Web design has changed during the recent years, one of the reasons are the different devises such as smart phone, tablets and the conventional pc and laptops have different interface between the devises and the user. The sizes of the screen, the way we interact with it, the speed of the devise all these require different design. However there are many cases that the same web design is using for tablets and smart phone.
Also they are not limited to websites, but also app, social media, blogs etc. the possibilities are wider so the technologies and designers are increasing their knowledge of different platforms and different coding languages. The line between the web designer and the coder or web developer has almost disappeared and the roles are more integrated.
As technology improves, trend changes and audience expectation increases websites need to be revised and modified to adapt to present market.
Also is fundamental not only to design for the target audience but also to design for search engines such Google, if Google does not see the website relevant enough for the search of the target audience it won’t reach the target audience. It requires knowledge of Search Engine Optimization and some level of coding. Google works like sort of a facilitator/intermediary so it is important to see Google like sort of client and to make it like and understand your website your core business or idea.
It is not uncommon to see designers and web developers who are creating websites to satisfy the client and the audience but unfortunately they do not make much effort to optimise the website for search engines and the website ended up on the button of the search or using paid search.