I have been on an anti-AI website builder crusade recently. I’ve just seen too many terrible AI-built websites to stand by in silence.
But don’t get me wrong, it isn’t that I don’t think there is value in using AI website builders. In fact, I believe that the correct application of AI in website building could drastically raise the bar.
I’ve already shouted about how “we don’t need more websites, we need better websites”. Now it’s time to help you identify and overcome 5 of the biggest mistakes you can make when building a website with AI.
Remember to read number five – failing to do so could be embarrassing (or worse).
Mistake 1: Assuming AI knows best
Like a hammer, AI is a tool. Give it to a master craftsman and the outcome can be beautiful. But give it to an unsupervised toddler and expect a hefty repair bill.
Too often I see people who have clearly used an AI website builder to create a template for their site, but once they’ve hit ‘generate’ that is the end of their design process.
Here is the thing. AI doesn’t know your customers like you do. It certainly doesn’t know your business like you do. In reality, it is making a best guess at what will look good and work for you.
Hitting ‘generate’ is really only the start of your design process. Once AI presents you with a design, it is then up to you to edit and tweak that design to make it really stand out from the ever-growing crowd.
Mistake 2: Not editing AI copy
AI-written copy can be a great starting point and a useful source of inspiration, but it is rarely fit for purpose on your website without at least some level of editing.
When using AI to write copy for your website, take your time to read it back. Does it make sense? Does it flow well? Does it sound human?
If the answer is no to any of these, consider how you could edit it to make it worthy of representing your brand.
Mistake 3: Leaving AI images untouched
Similar to AI-written copy, AI generated images can offer some context and inspiration when building a website. However, leaving them entirely unchecked and untouched can leave your website feeling, well, artificial.
Scan through your website and take some time to identify images that don’t help you connect with potential visitors. You may need to replace them entirely. Or, alternatively, many of the best website builders offer built-in editing tools that can help you tweak them to better suit your needs.
Mistake 4: Launching and leaving
In a recent interview with Linda Tong, CEO of Webflow, she shared how she believes that AI is leading to:
“A wave of quick builds that aren’t designed to last. Apps with no plan for how they’ll be maintained, improved, or scaled over time.”
Using AI feels amazing because it makes launching a website ridiculously quick and easy. But like most things that are quick and easy, the results don’t last.
Launching your website with AI should be the start of your website journey. Now you can start to collect data on visitor habits and use that data to make informed website optimization decisions.
The great thing is, with AI being integrated into many analytics platforms, it can help you do that too. For example, Wix offers a dedicated AI analytics platform to offer you AI-powered insight into your website data
Mistake 5: Not fact checking
AI doesn’t always get things right. When it comes to website building, that can be an issue.
In minor cases, trusting AI to publish business information on your website may lead to customer dissatisfaction, say getting pricing or opening hours incorrect. In severe cases, it may lead to considerable legal action, say getting a very important part of your terms and conditions incorrect.
Taking some time to fact-check everything AI produces will save you from embarrassment or something more serious.
AI website building mistakes: Summary
So, AI can be a helpful website building tool, but it should come with a sizable warning sticker:
“Oversight required”
Taking some time to check, edit, or replace AI-generated content will help you produce a website that is fit to represent your business online. Once you have launched your site it is also important to consider a strategy for ongoing, data-backed improvements to ensure its long-term success.
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