AI is incredible, but requires human oversight
But here’s the truth no one tells you: using ChatGPT etc. to build your website without professional oversight is just another flavor of DIY. And for a business that wants to look legitimate, grow, and serve real customers—DIY isn’t enough.
1. AI Builds Code—Not Strategy
ChatGPT etc. can generate HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Great. But it doesn’t know your business. It can’t build a brand voice, define user flows, or decide what content matters to your audience. It doesn’t test usability, check accessibility, or ensure conversions. It gives you the frame of a house. Not the design, layout, wiring, or livable space.
2. There’s No CMS
One of the biggest gaps? There’s no backend. With a proper website, you get a content management system (CMS)—a place where you or your team can update text, add blog posts, swap images, or tweak things without touching code. When you use ChatGPT etc. to build a static site, you lose that flexibility. Want to update your hours? Change a headline? Add a team member? You’re back in the code - or worse, back in the chatbot, copy-pasting changes line by line. That’s not scalable. That’s not sustainable.
3. DIY = No Support, No Safety Net
Let’s say you do get the site online. Is SEO on point? Is the branding and messaging actually resonating with the target market? What happens when something breaks? Or loads slowly? Or doesn’t display right on mobile? With no developer or designer or SEO in the loop, you're relying on a chatbot for troubleshooting. That might work - until it doesn’t. Then you're Googling code errors, guessing file uploads, or rebuilding from scratch.
4. Your Website Is Your First Impression
In most industries, your website is the first thing people see. It’s your credibility, your storefront, your pitch. It shouldn't just exist - it should sell. AI-generated sites are generic. They’re not optimized for SEO. They don’t stand out. And they certainly don’t feel like you.
5. Professional + AI = The Real Win
This isn’t about hating on ChatGPT etc. It’s an amazing tool. But like Photoshop doesn't make you a designer, ChatGPT etc. doesn’t make you a web developer. The best use of AI in web development? As a power tool in the hands of a pro. It helps us move faster, automate the grunt work, and lower costs - without sacrificing quality, strategy, or maintainability.
Bottom Line
If you're serious about your business, don’t hand your website over to a robot and hope for the best. Use ChatGPT as a tool - but pair it with human insight, design thinking, and professional structure. Because a website isn’t just code. It’s your business, online. Treat it that way.
This post written in part by AI, and verified by Rob Shurtleff, The Website Guy.