Quick Answer: An AI website builder is fine for getting something online quickly, or for a site that gets its visitors from elsewhere. If you need people to find you on Google, the builder matters less than what’s on the page. AI can’t know your real jobs, your area or why customers pick you, so an AI-written site is only a first draft. Wix or Squarespace suit you if you enjoy doing it yourself, and WordPress suits you if someone will maintain it.
You can now describe your business in a sentence and have a website very quickly. It’s impressive, and it looks like it should replace web designers altogether.
It doesn’t quite work like that. But depending on what you need, one of these tools might be exactly right, so here’s how I’d decide. I build sites for a living, so weigh that as you read.
What does an AI website builder actually do?
You answer a few questions, and it produces a site with pages, images and written copy. Wix builds you pages, layout and copy from a description. Squarespace’s Blueprint builds a multi-page site with starter content from a few questions. GoDaddy has a similar tool called Airo.
Look at how they describe it, though. Squarespace calls it starter content, and you’re expected to edit it afterwards. It’s a starting point, and you’ve still got to finish it.
Will an AI-built website rank on Google?
It can, because Google doesn’t care how a page was made. It says it rewards quality “however it is produced”. So anyone telling you an AI site can’t rank is overstating it.
The problem is what’s on the page. Google says it doesn’t want pages mass-produced that add nothing for users, and it warns that AI output may contain mistakes, so it needs fact-checking.
Now think about what an AI tool knows about your business. It doesn’t know you’ve spent ten years fitting kitchens in old terraces around Keighley, or that half your customers come to you because you turn up when you say you will. So it writes something plausible that could describe anyone in your trade, in any town.
A customer reading it gets no reason to choose you, and Google gets nothing that sets you apart.
When is an AI website builder a good idea?
There are times I’d happily tell you to use one:
- You’re testing an idea. You want a page up this weekend to see if anyone’s interested.
- Your customers come from elsewhere. They’ve found you through Instagram or a referral, and they just need somewhere to check you’re real.
- It’s a one-off. You’re promoting an event or a seasonal offer, and the page won’t be around for long.
- You’ll do the rewriting. You’re happy to replace the generic copy with your own words and real photos.
Are Wix or Squarespace better than an AI builder?
They’re the same thing now, as both classic drag-and-drop builders have AI built in. They’re a sensible choice if you enjoy this kind of thing and have the evenings to spare.
Squarespace’s UK plans showed £12 to £16 a month for Basic when I checked in November 2026. Wix’s Light plan was about £9 a month on yearly billing, according to Startups.co.uk in July 2025, so check the current price. You’ll need a paid Wix plan for your own domain.
The bigger cost is your time. Wix does include tools like an SEO assistant, but they can’t supply your local detail, and your Google listing, reviews and other listings are still your job. I’ve gone through that in more detail in what a small business website costs in the UK.
Is WordPress better for a small business?
Only if someone’s going to look after it. WordPress can do almost anything, but for a typical small business it’s more responsibility than people expect.
You need a host, and you’re responsible for what you install on it. WordPress’s own guidance says to keep everything updated, delete plugins you don’t use, and learn to back up and restore your site. Minor and security updates now apply automatically on most sites, but plugins, themes, major releases and backups still need an owner, and older versions stop getting security fixes.
So it suits you if you’ve got someone looking after it, or you like tinkering. It’s a poor fit if you want to build it once and forget about it.
Do page builders slow WordPress down?
They can. Tools like Elementor and Divi let you design pages without code, but they can add weight, and a slow page on a phone puts people off.
You don’t need to pick a favourite. Just test what you’ve got: run your site through Google’s PageSpeed Insights and check how it does on mobile. If it’s slow, ask whoever built it why.
How do you choose the right website builder?
Forget the brand names and ask yourself three questions.
Where will your customers come from? If they’ll find you on Google, you need real content about your services and area. If they already know you, you need much less.
Who’s going to look after it? Somebody has to keep it up to date, fix it when it breaks and change your prices. If that’s you, be honest about how much time you’ve really got.
What happens after launch? A website alone doesn’t get you found. You still need your Google listing set up, reviews coming in and a way of catching enquiries.
How do you make an AI site better?
If you do go down this road, here’s what I’d do:
- Rewrite every page in your own words, and read it out loud to check it sounds like you.
- Delete anything the AI made up, including services you don’t offer and claims you can’t back up.
- Replace stock images with real photos of your work.
- Name the towns you actually work in, with real examples of jobs you’ve done there.
- Add your reviews, your accreditations and how long you’ve been going.
- Check it shows up on Google a few weeks later.
Rather have it done for you?
If you’ve got this far and thought “I’m never going to do all that”, that’s what Digimill is for. I build websites around real local businesses across Lancashire and Yorkshire, then set up your Google listing, collect your reviews and look after the site.
Tell me about your business and I’ll build you a free preview of what your site could look like, with nothing to pay unless you go ahead.