I run a small neighborhood bakery. Until this year my only "online presence" was an Instagram page and a phone number in my bio. People kept asking if I had a real website and I always said "soon".
One night I searched for "ai website builder for small business", landed on a comparison like this one, and decided it was finally time.
I chose an AI website builder that promised: "Describe your business in one sentence and we will build the whole site for you." That sounded perfect for someone like me.
AI can create a full small business website in minutes, but it still needs your brain and your decisions.
The Parts Where AI Felt Like Magic
The first step was simple. The tool asked me a few questions: bakery type, location, what makes us special, and if I wanted people to order online or just visit the store.
A minute later it generated a full home page: hero image, headline, text, call to action, and even a suggested color palette that matched my logo.
It also wrote basic sections for:
- Our story as a family bakery
- A simple list of signature products
- Opening hours and map
- Contact form for cake orders
I remember thinking: if this is what ai website builder for beginners looks like, maybe I never need a real designer.
The Parts No One Warns You About
Generic Text That Sounds Nice But Empty
The AI copy sounded pretty at first, but after reading it again I noticed something: it could fit almost any bakery in any city. Nothing about my menu, my neighborhood, or my style.
It said things like "fresh ingredients" and "made with love" which are true, but also what everyone else says. I realised that AI can write the first draft, but I still have to make it my voice.
Design That Does Not Match Real Photos
The AI chose beautiful stock images. The problem was that they did not look like my bakery at all. My real photos were warmer, more crowded, less perfect.
When I swapped the stock images with mine, the design suddenly felt off. I had to adjust spacing, text size and some colors so the site looked real, not like a template with random pictures dropped in.
Mobile View Still Needed Work
The builder said the site was mobile friendly, and it was, but not in the way I wanted. On my phone the hero text was too big, the call to action button was below the fold, and the menu took too much space.
I spent a few evenings doing things like: shortening headlines, moving the order button up, and making sure the phone number was always visible.
Connecting Real Features
The hardest part was not the layout. It was the real world features: connecting the contact form to my email, setting up order notifications, and making sure the map and opening hours were correct everywhere.
AI suggested sections, but it did not automatically know how my workflow works. I still had to decide: do I want people to call, send a form, or order directly online.
What AI Actually Did Well
After a week of tweaking, I could see where the ai website builder for small business really helped:
- It gave me a solid starting layout instead of a blank page.
- It suggested a structure that made sense for a local shop: hero, menu, testimonials, location.
- It wrote first draft text that I could edit instead of inventing everything from zero.
- It handled technical basics like SSL, hosting, and publishing with one button.
I did not have to think about servers, domains setup details, or installing plugins. That alone saved me days.
Where I Still Needed Human Help
Even with AI, there were parts I could not do alone:
- I asked a friend who knows marketing to rewrite my main headline so it spoke to real customers, not just to me.
- I hired a photographer for one hour to take a few real photos of the shop, the bread, and me working behind the counter.
- I asked a designer friend to quickly check colors and font sizes so the site looked trustworthy.
That small bit of human help made the site feel less like "AI template" and more like an actual bakery brand.
If You Are A Beginner Thinking About AI
Here is what I would tell any small business owner starting today:
- Use an ai website builder for beginners to get a fast first version online. Do not stay stuck for months.
- Then spend real time on the parts AI cannot feel: your story, your customer promises, your photos, and your pricing.
- Check the site on your phone first. Most of my visitors come from mobile, but I spent most of my time on desktop layout at the beginning.
- Do not be afraid to ask for a bit of professional help just for the critical parts.
Final Thoughts
Letting AI build my first website was not a mistake. It was actually the only reason I finally launched something.
But AI did not replace thinking. It just removed the empty screen and the fear of starting. The business decisions were still mine.
If you are about to build your first small business website, I would say this: let AI do the heavy lifting, but do not give it the steering wheel.