Design isn't just about some kind of single-faceted aesthetic. It's about use of fonts, layout, the clarity of the interface, presentation and amount of textual information, imagery and photography, colours used, etc, etc.
There is a prevailing attitude that the web is a text-based medium and therefore this exonerates poor design. It doesn't. If you want to get your message across then nobody is stopping you from setting up a website and designing it any way you want. But if you're offering a professional service to clients then the aesthetic has to be of a certain standard. You don't have to be Leonardo Da Vinci - keep it nice and simple if you want. But if one is designing ugly, albeit functional, websites and selling them on for profit then I would call foul.