Artificial intelligence isn’t just “everywhere” right now. It’s consistently showing up in business feeds, conference talks, and LinkedIn posts. Industry leaders are forming strong opinions about how AI should be used, and it can start to feel as if you’re not already using it, you’re falling behind.
From writing emails to generating images, AI tools promise to make work faster, cheaper, and easier. Naturally, many business owners and nonprofit leaders are starting to ask:
“Should I let AI build my website?”
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.
Like most technology shifts, AI can be incredibly helpful (or quietly harmful) depending on how it’s used. This guide is meant to cut through the noise and give you a clear, practical framework for deciding what’s right for your organization.
One of the biggest challenges with this conversation is that “AI-built website” means different things to different people.
In practice, it usually falls into one of these categories:
AI is used behind the scenes to:
Humans still lead strategy, design, and final decisions. This is already common in professional web development.
You answer a few prompts, and AI:
These tools are often marketed as “complete” solutions.
AI helps optimize or update a site over time:
This usually sits on top of a traditional website, not instead of one.
When most people ask about letting AI “build” their website, they’re referring to option #2, and that’s where careful consideration is needed.
AI-generated websites aren’t inherently bad. In certain situations, they can make sense.
AI tools can create a basic site in hours or days instead of weeks. This can be helpful for early-stage startups, short-term campaigns, or temporary event pages.
AI platforms often appear cheaper than hiring professionals. For organizations with very limited budgets, this can be appealing.
Some AI tools remove the need to choose hosting, understand design systems, or manage technical setup. For simple use cases, this can feel empowering.
Where AI website builders struggle is long-term quality, trust, and ownership — things that matter deeply for most organizations.
AI tools are trained on massive datasets of existing websites. That means they tend to produce average, safe, and familiar-looking results that lack a point of view.
For organizations that rely on trust, connection, and differentiation, this can be a serious drawback. If your website looks and sounds like everyone else, it’s harder to build credibility and more difficult to rank in search.
The bottom line is that great design has a point of view, and AI tools can’t reproduce that.
Many AI tools claim to be “SEO-optimized,” but SEO is more than keywords.
AI commonly produces pages with too little or repetitive content. Poor information hierarchy and missing local context can also hurt SEO rankings.
Search engines increasingly reward helpful, accurate, human-centered content — not just fast content.
AI tools can sometimes misstate facts, overpromise services, or use language that creates legal or compliance concerns. Without careful human review, this type of content can introduce risk, especially for organizations that need to communicate accurately, responsibly, and in alignment with industry regulations or public trust.
Many AI website platforms lock you into their system, which makes exporting content difficult and ties future updates to ongoing subscriptions.
Even if you can make edits, it may not feel intuitive or empowering.
For many clients, confidence matters as much as capability:
“I want to know I could manage my site if I needed to.”
AI doesn’t remove the need for security updates, content review, or performance monitoring. It just hides that work, sometimes until something goes wrong.
Not to mention hidden costs.
Many AI-driven platforms, including tools that charge per prompted update, require you to pay each time changes are generated or deployed. This makes it especially important to clearly define tasks and instructions upfront. Without careful planning, small revisions can quickly compound into unexpected costs, replacing predictable maintenance with variable, usage-based fees.
AI-built websites may be appropriate if:
Some examples of websites that work for AI generation are:
AI-generated websites are usually not a good fit if your site is a long-term asset or you rely on SEO for visibility. Organizations that depend on trust and credibility should also proceed with caution.
For service-based businesses, nonprofits, and community-focused brands, a website is often the first impression someone has of your organization. AI-generated designs and copy can feel impersonal, which may unintentionally undermine the authenticity and confidence you’ve worked hard to build.
Accessibility and compliance are other key considerations. Many AI website builders do not fully account for accessibility standards such as WCAG guidelines, nor do they consistently handle privacy, security, or industry-specific compliance requirements. For nonprofits and organizations serving diverse communities, accessibility isn’t optional — it’s essential.
Finally, true ownership and flexibility can be limited with AI-driven platforms. Some tools lock you into proprietary systems, restrict how content is edited, or make it difficult to move your site in the future. If you want long-term control over your content, design, and hosting — or the ability to grow and adapt your site as your organization evolves — this can be a significant drawback.
The most effective approach we’re seeing isn’t “AI vs humans.”
It’s AI-assisted, human-led website development. A process that blends experienced strategy, thoughtful design, and responsible use of technology.
At Wingard, we start by asking a simple but important question: How can we use AI in a way that makes our work more human, not less? That means using AI to support clarity, efficiency, and consistency behind the scenes, while keeping real people firmly in control of strategy, design decisions, and final execution.
We believe that regardless of budget or project size, what matters most is the thinking, craftsmanship, and honesty behind the process. AI can help streamline research, generate early drafts, or surface insights more quickly, but it doesn’t replace experience, judgment, or creativity. Those elements still come from our team.
By taking a human-led, AI-assisted approach, we’re able to deliver efficient, modern websites without sacrificing originality, trust, or long-term value. It’s not about chasing trends — it’s about building websites that serve your organization today and continue to support your goals well into the future.
AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a strategy.
If you’re unsure how AI fits into your website or marketing strategy, the best next step is a conversation.
Get in touch with our team today to get started. We’ll outline clear recommendations, discuss trade-offs honestly, and design a solution that aligns with your needs, your budget, and your values.
A thoughtful approach today can save time, money, and frustration tomorrow.
Tapping into local events is just one piece of the puzzle. If you're ready to turn that inspiration into real results — whether it’s leveling up your Local SEO, launching a new campaign, or giving your brand a creative refresh — Wingard is here to help. We understand Jacksonville, and we know how to help your business thrive here. Let’s make something great, together!
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