why they are useful and how to use them. Unfortunately when I look at my own posts, I realize that very few people can really use the “how-to” articles such as How to track outbound links with Analytics or How to publish to Facebook, because these articles assume a great deal of pre-existing knowledge of web software development.

In an ideal world, business owners and individuals seeking to create rich, interactive web publications will be able to buy or lease a solution similar to today’s best luxury vehicles. First and foremost, the vehicle will be guaranteed to start and operate for years with minimal maintenance. Second, the features available will be well designed and integrated so that the consumer knows they exist but isn’t distracted by them. Third, a minimal skimming of the user manual will be all that is required to understand even the esoteric features.

We’re not there yet, but there are changes afoot. I’m excited about the potential of cloud computing as a framework for next-generation hosting. The site builders and content management systems are better today than they were yesterday — and they’ll be better tomorrow. And there is a lot of work happening to ensure that sites integrate easily with other sites, data and services.

On the other side, it is imperative for individuals to dive in and get familiar with what exists. Automobiles didn’t advance themselves, they were advanced by individuals who saw a shortfall and fixed it. Understanding what’s possible on the web today, what’s hard to do and what hasn’t been done yet are the keys to innovating the next generations. We need more suggestions and good ideas. Sooner or later, we’ll meet in the middle and then the web will be truly valuable.

I’ve just started reading it, but it’s absolutely enthralling. I’m going to send it over to my Kindle so I can finish it, but I have to say that the introduction and first chapter have me hooked. I’m always interested in seeing how fast companies like Word Perfect evolved from nothing to category killers and then collapsed in such a short time. It makes me think of the businesses, products and services that I’m been involved in creating.

Sometimes the evolution is part of the process. I think of the site that my wife and I created after we adopted our daughter, HopeToAdopt.com. It started from nothing, grew far beyond our initial hopes, but has naturally faded as our personal connection with adoption is waning. We’re shutting it down in August.

Sometimes the evolution is caused by competition or external innovation. Companies like Iomega experienced explosive growth at a time when their Zip drives were the best value for the money in storage, but as the price of hard disks, CDs and other storage fell, the Iomega drives were no longer competitive. Alta Vista (and others) fell to Google.

Planning for the inevitable cycles in business is not a sign of weakness or disbelief in a product or service. It’s the very recognition of the cycles that allow very long-term companies to continue to grow. If your current project is just starting, you should already ask yourself how it will end. That type of healthy attitude about product lifecycles will allow you to be an IBM or Xerox instead of a forgotten company.

A hundred objective measurements didn’t sum the worth of a garden; only the delight of its users did that. Only the use made it mean something.

Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign, 1999

US science fiction author

Consider how much time you spend looking at analytics such as web traffic, Twitter followers, Facebook friends, or Technorati rank. Now consider the last positive comment you received about your work. Which is worth more?

If you work on increasing the the delight of your users, all the objective measurements will take care of themselves.

Are you doing what you want to be doing today? Does your work frustrate you or inspire you? Are you happy where you are? If not, move. Really, move your feet. Start living your dreams. Take one step toward your goals. If you are unhappy, make change.

When I meet with my colleagues at Squidoo, I’m reminded how incredibly cool my job is and how amazing the people are that I work with. I get inspired. I hope everyone works with people and in places that are inspiring. If you are not, go out and find that place. It changes everything.

It’s your choice.

Is there anything in your business that you could offer for free that would help to build long-term relationships? I’ve mentioned Seth’s Unleashing the Ideavirus many times. It’s a book that you can download for free or you can buy in paperback. Guess what?! It’s a bestseller.

My good friend Spencer has created several Star Wars themed sketch cards on his web site: here, here and here. Why would he do that when people are selling his other sketch cards on eBay for as much as $250?* Simple, he’s building his fan base.

One of my most successful sites right now (in terms of traffic) is GlobeTrackr.com. It’s ugly and highly outdated, but it works. It’s a free service for tracking the location of your web visitors. I give it away because it leads traffic to other sites that are relevant to me.

There are many ways to use free creatively. Go for it!

* The eBay auctions listings for Spencer Brinkerhoff were valid on March 12, 2009. They may not be available when you read this post.

About eighteen months later, we had a finished product and an offer from a large agri-business company to buy the whole company. Gary was the kind of person who saw technology as a tool, but realized that business still meant constant planning, great execution and personal interactions with real people on real issues. For the eighteen months I was building the technology, Gary was selling. He met with dozens of groups, educational institutions, small businesses and others to discuss the product and the technology. Gary talked to everyone. He was the key to the business.

Sometimes there’s confusion

Even while building the software product, Gary never got confused about the fact that he was ultimately building a business. As with all first-version software products, ours had some limitations and some known issues (bugs) that we hoped to be able to fix in a later release. Gary always reminded me that perfect is the enemy of the good and if you wait for perfect you may never release anything.

Sometimes we get confused that the technology is the business. We get sidetracked setting up domains, web sites, Twitter accounts, Facebook profiles and other services instead of actually building our business. Worse that that, we delay releasing our ideas because of imperfections in the tools. Even if you are building a technology product, you have to make a decision about good enough and continue with your business strategy.

Don’t blame the tech

Assuming your business plan involves a whole lot of technology — and it probably does — don’t let yourself fall into the trap of blaming technology if your business plan is bad. No matter how much technology you throw at a bad idea, a bad idea is still a bad idea.

