Although the title of this post points out WordPress, the problem doesn't just lie with that program but rather in just using the 'standard whatever.' You could host with DrunkDuck (heaven forbid!), SmackJeeves, even my own hosting service. All have basic layouts to choose from. But just sticking with the basic because it's easy makes your work, your art look like a little hobby rather than something professional. Go into any store and look around, it's not just a bunch of stuff on shelves. There are decorations, layout, architecture, all designed to enhance your experience as a customer. Some places even put design into the
parking lot to make your shopping experience more enjoyable.
Gibson states it well right here:
The point is that too many people do what is easy rather than what is smart, and half the webcomic world having the same site, even if it's not esthetically ghastly, is like half the world having the same haircut. It doesn't matter how nice it is, it's boring and you look just like everyone else. Regardless of how you might feel about it, packaging matters.
I point at WordPress because it just happens to be the most widely used platform for cookie-cutter sites. It's exceptionally easy to install and setup a basic site, so every Joe, Dick and Mary does just that. But WordPress was really meant for blogs, and for a website that is doing nothing more than getting a message across like a blog WordPress works very well. Who cares what the site looks like? It's just another blog. Sure, there are addons that give webcomic functionality, but it's still a blog publishing platform.
We don't publish blogs. We make art.
Art is remembered. The mundane and commonplace is forgotten. Design matters.
Now again, I'm not saying you're going to lose readers by not having a thoughtfully designed website, (unless your design is just bad.. bad design most assuredly will drive people away), but rather that having a design that complements your comic will make it more memorable, more enjoyable, and will help get people to tell their friends about your site. Seriously, your website is part of your webcomic.
