How important is look n feel?

When it comes to putting the surfer in buy mode?

[Kurupt]

A friend of mine asked me this question the other night and I answered with 'very'. I would even say that its up there higher than security when it comes to getting the surfer into buy mode. If they are turned off by the way the site is setup or the navigation they wont even get to the buying part. I say its very important.

Agree or disagree?

[victor]

Look'n'feel is a major part of accessibility, and it can be vital.

Of course, if I run the only site in the world selling ruggedized conical widgets cleared for export approval, then anyone wanting to by a ruggedized conical widget for export will just have to put up with my obscure navigations, Flash annoyances, dead pages, Javascript errors, spelling mstakes, headache-inducing color scheme, and my insistence that they use only the browser I like.

But, if I'm only one of dozens trying to attract customers, why should I do anything that a customer might find unattractive?