Human vs AI-built websites
We're in a moment.
AI can build websites, and they look good. They have structure, short, catchy headlines, and loads of relevant content, sound decent, and the images are even looking much better. They are easy, to update them you just tell the AI what you need changed.
Who is going to use a designer anymore? AI can do it.
I will say smart businesses will, and I know the temptation to ignore me, and believe the reasons why, will be hard to resist. You'll save a few thousand dollars with AI, but what will it cost you?
If you ask Google, the response is "Human designers deliver strategic storytelling, unique brand identity, and deep technical optimization that automated tools cannot replicate."
AI provided their opinion after scraping the available content on the internet:
AI Overview
AI-built websites are great for quick mockups, personal portfolios, or simple landing pages, but they are generally poor choices for growing businesses that require strong SEO, unique branding, and technical reliability
We can feel AI writing when we read it, human written content doesn't sound the same. We are born story tellers, we know branding and design for others and why it works, LLMs and AI, just knows what the typical language is and what safe, conventional design is. Unless you are a crafter of the best prompts, your website will miss the human side.
As far as the technical, there are areas that AI reflects you get what you pay for.
AI is not creative, it does not understand creativity.
Websites are based on templates, which are getting increasingly more recognizable, choose average layouts, typical placements of buttons, styling and expected functions, rather than the dynamic custom designs produced by humans.
Reddit users felt AI websites sent a message:
Anyone who is using an AI to build their website is the same people who would pay less than minimum wage on fiverr for a youtube tinder clone, or try to pay you in "references" instead of money.
AI can't objectively look at someone's business and build an effective website around it. It doesn't consider the keywords, conversion funnels, USP, where and when to place CTA, and so on.
Person who is not willing to pay for a proper website is not a client worth crying over. Let them cut corners and wonder why it's not working.
AI web builders is not a threat for good web designers.
Historically, to rank well on Google you needed to consider the SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and over time, to rank websites grew increasingly more sophisticated. Now with AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) website are exprected to deliver content that AI wants to site.
Website built by AI will not get cited. The content is not new, special or offering something that AI has not already gotten. The AI website likely wont rank, leaving it invisible in answer engines and on Google.
Other common issues are that the website looks good, but the structure and some of the functional attributes don't always work, like forms or booking options.
Graphic and website designers understand people and have learned how to build and design for unique understanding and user-experience (UX design). We also remember to consider the governance - that great website are accessible (often missed by AI), contain the required compliance, terms, conditions and privacy protection and policies.
When it comes to human vs AI websites, there is a place for both.
When it comes to business, if you rely on your website as a connection tool to your clients, its best to consider what your goal and the perception you are giving.
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