Do people really care about the design?

[BritishARMY]

Hey all.

I was wondering about this and thought it'd make an interesting discussion, maybe some of you will have some excellent input. I have just created a new site as a project to maybe bring in some small money, and I have made a nice design for it. Very fresh and modern. I ran into some trouble though as I added content and couldn't figure out why it wasn't displaying as it should. Obviously I'd messed up the coding somewhere. I previewed the site without CSS style, just as a blank page with the default font. It looked simplistically nice. This made me think, do people really care about how the design looks, or do they not mind? Will they appreciate a plain page with quality content as much as a fancy site with quality content?

My plan is to make lots of good quality pages about different places in Spain, and the way I will (eventually) monetise it will be with Google ads. Has anybody ever made just a plain page before, you know, no CSS at all, and if so has it converted well for ads?

I also have something else to ask but I've forgotten now, will ask later.

Thanks!

[hooperman]

I don't think there's a general rule. I would have thought the gamer types visiting gaming sites would like flashy graphics etc. Graphic designers etc would probably appreciate that kind of thing too. Personally, I don't care. If I search for something and the site I find has the information I need, as long as I can read it properly (e.g. not red text on green background!) then I'm happy.

As far as getting conversions out of visitors, you'd have to test different designs. Don't stick with a design just because you like it - your visitors might not

[mgallone]

When you say plain page, do you literally mean no formatting as a Word document might appear?

With regards to the question of design, I would say it depends on the market you are targetting, and how your competitors present their websites. I would say that with a niche such as places to go in Spain, you want to convey in your design something akin to what you are writing about- so a fresh, vibrant and interesting design would really enhance your visitor's experience. I don't think people are going to be too fond of clicking through to a page and being confronted with reams of text, so its also nice to have a design that breaks this up a little.
On the other hand, some blogs based on opinion and discussing topical issues have very little in the way of 'flash' at all. Indeed, even some News websites have a fairly basic visual design, to keep people's attention on the information. As I said, it really does depend on who you're targetting.

[hooperman]

I would say that with a niche such as places to go in Spain, you want to convey in your design something akin to what you are writing about- so a fresh, vibrant and interesting design would really enhance your visitor's experience. I don't think people are going to be too fond of clicking through to a page and being confronted with reams of text, so its also nice to have a design that breaks this up a little.

I think you are spot on mgallone. On The Beach, for example, has sky blues and sun yellows everywhere. Not to mention all those lovely photos of sun drenched beaches and clear blue water. Makes you want to book that holiday.

[ClaytonL]

My philosophy is always based on the user's expectations. Usually, as long as the site doesn't look outdated, it won't trip any warnings in the user's brain. "Plain" looking designs are still the standard on the web, so their is no reason for the user to take notice. If the design is obviously dated or ameteur on the other hand, then the user begins to trust the website less. I also try and use colors that the user would accept for my industry. A bright orange and black color scheme on a retirement advice website wouldn't do as well because it's tripping those warnings in the user's mind again. Anything beyond the standard design needs to be looked at like an investment. You have to ask yourself, how much more money will I make by investing in this particular style of design.

Also, I present Frommers.com. It's about as plain as a design can be, but I don't believe it hurts their income at all.

[Freya]

I don't think there's any harm in having very little design - in face clear and simple sites are usually the best ones - but I would use text formatting or something like that to make links and titles obvious - I think the same rule applies for all websites - make them as simple to navigate as possible, keep the text easy to read and make it consistent... beyond that I just use design to enhance the content rather than catch the eye - if someone is on your site and can plainly see what they're looking for, or something that interests them, i.e. it stands out, they will stay and come back for more - if they constantly have to search around they probably won't do either.

[solokkhz]

There are many kinds of people that like different things. some are more design driven and some just look for information. it is all depends on what do you want to deliver to your visitors. I personally like the design to be clean, but again, you should decide on a design that serve most of your visitors. what i would do is check my competitors to see what they are doing and then to do something better then them.

Research your competition and you can see what works for you, which design talks to you more then others etc...

[Kay]

Since you're planning to monetise it using AdSense, I'd say that a confusing design is more likely to net you more money. Perhaps that's a cynical view, but if you confuse people or bore them you'll have them clicking on more ads.

Since you're planning good quality sites rather than MFAs, I'd say go for a professional looking design and monetise them with affiliate links instead, although you could still use AdSense too.

[Andy]

When you say plain page, do you literally mean no formatting as a Word document might appear?

With regards to the question of design, I would say it depends on the market you are targetting, and how your competitors present their websites. I would say that with a niche such as places to go in Spain, you want to convey in your design something akin to what you are writing about- so a fresh, vibrant and interesting design would really enhance your visitor's experience. I don't think people are going to be too fond of clicking through to a page and being confronted with reams of text, so its also nice to have a design that breaks this up a little.
On the other hand, some blogs based on opinion and discussing topical issues have very little in the way of 'flash' at all. Indeed, even some News websites have a fairly basic visual design, to keep people's attention on the information. As I said, it really does depend on who you're targetting.

Marco is right. You want something pleasing that compliments your content.

Also consider the kinds of visitors you expect and what they might want. Are you targeting those who desire to find "the REAL Spain" - parts away from common tourist attractions. Are they upscale or bargain hunters? Are your pages geared towards people planning a trip to Spain, dreaming about it, or people who are there now and looking for things to do and places to go?

If your audience simply wants information then they are likely to want more detail with more photos. If they are planning a visit, then your design should entice them to visit the places you suggest. If I'm searching for a restaurant for a nice prime rib dinner, a photographic example of what I should expect may spur my desire. However I don't want to know everything about prime rib.

It all works together to accomplish your intended purpose.

Andy

[DomainMagnate]

Do you want people to like your designs or click your ads/buy products?