Limited template customization
AI website builders seem to offer an impressive variety of templates based on user preferences and industry. You can expect them to analyze your input and offer designs aligning with the latest web trends. However, you may have a limited ability to customize these templates due to only basic modifications being possible, like changing fonts, colors, and layouts. Trying to fulfill specific functional requirements or unique brand elements could be challenging despite the fact that it is possible to generate design variations quickly. The templates may be contemporary and professional, but their standardized patterns will make your website look very similar to the others in your sector.
Inability to break with convention
Almost three-quarters (73%) of businesses state that AI limits the ability to create unique designs. Implementing novel design concepts or breaking with traditional layouts is difficult. As a result, AI-generated websites can lack the emotional connection real designers can create through their creative intuition and grasp of the psychology of perception. The website will miss opportunities to set a brand apart by creating memorable user experiences.
Unique problems require human intervention
AI-powered support is helpful for banal issues, but unique or complicated problems require human intervention. One’s success depends on the balance between human and automated support options available on a website.
Hidden costs
The basic plans of AI website builder models cost between $10 and $50 a month. However, there are costs beyond the basic subscription. Premium templates, domain registration, and third-party integrations may cost extra. These expenses can add up, exceeding the foreseen budget. Some website creators assume features are included in their AI builder subscription, but this turns out not to be the case. Advanced SEO tools or removing platform branding can cost an additional $20 a month.
AI builders are cost-effective for business websites, at least initially. However, you might have to invest in custom development or upgrade to more expensive plans as your business grows. On average, companies spend 25% more on customization and extra features than the subscription price within the first year.
Traditional website creation requires a bigger upfront investment, but AI builders often come with ongoing fees exceeding $500 a year for professional features.
Possible security issues
To function effectively, AI builders often require access to your data. Without carefully reviewing their data handling policies, you’ll never know if they meet privacy standards. You must also verify that the tool manages security patches and maintains regular updates, including protection against cross-site scripting, SQL injection, DDoS attacks, and other common vulnerabilities. SQL injection may be getting less popular – it dropped by 14% for open-source and 17% for closed-source projects between 2024 and 2023 – but it’s still a risk. More than 60% of website apps are statistically vulnerable to cross-site scripting, and the first quarter of 2023 saw DDoS attacks surge 47% year-over-year. Distributed denial of service attacks are increasing consistently, up 807% between 2013 and 2022.
AI-generated sites score lower in search engine rankings
Research reveals that AI-generated websites score around 25% lower in search engine rankings than websites created by professionals. Search engines are getting better at detecting AI-generated content. The standardized content structures AI website builders implement don’t always meet specific SEO needs. It may be impossible to optimize for specific keywords because of the preset patterns for content hierarchy these platforms typically follow.
Some builders’ code is not as efficient or clean as manually written code, which impacts mobile responsiveness and page load speeds. These factors have a direct impact on search engine rankings.
Recap
- Limited template customization
- Possible security issues
- Inability to break with convention
- Unique or complicated problems require human intervention
- Hidden costs
- AI-generated sites score lower in search engine rankings
