To which I would add: sometimes simplicity is best. To take my own sites as humble examples (while realizing they're not to everyone's taste)...

There are only 3 images in my sites which are not product images -- the site seal at the bottom, the logo top-left and the tagline top-right. Every other image on both sites is product, because images are what we sell. And every visual element of the UI is kept deliberately simple so as not to detract from that focus. And, to stay slightly on topic, our sites fit in all but the smallest of screens without any horizontaal scrolling required.

Enough preaching.

I look forward to seeing the final result of all of the posts about this site -- some day.

Rob