About a website?

[a-drive]

On first look of a website the obvious thing that hits you is its design, is it good or not. Would the initial design of the website deter you from looking any further?

After the initial shock of the design, what's more important to you, the way the website looks or the quality of the content?

If the layout was semi-good but not amazing, would you still stay to read through the content?

Any response to these questions and good comments are very much appreciated.

Regards,
Chris

[Digital Hybrid]

I would usually close the browser and wipe my eyes if the design is horrific... but it depends on what I expect.... If it's a site with some information about some play written by Shakespeare, I don't expect much of the design. But if it's a computer-company site I expect a much more professional layout... maybe not a design masterpiece, but a design where I can read the text without being distracted by some dreadful colors and animated GIFs

[Craigr]

If the content is different from elsewhere, then yes, i would read it.

Overall i prefer content over design.

Craig

[Ryan]

As long as i can navigate the site, I'd read the content.

[skrlin]

My cousin was into changing his design every week or so a while back.

Content first, design second. Basically the design is nothing without content for it to display.

[filburt1]

WDF has gone through three iterations (including the current one). The first one stayed for about a month, the next (very similar to current but slightly less pretty) was for a few months, and then this one indefinitely. I see no need to redesign it...redesigning just for the sake of it is not a good use of one's time

[Brak]

No Advertising.

[splufdaddy]

I took the liberty of moving a VERY random post into it's own thread in the HOS. Thanks Brak.

[smoseley]

Content is an EXTREMELY important, and often overlooked element of web design.

For me, web design relies, in order of importance, on the following:

1. Content - if you have no information of use in your site, visitors will become bored very quickly and leave. People come to your site for a reason... fulfill that reason with valuable content, and they will stay... they may even return.
   
2. Usability - if people can't figure your site out, they will become frustrated and leave. People want to find what they're looking for... if you make it a nightmare to do so, it won't matter if you've got it... you might as well not have it.
   
3. Look & Feel - you want your site to make visitors feel comfortable while viewing it. if your site is poorly laid out, unsightly, or painful on the eyes (e.g. extremely high or low contrast, or poor color combinations like yellow & blue combination) people will leave. Make your site primarily nice to look at, and secondarily impressive to look at. Impressive isn't good when it's painful to look at - another important factor that people often forget.

None of these three items can be overlooked. Content most often is the one that people slack on. They would prefer to redesign their site when they don't get the traffic they want than look at the content or usability. They think what they need is a "fresh look". They're wrong. 99% of the time, content is the part of your site that has the most room for improvement. Start there, then work your way backwards towards look and feel.