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Top 5 Reasons A Content Management Company Will Go Out Of Business

Several months ago a content management vendor told me that the oncoming recession was causing it problems with revenue generation. I said perhaps, but it's also possible its problems were related to the fact that its customers were really angry and really vocal. It's too easy to blame market conditions without taking a hard look in the mirror sometimes.

For this top 5 list I won't name any names, but I encourage everyone to try to clean their own closets occasionally. Maybe these items will add up to survival in either a recession or peak market conditions. The top reasons a content management company will go out of business:

• No. 5: You forgot to eat your own dog food. I'm amazed at the number of companies that offer content management options while their own Web content and marketing materials haven't been updated since 1997. If you have the teams that can deliver for your customers, let them practice on your real estate first. Would you buy a suit from a man wearing rags? Maybe, but many people wouldn’t.

• No. 4: Your customers hate you. The best technology in the world won't save you if your own customers tell everyone that you're a jerk. Please don't ever tell your customers that it's their fault if they can't figure out how to use your products. Yes, content management is not rocket science, and yes, some people are amazingly nontechnical. That doesn't excuse elitism, and if the words "The customer is just stupid" have ever come out of your mouth, you may deserve to go out of business. It sounds like I'm making this up. I'm not.

• No. 3: You try to develop everything in-house. The market is moving fast, your R&D teams can't always keep up. This isn't necessarily a weakness -- sometimes you need to pick your differentiators and source the other items. If you find that you're missing release deadlines again and again on items readily available from other vendors or as open source, please evaluate your business model. You're burning cash for fun, not profit.

• No. 2: You disregard trends. I'll say it again. The market moves fast and what's on the horizon sometimes seems just plain silly at first. But we've all heard the famous miscalculation that the world only has need for about five computers -- the smartest people have made mistakes. For those who have told me that "Green is just a fad" and "Blogs are overrated," (both of those are direct, recent quotes) be careful of what you dismiss. Don't fall behind your competitors because you personally drive a Hummer and wear polar bear fur earmuffs (that's a green reference, people). Fads and trends have a way of catching on, becoming important, and filling real business needs. Be open to change, and maybe your revenue will grow.

• No. 1: Your employees turn over faster than the toilet paper is changed in the corporate restroom. Whether the job market is tight or technology workers seem a dime a dozen, employees are the face of your company. If they're leaving in droves, or you're replacing them quarterly, it's a morale killer and your customers sense it.

Send me your reasons for part two and we'll post them next week.

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