“Blend Commerce deliver real value from day one. The practical, actionable information they share in their emails is remarkable.
- Subscription sign-ups increased by 61%.
- Overall store conversion rate improved by 14%.
The most impressive part is that we achieved all of this purely by using the data and tools Blend make freely available.”
“Ugly sites convert”.
You might have heard me say that before.
It is an extreme viewpoint…
But the problem is it’s taken it too literally.
It does not mean your website should look terrible.
It is just a pushback against brands obsessing over aesthetics for aesthetics’ sake.
Too often, brands focus on what looks good instead of what works well.
They spend a fortune on branding, modern layout, and fancy new features & functionality.
Only to end up with a site that is harder to use.
Customers do not convert because your site looks beautiful.
They convert when your site is easy to use.
That is why consistency matters more than design.
A clean and consistent website reduces friction, helps people process information, and makes your site feel more stable, familiar, and trustworthy.
And when people do not have to burn their cognitive load on just figuring out how your site works, they are far more likely to convert.
So no, ugly does not convert.
- Clarity converts.
- Consistency converts.
- Usability converts.
And when those things are done properly, the site usually looks better anyway.
Chat soon,
Peter
P.S. Tomorrow I’ll send over a checklist of the design consistency checks we use to improve trust, reduce cognitive load, and make websites easier to use.
About the author
Peter Gardner Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Peter Gardner is the Australia-based co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Blend Commerce, the specialist Shopify CRO agency named Global CRO Agency of the Year 2026. He helps established Shopify brands improve conversion rate, average order value and repeat purchase by combining quantitative data, qualitative customer insight and structured experimentation.
Peter writes the Shopify CRO Newsletter and is known for the Buy Trifecta®, a framework focused on helping customers Buy Now, Buy More and Buy Again, while using prioritisation models such as PECTI to help brands focus on the highest-impact CRO opportunities.
Peter also co-founded the eCom Collab Club®, a dynamic eCommerce community that connects and empowers eCommerce professionals through events, networking opportunities, and educational resources.
“Blend Commerce deliver real value from day one. The practical, actionable information they share in their emails is remarkable.
- Subscription sign-ups increased by 61%.
- Overall store conversion rate improved by 14%.
The most impressive part is that we achieved all of this purely by using the data and tools Blend make freely available.”
