Here is a great article on web design and user interface.

It is ironic that in a high speed broadband world, the best properties have a dial-up simple look and feel. Think about it. Google, Wikipedia et al. have a look of an interface straight from 1995 - no graphics, no video, no Flash - just utility, grace and ease of use.

Utility always wins over style. Never try to trick a consumer to generate fake page views. Keep navigation simple. Everything should be easy to find and one click away. Live and learn. Good article here from BusinessWeek.