Using an AI design-builder for your business website depends on several factors, including your budget, the complexity of your requirements, and your overall design goals. AI web design builders can be a cost-effective and efficient solution for creating simple websites, especially if you have limited design skills or working on a small budget. The technology can help you create a website quickly and easily, with pre-built templates and designs you can customize to your needs. They can also help you optimize your website for search engines and user experience, which can be critical for driving traffic and conversions.
However, relying on AI technology may not fit your needs if you require a more complex website with advanced functionality, agency-based strategy and project management, and unique design requirements. Unfortunately, AI design builders are bound by their pre-built templates and the absence of customization options. As a result, it may not be suitable for businesses with unique design needs and complex development requirements.
In addition, AI design builders are not able to capture your brand’s true image and core messaging. As you know, these elements are critical for building a solid online presence. In contrast, you can work with a professional web designer or developer to develop a website that reflects your brand and communicates your message effectively.
Prevalence of Business AI Utilization
Stanley Kubrick’s 1968’s opus, “2001: Space Odyssey,” talked about the possibility of robots taking over once they become more self-aware. Countless Hollywood movies and sci-fi novels only added to the paranoia. But businesses today are more discerning. And simply put, AI gives them a distinct advantage because it does plenty of heavy lifting in enhancing their internal processes and making sense of big data. As you can see from the graph below, the AI utilization rate by businesses has been on the uptick since 2021.
- According to a report by Gartner, the global business value derived from AI is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in 2023, up from an estimated $300 billion in 2019. This growth reflects the increasing adoption of AI technologies across various industries.
- Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly adopting AI. According to a survey by Salesforce, 28% of SMBs currently use AI, and another 30% intend to adopt it within 12 months.
- A report by PwC found that AI could increase global GDP by $15.7 trillion by 2030, with the most significant gains expected in the healthcare, automotive, and financial services industries.
The good news is that businesses that have spent on innovation have reaped the rewards of their decisions. And this only reinforced their resolve to increase their exposure to AI.
Still, executives are hesitant to adopt the technology entirely, with over 4 in 10 expressing concerns about security risks. Meanwhile, less than 5 in 10 also fear arriving at the wrong decisions due to AI recommendations.
Of course, everyone uses AI, even if they are unconscious about doing so. But using AI to code a complete website is another thing entirely.
You must have seen those clips of ChatGPT coding a complete website in a split-second. However, what isn’t discussed is that you still need some rudimentary background in web design to make it work.
Limitations of AI in Designing Your Website
AI technology may have taken giant leaps in website building in recent years, but it still needs to hurdle several limitations that must be addressed.
Here are some of the constraints of AI in website building:
- Lack of creativity: While AI algorithms can create functional and aesthetically pleasing websites, they are poor copycats of creativity and originality that only humans can provide. AI algorithms rely on pre-programmed templates and data sets, which limits their ability to create unique and innovative designs.
- Limited understanding of context: AI algorithms may struggle to understand the context of a website and the user’s needs, leading to irrelevant or confusing websites. For example, an AI algorithm may create a website optimized for search engines but fails to address the user’s specific needs or preferences.
- Dependence on data quality: AI algorithms rely on large datasets to make decisions and improve performance. The AI algorithm may make incorrect decisions or produce suboptimal results if the data is incomplete or inaccurate.
- Lack of empathy: AI algorithms lack empathy, which means they may struggle to understand the emotional needs of users. This can result in websites that are functional but fail to engage users on an emotional level.
- Limited customization: AI website builders are designed to work within a limited set of parameters and may not be able to accommodate complex or unique design requirements. So, websites created by AI may not meet the specific needs of some businesses or individuals.
- Lack of human touch: AI website builders could not mimic the attention to detail of working with a professional website developer. While AI algorithms may create functional websites, they still operate within their self-contained parameters. As a result, you have a vanilla website devoid of human touch.
Ultimately, website builders and developers should be aware of these challenges so that human expertise can intervene to produce results that meet the needs of businesses and individuals.
The Case for AI-Powered Website-Builders
However, using artificial Intelligence has several advantages in website building, including:
- Time-saving: AI-powered website builders can save a significant amount of time by automating many tasks, such as designing layouts, creating content, and search engine optimization. As a result, businesses can develop websites quickly, cheaply, and efficiently.
- Cost-effective: AI-powered website builders can be cost-effective for businesses with limited web design budgets. AI-powered website builders often offer affordable subscription plans that allow companies to create professional-looking websites without hiring an expensive web developer.
- Consistent quality: AI-powered website builders can develop consistent quality across a website, optimizing every page for user experience and search engines. So, it would help businesses that want to maintain a consistent brand image across their websites.
- User-friendly: AI-powered website builders are designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for non-technical users to create a website. In theory, businesses can create their own websites without technical expertise or coding skills.
- Optimization: AI-powered website builders can optimize websites for search engines, making them easily discoverable by potential customers. The feature can be critical for driving traffic and increasing conversions.
- Scalability: AI-powered website builders can quickly scale as a business grows, allowing companies to add new features and pages to their websites without the help of a web developer.
- Analytics: AI-powered website builders can provide detailed analytics and insights into website performance, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and improve their websites over time.
These advantages can make AI-powered website builders an attractive option for businesses that want to create a professional-looking website quickly and efficiently.
After all, there’s a reason why more and more businesses are putting more faith into AI, even if they do not fully understand it.
Is it Worth It?
At the outset, using AI to design your business website can be a worthwhile investment if your needs are simple. AI-powered website design tools can save time, improve the user experience, and increase conversions. So, at the very least, it’s one step better than using free website builders like WordPress, Wix, GoDaddy, and others.
You can find various AI-powered website design tools on the market to assist you in creating a website. These tools use algorithms to analyze your content and automatically generate a website design that is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Additionally, AI can help improve website performance by analyzing user behavior. This capability allows the tool to provide data-driven recommendations for website optimization, leading to higher conversion rates and more revenue for your business.
However, AI website builders are severely limited in customization and functionality. While they may be able to generate a visually appealing website quickly, they won’t offer the same level of personalization or features as a custom-built website by a professional web design company.
Meanwhile, hiring a web designer can offer several advantages. For instance, a professional developer can provide a custom-built, SEO-ready website that you can tailor to fit your brand identity or achieve your business goals. In addition, these websites can offer more advanced functionality, such as e-commerce capabilities, database integration, or custom animations.
You may be hesitant about getting the services of a professional due to the associated costs.
However, you can start with a simple design that you can scale up later, such as adding e-commerce solutions, for instance, once your business takes off the ground.
Choosing an AI design-builder for your business website depends on your unique needs and goals.
An AI design-builder may be a good option if you require a simple website and have a limited budget. However, working with a professional web designer or developer would be better if you need a more complex website or have specific design requirements.
But don’t go into AI for all the wrong reasons. For instance, many businesses adopt artificial intelligence for fear of missing out rather than streamlining operations, enhancing data capture, and improving their capabilities. While the AI design-building technology still needs much room for improvement, you are better off hiring a web developer to build your business website from scratch. Additionally, a web designer can provide ongoing support and maintenance for your website to stay up-to-date and optimized for search engines.
So, if you prioritize speed and cost-effectiveness, an AI website builder may be the right choice for you. However, hiring a web designer is your best bet if you want a custom-built website with advanced functionality and sustainable support.
