I'd have to agree by saying design isn't the be-all and end-all of sales, but it sure does help funnel the traffic properly and leave the surfer with a good feeling at the end of it all. The worst would be to frustrate your surfer before he even bought the site (or huzzah, AFTER he bought the site! Eek!) Like a store you walk into that's so crowded you get lost and can't find the door to get out. IKEA is awesome at funneling traffic through their store in a particular route, but they always let you cut straight through to the good parts if you look carefully.
Anyways, I like my design.
I know it sounds bad, but I spent weeks on it, and I let the surfers decide what to keep and what to toss until I stopped getting negative email about it. Then I left it alone! And it's worked for a long time now, with no complaints! It's not your typical paysite design, but it works for me!