Early this week, I met with Michael Gregoire, who is the CEO of Taleo Corp. (NASDAQ: TLEO). His company is a leader in HR software.

Instead of talking about the fine points of his industry or tech gobbledygook, he spent most of his time talking about the look-and-feel of his software and website. "If you go to Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) or Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), do you need a user manual?" he asked. "Of course not. It's natural. The technology doesn't get in the way."

In fact, over the past year, Gregoire has had a laser focus on improving his software's usability, and based on what I've seen so far, it's been well worth it. Interestingly enough, the system has the feel of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPod, not a boring HR application. "We think design and usability will be a key differentiator going forward and very important for growth," said Gregoire.

So how can a small business make sure its products showcase good design and ease of use? Some entrepreneur's I've interviewed recently told me how they have been able to follow what I would call 'the iPod way.'