http://www.businesspundit.com/sleek-style-isnt-everything/ Entrepreneurship, Startup Companies and Business Philosophy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:31:15 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.businesspundit.com/sleek-style-isnt-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-14943 Jurgen Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:59:56 +0000 http://www.businesspundit.com/?p=11536#comment-14943 I think as long as you give someone useful, relevant information and it is backed up by some form of social proof (such as your reputation) then visuals don't matter. They are important (especially for that 'first impression') but they don't matter nearly as much as content. I have bought products of $100's from people who had a few ugly sentences on a static HTML page, just because I knew that they know what they're talking about, and was certain I would get lots of value through it. I think building that relationship (or the impression of one) is the most important part - something which is easily done through a video incidentally. The point of diminishing returns is too easily reached when designing a website, yet we always seem to get hung up on it; fiddling with those little tidbits that don't translate into increased value for the visitor. Focus on the value, and your site design won't really matter that much. I think as long as you give someone useful, relevant information and it is backed up by some form of social proof (such as your reputation) then visuals don’t matter. They are important (especially for that ‘first impression’) but they don’t matter nearly as much as content. I have bought products of $100’s from people who had a few ugly sentences on a static HTML page, just because I knew that they know what they’re talking about, and was certain I would get lots of value through it. I think building that relationship (or the impression of one) is the most important part – something which is easily done through a video incidentally. The point of diminishing returns is too easily reached when designing a website, yet we always seem to get hung up on it; fiddling with those little tidbits that don’t translate into increased value for the visitor. Focus on the value, and your site design won’t really matter that much.

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