Does a person's appearance count?

Everyone is on their own path and some people have more frequent bumps than others. Learning how people live their lives, what they eat, how they exercise, the style in which they communicate are the best indicators for if you are compatible with this person. 

For me personally:
It's important to be physically attracted to someone "smell, sight, touch, taste ;)" But on top of that, you have to love who they are not what they are. 

I'm mainly turned on by intelligence, overall intelligence. This is where the looks do come into play, if I am working hard to stay healthy and physically in shape, then I want my partner to do so, as well. Good habits take time to develop, so I look at the way a person organizes their life, their emotional maturity, their spiritual connection and their analytical mind.
 Humans are complex and it's important to find someone at or close to your level, on most aspects of life. It's the combination of similarities and differences that help relationships and one another grow. 

Conclusion:
Looks matter if you can analyze why someone looks a certain way, which takes time. Your body doesn't always reflect your mind. If the perception of that other person is so one dimensional, you can't accurately see anything in correct proportion. Judging someone based off of first impressions will leave you isolated and jaded in the end.