How do I get there when I can't see it?
Just because I like to surf around with my graphics off so I can miss all the lovely banner ads is no reason to keep me from browsing your site. Not wanting to be annoyed is not the same as not wanting to buy. Image maps can be very attractive, and very professional looking, but if you do not have text links as well, my opinion of you has just plummeted. Is there some reason I you don't want me to be able to find things?
I'm truly sorry if I'm ruining demographic theories about who and what will buy your products, who will visit your site and so forth. I really doubt I am though, it's more likely you went and asked your local advertising agency to give you a good layout for your website. Most advertisers much prefer graphics that they think they can control to text, which might be in the wrong font on someone else's browser. Never mind that the font on the browser might look better to the person browsing, it wouldn't have the "right look". A few have gotten the message, and gotten creative, but most are trying to do online magazine ads instead of web pages.
Sorry to say this, but there is no right look on the web. You have people with graphics off, you have people browsing with everything from voice browsers to palmtops. Sure, use your image maps and your graphic buttons - I won't object a bit, as long as you have text links in addition to that image map, and "alt" text on the buttons! I don't care how much your adman or graphic artist wants the site to look "just so". I just want to find the product or information I am looking for. If I can't find it on your site, I'll go look elsewhere. The Internet is very big, I bet I can find what I'm looking for without you! So put some text links on your pages, or I, and many others like me will go away.
If you add a few descriptions and specs on your product, instead of just hype, you'll make a lot of us web-weenies very happy. You might even turn us into happy customers!