You’ve seen the ads. I know you have.
“Create your stunning website in 60 seconds with AI! Only £2!”
No calls. No freelancer. No waiting. Just type “I sell cakes in Walsall” and boom — website done.
Sounds brilliant. Sounds like the future. Sounds like me being out of a job.
Except it’s not. And I say that as a web designer who uses AI every single day.
Let me be honest with you: I use AI to build websites faster. I use it to write first drafts, to generate code, to resize images, to fix bugs at 2am when I’d rather be asleep.
But there is a massive difference between a web designer using AI and you using an AI website builder.
One will save you money. The other will cost you £2,999 later to fix.
What Is a £2 AI Website, Really?
It’s not a website built for you. It’s a template dressed up as magic.
You answer 5 questions, the AI picks a colour scheme, drops in some stock photos of smiling people who have never been to Walsall, and writes generic copy like:
“We are passionate about delivering excellence and customer satisfaction…”
You know that text. You’ve read it on 100 dead websites.
It looks okay on your phone for 10 minutes. Then the problems start.
The Pros: When a £2 AI Website Actually Makes Sense
I’m not going to lie to you. There ARE times when it’s fine.
1. You need something TODAY
You have a pop-up, a one-day event, a landing page for a flyer. You need a single page with your name, phone number, and opening hours. A £2 AI site will do that.
2. You are testing an idea
You don’t know if your business will exist in 3 months. Don’t spend £2,000 on a maybe. Build the cheap version, test if anyone cares, then invest properly.
3. You have zero budget, literally zero
If the choice is between no website and an AI website, pick the AI website. A bad presence is still better than “we couldn’t find you on Google.”
4. You are technical and you know its limits
If you can fix the SEO, the speed, and the copy yourself, you can squeeze value out of it.
That’s it. That’s the full list.
If you are not in one of those 4 boxes, keep reading.
The Cons: Why It Costs You £2,999 Later
1. You don’t own it
This is the big one. Most AI builders rent you the site. You don’t own the design, you don’t own the code, you can’t move it. Try to leave and you start from zero. That’s why my £2,999 rebuilds start with “can we export anything?” Answer: No.
2. The copy is generic and Google hates it
AI writes for everyone, which means it writes for no one. It doesn’t know your Walsall customers, your prices, your story, or why you are different from the other 15 businesses on the same street. Google in 2026 is brutal with AI-generated, low-value content. You won’t rank. Your competitors will.
3. It looks like everyone else
The AI has 12 templates. Your competitor used the same one yesterday. I can spot an AI website in 3 seconds: same hero image, same 3-column “Services” section, same fake testimonials. Your customers can too.
4. The price is a trap
£2 is the intro price. Then it’s £15/month for the domain. £25/month to remove the “Made with AI” badge. £35/month to get your own email. £50/month for the “Pro” version that lets you actually edit it. That was your Subscription Trap — easy to join, hard to escape.
5. No strategy, no sales
A website is not a poster. It’s supposed to sell. Where’s your call to action? Where’s the booking form? Where’s the trust? AI doesn’t ask you “what do you want the visitor to DO?” It just makes it pretty.
6. It breaks when you grow
You want a shop? A booking system? A blog that actually ranks? A members area? Now the AI builder says “upgrade” or “not supported.” You have to rebuild anyway.
That’s where my £2,999 number comes from. It’s not made up. It’s what I charge to untangle a cheap build: new hosting, new WordPress site, real copy, real photos, real SEO, and rescuing the domain they locked you into.
You paid £2 to save money. You paid £2,999 to fix it.
So Why Is AI Still Worth It?
Because AI is a brilliant assistant. And a terrible boss.
When I build your site, I use AI for:
- Speed: I can generate the first draft of 10 service pages in an hour, instead of a day
- Code: It fixes a bug faster than I can Google it
- Ideas: “Give me 5 headlines for a plumber in Walsall” — great starting point, terrible final copy
- Images: Resize, remove backgrounds, enhance your real photos
What I don’t let AI do is decide the strategy, write the final copy, or talk to your customers.
That’s the difference.
Why You Still Need a Web Designer, Even If He Uses AI
Think of it like this:
You can buy a £30 camera. You can buy a £2,000 Canon camera. Does that make you a photographer?
No. I have the Canon. I also have 20+ years of knowing where to stand, what to shoot, and when to press the button.
Web design is the same.
1. I know what your customer needs to see first
Not what looks nice. What sells. A plumber needs “Call Now” in 1 second. A law firm needs trust in 1 second. AI doesn’t know that.
2. I own the whole thing with you
WordPress + Elementor. You own the domain, the hosting, the files, the content. If you leave me tomorrow, you take your site with you. That’s how it should be.
3. I fix it when it breaks
AI support is a chatbot that says “Have you tried refreshing?” I am an email away. And yes, I prefer email — you read my post about no calls, right?
4. I make it YOURS
Your photos. Your voice. Your Walsall accent in the text. Not “We are passionate about delivering excellence.” No one talks like that in real life.
5. I think about Google, speed, and mobile
AI builders are slow, bloated, and full of code you don’t need. I build lean, fast sites that actually show up when someone searches “web designer Walsall” or “photographer near me.”
A designer using AI is 3x faster than a designer from 2019. That means you get a better website, for less money, in less time.
A £2 AI website with no designer is just a fast way to look cheap.
The Verdict: When to Use It and When Not To
USE the £2 AI website if:
You need a test page, a temporary page, or you have literally no budget and need to be online today.
DO NOT use it if:
You want customers, bookings, Google rankings, a real brand, or a website that will still work in 12 months.
If you are a serious small business in Walsall or anywhere in the UK, don’t build a house on rented land.
Let AI do the heavy lifting. Let a human do the thinking.
That’s what I do at JKD Studio.
Want a website that doesn’t cost you twice? Drop me an email. I won’t call you. I promise.
Want me to turn this into a WordPress-ready version with SEO title, meta description, and headings formatted for Elementor? Or do you want me to make the shorter, punchier version for Facebook/LinkedIn to drive traffic to the blog post?