Websites need to be pretty, right?
Heeh sure, why not. Depends. Maybe. Somewhat.
Ok let's backtrack a little.
Say you own a brewery business. You make great beer and you love it. Even your customers love it. You just can't make enough of it and you need to get a new brewhouse system. Surely you won't be thinking about aesthetics and you won't care if your competition envies you or not. You'll be thinking about making great beer. A lot of it. Great beer will get you brand recognition, and it will drive new revenue.
Website is a tool that helps drive your business.
Don't get me wrong, there aren’t many ugly websites out there that are successful (except Craigslist, maybe). But you get the point. We need to figure out your consumer needs and your business needs first, then build a product that will be easy to understand and a joy to use. You’ll be happy and you’ll get much love and apples money.