By Phil Gee · AI Academy, Southport
Here's something that would have sounded like science fiction a few years ago. You type a few sentences describing the website you want, and a few minutes later, there it is. Pages, images, text, buttons, the lot.
I know because I do it myself. I build sites this way and I'm a big fan. So you might expect me to say that web designers are finished.
I don't think that at all. Let me explain why.
What AI is brilliant at
Let's give credit where it's due. AI website building is fantastic for:
- Getting a first version up quickly
- Testing an idea before you spend serious money
- Simple brochure-style sites
- Making changes in plain English instead of wrestling with code
- Bringing costs down for start-ups with tight budgets
That's a real shift, and it's great news for a lot of small businesses who couldn't afford a website before.
What it can't do on its own
Here's my own opinion, and it comes from over 18 years of working with local businesses: a person or a company with good, traditional web design experience will always create something better. Not because they're faster. Because they know things AI doesn't.
They know what makes a visitor trust a business in the first five seconds. They know where to put the button so people actually click it. They know how the page needs to be structured for Google, how it should behave on a phone, and how to make it accessible to people with different needs. They know what to leave out, which is often the hardest part.
AI will give you a website that looks right. An experienced designer will give you one that works: one built around your customers, your goals and your brand, with every choice made for a reason.
There's also the matter of sameness. If everyone describes their site in a few sentences to the same tools, a lot of sites start to look alike. Anyone who's browsed a few AI-built sites will know the feeling. Standing out takes taste, experience and the confidence to do something different.
The sensible answer: both
I don't think it's AI or designers. The smartest approach is combining them.
An experienced designer using AI is faster, cheaper and more creative than one working without it. And a business owner using AI with a designer's guidance gets a far better result than one going it alone and hoping for the best.
So here's how I'd think about it:
- Simple, low-risk site, tight budget? AI can get you started.
- Website is central to how you win customers? Get experienced eyes on it. The extra investment pays for itself.
- Not sure? Use AI for the draft, then have someone who knows what they're doing review it before you go live.
Where it's heading
The tools will keep getting better, and the basics will become easier and cheaper for everyone. But the more easy websites there are, the more valuable genuine experience becomes. When anyone can build a page, the difference is in the thinking behind it.
That's just my view, and I'd love to know yours. If you're unsure whether your own website is pulling its weight, or whether an AI-built one would do the job, book a free chat with me and I'll give you an honest answer, even if that answer is that you don't need me.