What's important in a web site?

I was thinking about all the web sites I've actually visited since being introduced to the Internet around 1996. Obviously there are ones that I probably visit more often than others just due to the topic I'm interested in regardless of how detailed or poorly designed the web site is.

However, there are other sites out there that can capture the audience. I've also thought that content on the site is far more important to drawing someone genuinely interested to the site rather than all the bells and whistles.

In designing a web site for school, I think it's important to take into consideration that there are going to be students who are genuinely interested in learning and others who could care less. The question is can you use the web site as an alternative way to engage the student who would otherwise be disinterested in the subject or the material that the class has to cover.

I think there are definitely some interactive ways to approach the student who would otherwise not be interested.

Now these are ideas about grabbing the audience from a business perspective. I thought it might help in terms of capturing the audience.