I don't mean to bump this thread or stir the pot here, but it seems that people often under value the benefit from a decent website/website design.
If you take brand awareness out of consideration, your design/look & feel could very likely make the difference between a customer and someone hitting their "BACK" button.
When a user is looking through a search engine he/she will most likely click on the top 2-3 results. In those top results he/she will buy from the one that establishes credibility and solid brand quickly.
Most people do this unconsciously. For example, if you were looking to buy some sort of lighting or lamp fixture for you home, which would you be more comfortable buying from:
Site A or
Site B? I think the majority will say Site A, it quickly establishes credibility.
Then again this is just the designer in me rambling. :ninja:
Btw, I agree with Ryan - Flash is the devil. If you have a designer who pushes Flash, fire him