I can show you how to get 500,000 hits to your web site every day. I’ve done it. But if those 500,000 hits are from people who aren’t interested in your idea, it won’t make a bit of difference. On the opposite side, if you’ve built the greatest new widget known to man but your only marketing idea is to “use that new media stuff to go viral” you’ll also be very disappointed. Neither problem is the fault of the technology, it’s a problem with the business plan — or lack thereof.

Accountants don’t blame their calculators when things don’t add up. They run the numbers again. Cosmetologists don’t blame their shears when they mess up a haircut. You can’t blame email, Twitter, Facebook, your blog or your software if you’re not using it correctly. Technology is a tool. Treat it as such and incorporate it into your business plan in a sensible way. If you don’t really understand the technology, get educated. Ideas don’t just go viral because you want them to — learn what makes them happen. Read, read, read.

Last thoughts

Imagine yourself two years from now finding success in your small business. When someone asks you how you did it, do you think your answer will be, “The technology did it for me?” I doubt it. If the technology isn’t going to get the credit for your success, don’t let it absorb the blame for your failure.

Then something happened. There was a little tip and suddenly everyone was Googling and Twittering and Facebooking. Microsoft became a household name after years of struggling to build an operating system that was both easy to use and stable enough to work.

I love this post from Seth Godin about his 3,000th blog post. Whether you’re starting a blog, building a business, writing a book, developing a new product or running for public office, you need to ask yourself if you’re really in it for the long term.

Because if you want to be an overnight success you probably need to plan on a few years (at least) to get there. If your reason for blogging is to make money today, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re writing a book for the instant fame and fortune, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re joining an MLM company because you need to make an extra few thousand dollars next month, you’re going to be disappointed.

Read Seth’s post again and then hunker down and build your dream. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you keep working even though nothing seems to be happening — when the idea itself is so compelling to you that you can’t be diverted by “the next big thing” or the frustrating setbacks that naturally occur.

Surround yourself with successful people to keep yourself motivated. Many of my personal friends have amazing stories and I look forward to their success because it reminds me that success happens. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.

For a while, I suppose, there was a reason to make a distinction between a traditional web site and a blog. Those distinctions might be in how the site was arranged, how dynamic the information on the site was, and how the site was maintained (which tools). I don’t think there ever needed to be a distinction between a small business presence web site and a blog — and I certainly don’t think so today. In fact I think the best way to create a small business web site now is by blogging.

But blogging is too much work

Go with me for just a moment. Let’s say that you’re getting into the home inspection business and you need a basic presence web site. You need a place to describe your business, create a contact form and you want to display some basic service information and policies. You’re not necessarily interested in posting regular updates, but you want to be able to change things around from time to time.

Guess what? That sounds like a blog to me. Modern blogging software normally allows the creation of pages in addition to regular posts. If you look at the top of this blog, for example, I have an About page and if you look at the very bottom I also have a Privacy policy page. From an administrative standpoint there’s no difference between a blog post and a content page.

So, before you rush out and hire a designer and a web developer to put together your small web site, you might want to take Wordpress.com for a spin. There you can create an account, set up your blog/site and see what it might look like. If you install the really incredible Thesis theme* on your blog, you’ll also get point-and-click control over which pages appear in the top navigation (and much more).

Future benefits

If you start building your site this way, you have the option to eventually post regular updates like you expect from a blog. You also get built-in commenting (which you can turn on and off for each page or post individually), a huge collection of installable plugins and widgets that you can use to display things from Flickr photos to YouTube videos to stock price widgets (and on and on).

Some caveats

If you’re trying to build a commerce web site for hundreds of products, a blog probably isn’t the right way to go. There are other solutions for that if you’re interested (drop me a comment). Also, keep in mind that free hosting on sites such as Wordpress.com might introduce elements (such as unwanted ads) onto your site without your control. It’s still worthwhile to consider, though, since Wordpress.com provides a premium feature set at extremely reasonable prices. You can build your site up on the free version and decide if it’s right for you, then upgrade if and when it makes sense.

Last thoughts

With all the flexibility built into today’s blogging platforms, it’s hard to come up with a good reason to build a site any other way. You may not be blogging today, but as your business expands, your customers may expect regular updates on your site. Using a blog as the foundation provides the ability to turn that feature on when you need it rather than having to figure out how to merge a traditional web site with a blog later. The simplicity of starting a new blog site on Wordpress.com reduces the startup barriers to practically zero, so there’s almost no reason that anyone — even someone with no experience creating web sites — couldn’t create a web presence immediately.

Get to it. Then tell me what you think!

* Disclosure: The Thesis theme is not free and I am an affiliate representative of DIYthemes, the creator. I get paid if you buy Thesis. I’d recommend using the Thesis theme even if I weren’t an affiliate.

My intent is to provide guidance and instruction on how and why to use emerging tools. I’m also going to acknowledge as often as possible when to do something completely different. If you see something that needs correction or amplification, let me know — like Rob did. He’s right too.

Let me just make sure that I’ve been clear about one thing. The best way to do something for your business is the way that it works best for you. Sounds like a bunch of consultant double-talk, doesn’t it? It’s true though. You can only succeed in the things that you believe in.

So whatever you read online, be rational and weight it with your current business strategy. Maybe it fits, maybe it doesn’t. Do it your way.