I believe that a website needs to reflect the purpose of the company or individual it represents. To me, the one thing I think should remain constant is that a site should be crisp and uncluttered.
Content is King.
Web design elements should compliment the content, and should not overshadow it. This philosophy is reflected in every site I create. Therefore, when creating a site, I design it in a way that best showcases its content. Because of this, I don't charge by page. I charge by the amount of work involved in the overall project.