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📩 The $10 Million ‘Ugly’ Website Strategy (Why Simple Sells)

You ever land on a website so ugly you think, “No way this makes money”…

…and then find out it’s pulling in millions a year?

Turns out, fancy design doesn’t sell. Clarity does.

Let’s break it down.

🖥️ Craigslist: The Billion-Dollar Website That Never Got a Makeover

Craigslist looks like it was built in 1999… because it was.

Zero design updates. No flashy branding. Just text, links, and money-printing simplicity.

💰 Revenue: $1B+ a year.
💀 Design: Looks like your grandma’s first HTML project.
🤯 Why it works: Because it’s stupidly simple.

There’s no confusion, no distractions—just “What do you need? Here it is.”

🔥 Why ‘Ugly’ Websites Crush Fancy Ones

✅ 1. Speed Beats Beauty
People want answers fast. A clean, ugly site loads instantly.

📌 Example:
Amazon’s homepage isn’t sexy—it’s fast and clear. That’s why it works.

✅ 2. Clarity > Creativity
Your visitors don’t care about fancy fonts—they care about what you offer.

📌 Example:
Compare these two websites:

❌ Overdesigned Site:

• Big video background

• Fancy animations

• 10 seconds before you even see what they sell

✅ Simple, ‘Ugly’ Site:

• Big text: “We help you lose weight. Here’s how.”

• Clear button: “Get Started”

• Loads in 1 second

Guess which one makes more money?

✅ 3. Simple = Trust
Ugly sites don’t look overhyped. They feel real.

📌 Example:

• Old-school blog pages convert better than modern, sleek landing pages.

• Plain text emails get more clicks than overdesigned ones.

• People trust simplicity.

🚀 Your Turn

Look at your website, funnel, or email:

✅ Is it fast?
✅ Is it clear?
✅ Or are you making people think too much?

If your site is pretty but isn’t selling, strip it down.

And tell me—what’s the ugliest website you’ve ever bought something from? Hit reply and let me know. I’ll feature the best ones next time. 👀

🔥 Final Thought: Fancy websites impress designers. Simple websites make money. 🚀