To some extent this will always be a problem with fields that require in-depth knowledge or expertise.

"What do you do?"

"I'm a mechanic / plumber / electrician / etc."

"Oh."

The problem is, that's not a useful answer, unless the person knows at least something about the field. "I make websites" picks the most general and vague answer possible, and therefore the least interesting.

Compare

"I fix mechanical devices"

with

"I fix and restore vintage American cars from the 60's."

Or

"I make websites"

with

"You know all those stupid quiz apps on Facebook/fart apps on iPhone? Well, I don't make those, but I try to make more useful stuff on Facebook/iPhone, like X, Y and Z".

Of course, "I make payroll software" will probably never be interesting, but "I make payroll software for this media giant you must've heard about, you know their shows A and B?", or "for this financial company, man last year was tough", or "for this small company you've never heard of, they're working on interesting trend foo".

The point of the question - other than to fit you in a stereotype - is to find some common ground to talk about. Work with the question, not against it.