The longer I work in the web designing field, the more I realize that things work differently from school. When you're in school you create a fantasy world where you're the sole proprietor of the website, playing the parts as both designer and client. And it's easy for you to satisfy YOU. But in the client world, this is not at all the case. You grow into designing thinking that aesthetics are the biggest factors that contribute in creating a good website. However, your client may have different, and in their perspective more important, factors that need to be emphasized on that website.
I find that what I call a "cleanliness" is in fact an extremely minimal style to most people. And it's true: I like minimal content, big white space, text emphases with CSS or JQuery. But your client may not be looking for that - they're paying you to create a website because they want to promote their product; their priority is this, and not an endorsement of extreme modernism or minimalism. This is especially true when you design for different age groups, as with little children or the older generations. They want simplicity and cleanliness, yes, but they have a different philosophy on what "maximum impact" should be. I guess it's every designer's challenge is finding that right balance between form and function, and though it may frustrate you at times, it's another interesting challenge that broadens your horizon and adds a whole new meaning to the word "responsiveness" and "accessibility." The key to finding this balance? Just enjoy what you're doing. Form shouldn't matter as much as function, really.