While site design is important for optimizing conversions (and presenting a generally professional face to the world), it’s important to note that great design doesn’t necessarily convert — and bad design sometimes does.For example, Wall Street Cheat Sheet is garnering $15 million in gross annual revenues, despite having a site that’s “reminiscent of Yahoo circa 2003,” according to PandoDaily. It’s got all the design elements that innovative Web designers hate — banner ads, tickers, pagination on stories as short as 600 words — even two search bars and calls for newsletters sign-ups (not online subscriptions).But the site works, mainly because their audience is older. If the site includes new technology, readers complain that their (not new) browsers can’t read the page. But it also works because the site uses marketing best practices when it comes to design — such as those calls for newsletter sign-ups. In fact, the site garners $1.5 million, or 10% of revenues, from newsletter subscriptions.Which just goes to show you — knowing your audience and how they interact with your site is far more important than getting the newest, hottest design or delivery tools installed.My only critique? Their “Subscriber Login” button is too big and unnecessary. A line of text usually suffices. (Then again, given the older demographic, perhaps a button is needed. In that case, this is the one time a grey button is okay.)