I think the converse of this is also true. People who do something good are derided for being unprofessional for not adhering to some cosmetic standard.

You can hardly blame people who make fancy websites for projects which look cool but you can't tell what it is they have to offer. If the alternative is a plain simple 'here it is, it does this' followed by a pile-on of armchair critics who have already decided on the quality of your project because your page lacks razzmatazz.