Let’s tackle the elephant in the room. You want a new website for your business. You can just “get A.I. to build a website now can’t you?”. No need to use a web design agency like us ☹

You are probably reading this thinking … ‘this is a web design agency, and they are obviously going to say I should use an agency and not A.I. I may as well ask a turkey what I should have for Christmas dinner’.

Read this article.

Do your own research.

And make your own conclusions.

You might be surprised.

The right answer depends on your budget, your time and how valuable your website is to your business.

If your website is mainly a few pages to provide a digital presence for a hobby or new business that people who have heard of you can visit to see who you are, AI can be an excellent option.

If your website is your primary business tool to get found in search and generate new business, then spending more on professional design and strategy often pays for itself.

The case for an AI Website Builder

AI tools are ideal for startups, micro-businesses, or testing a new market with minimal budget.

• Ultra-low cost.
  Subscriptions cost a fraction of agency fees.
• Instant deployment.
  Websites are generated in minutes, not weeks.
• Easy prototyping
  Ideal for creating quick landing pages or drafts.
• Simplified maintenance.
  Built-in tools handle updates without requiring technical skills.
  
  

The Case for a Traditional Web Design Agency

Agencies suit established businesses looking for a unique identity, advanced functionality, and a high return on investment.

• Custom creation.
  Tailored user experiences built entirely from scratch.
• Strategic marketing.
  Websites are designed around conversion funnels and user psychology.
• Scalable
  Custom databases and integrations can grow with your company.
• Dedicated support.
  Ongoing maintenance, troubleshooting, and security monitoring by experts.
• Superior SEO.
  Comprehensive, human-driven content and technical optimisation.
  
  

Which Should You Choose?

• Choose AI if:
  You have a budget under £500, need a website this week, and only require a basic digital presence. Also be prepared to do a lot of work giving instructions in detail to the AI what you would like and changes.
  
  
• Choose web design Agency if:
  You have a budget over £2000 – £3000, need something more unique, complex features and rely on your website to generate sales leads.

Here’s a realistic comparison.

Option 1: Build it yourself using AI

Today’s AI website builders are extremely capable. They can create layouts, write copy, generate images, and even help with SEO.

Pros

• Very inexpensive.
• You can launch quickly.
• Easy to make changes whenever you want.
• No waiting for designers or developers.
• Great for testing ideas.
• You learn a lot about your own business messaging.

Cons

You become the project manager, designer, copywriter and QA tester. AI often produces generic-looking websites unless you spend time refining them.

Strong website design is difficult. You need to understand:

• Design and Layout
• User experience
• SEO
• Conversion optimisation
• Accessibility
• Performance

It’s easy to end up with something that “looks alright” but isn’t exactly right and doesn’t convert visitors into customers.

Time is money as they say, and even though A.I is building it, your time investment a might be:

• Planning: 4–8 hours
• Reviewing and changing content: 8–20 hours
• Building pages: 8–20 hours
• Images and branding: 4–10 hours
• Testing and revisions: 4–10 hours

Total: around 20–80 hours

Many people think AI means “30 minutes.” In reality, AI removes a lot of technical work, but the biggest task is still deciding exactly what your business should say and how the site should persuade visitors.

Content generated by A.I is becoming more recognisable by a lot of people. It is equivalent to recognising ‘stock images’ from real genuine photographs.

Option 2: Hire a web design agency

A good website design agency brings experience that AI can’t fully replace.

A web agency will give detailed insight into things like:

• Branding
• Customer journeys
• Conversion rates
• SEO strategy
• Page speed
• Accessibility
• Integrations
• Analytics
• Support

Pros

• Higher quality design.
• Better strategic thinking.
• Usually better SEO.
• Better conversion rates.
• Less stress.
• Less personal input
• More polished brand.
  
  

Cons

• Higher Cost.
• Longer development time.
• You still need to provide content and feedback.
• Not all agencies are good.
  
  

Your Time

You’ll still need to be involved to a certain extent. For example:

• Meetings: 2–6 hours
• Supplying information: 4–10 hours
• Reviewing designs: 2–4 hours
• Testing before launch: 2–5 hours
• Total: Around 10 – 25 hours

A third option which may be appealing to many smaller businesses

Instead of choosing one or the other:

• Use AI to create:
• Your site structure
• Rough design concept
• Initial copy
• FAQs

Then ask an agency to:

• Improve the design
• Make the design professional / more unique
• Refine the branding
• Refine the code
• Optimise for SEO
• Improve conversions
• Finalise the finished product

This could give you 80% of the benefit of an agency at a lower cost.

Which approach makes sense?

AI is probably enough if:

• You’re a freelancer
• You’re prepared to spend time
• You’re a local tradesperson
• You just need a general web presence

Consider a web design agency if:

• You have complex services or products
• You need a specialised custom website
• Your website is your main source of leads
• You want to maximise your customer experience
• You’re in a competitive market
• You need bespoke functionality
• Your company image is very important

If you are still undecided and would like to speak to us about your options just get in touch. We’d be happy to speak to you about it.

Web Design Northampton.