Should I launch with a sub-sassy design

[evossman]

I have a bunch of blogs, I have a great blog name, I'm working on the main network site, but I don't like the design. I also have a great promotional idea to back the network that I think is pretty sweet!

Should I spend some more time, and possibly money (I've already spent about a week and a half working on the layout of the network site and can't come up with anything) or should I just launch the site.

Does a great looking site really matter that much?

You can see some examples of the blog design at

http://www.erikvossman.com and
www.wieblogging.com

Thanks in advance

[spikeZ]

Hi Erik,
I personally would wait until you are happy with the design before you launch, otherwise you will constanly be thinking about the things you would change rather than working on building the network.

Why not start a contest in the MarketPlace for a design and see what you get. There are some very talented designers on these boards who might just hit the nail on the head with a design!

Good luck with it

Spike

[Tijmen]

One of the most popular sites of this moment, myspace. Has a design that's not that great, and yet pretty much everyone knows about it. And was sold for something close to $500 million (if i recal correctly).

Your better of focussing on getting great content, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pay some attention to the way your information is presented. It's really a combination of the two, great content but hard to read text won't work. And the same goes for having a great design, but no real content.

I think your layout is to chaotic is your scroll a bit down from the top.
If you take care of that, and make it more pleasant for the eye, more people will stay and actually read your posts. All the content next to the post "1001 Books You Should Read" is just to distracting.

[evossman]

I think your layout is to chaotic is your scroll a bit down from the top.If you take care of that, and make it more pleasant for the eye, more people will stay and actually read your posts. All the content next to the post "1001 Books You Should Read" is just to distracting.

That's kinda how I feel as well. If you look at weblogs inc and b5media, they have just as many links but they're design doesn't focus on those links. Is it the shading, is it the layout, both, not sure?

I think a contest would work best.