Why AI-Generated Websites Suck
(And Why That’s a Problem for Your Business)
If you’ve searched for an AI Website builder recently, you’ve probably seen the promise:
“Answer a few questions and get a complete website in minutes.”
It sounds irresistible. No designers. No developers. No delays. Just instant results powered by artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, the reality is far less impressive. Instant gratification and claims that are too good to be true are always just that.
AI-generated websites look fine at first glance, but once you dig deeper, they fail in ways that actively hurt branding, conversions, SEO, and long-term growth. In this article, we’ll break down why AI websites suck, where they fall short, and why businesses relying on them are setting themselves up for mediocrity.
1. AI Websites All Look the Same
The biggest problem with an AI Website is sameness.
AI tools are trained on massive datasets of existing websites. That means they don’t create originality—they average it. The result?
- Generic layouts
- Overused hero sections
- Predictable typography
- Safe, boring color palettes
Your site ends up looking like thousands of others generated by the same model.
Why this matters:
Brand differentiation is everything. If your website looks like a template (even a polished one), users subconsciously assign low value to your business.
People don’t remember “fine.”
They remember distinct.
2. AI Doesn’t Understand Your Business Strategy
An AI Website can assemble sections, but it doesn’t understand:
- Your revenue model
- Your customer psychology
- Your sales funnel
- Your competitive landscape
AI doesn’t ask why a section exists—it just adds it because similar sites have one.
What you get:
- Random feature sections with no hierarchy
- CTAs that don’t align with buyer intent
- Pages that look complete but don’t convert
A website isn’t just content—it’s strategy expressed visually. AI skips the strategy entirely.
3. AI Generated Copy Is Empty Calories
AI writing sounds confident, but it’s often meaningless. It is like eating cardboard; you may feel full, but there is absolutely no substance.
You’ve seen it:
- “We deliver innovative solutions tailored to your needs.”
- “Our mission is to empower businesses through excellence.”
- “We are passionate about driving success.”
This is filler text—polished nonsense. Your clients and potential clients know it too, without even realizing it.
Why this hurts SEO:
Google increasingly rewards experience, expertise, and originality. AI-generated copy:
- Lacks real insight
- Repeats known phrasing
- Fails to demonstrate authority
An AI Website may rank briefly, but it rarely holds long-term search positions.
4. AI Websites Are Conversion-Blind
AI tools optimize for completion, not performance.
What they don’t do:
- Run A/B tests
- Analyze heatmaps
- Understand friction points
- Optimize micro-interactions
So while your AI Website may look “done,” it’s not optimized to:
- Generate leads
- Drive sign-ups
- Close sales
Design without conversion intent is just decoration. Our friends at Modernize My Site put it like this: having a great looking website with no traffic is like having ‘a beautiful billboard in the desert.‘
5. AI Can’t Make Judgment Calls
Good websites are full of intentional trade-offs:
- What to remove
- What to emphasize
- What to simplify
- What to hide
AI struggles here.
It tends to:
- Add too much
- Avoid bold decisions
- Over-explain
- Play it safe
The result is a cluttered experience that lacks focus and confidence.
6. AI Websites Break the Moment You Grow
AI Website builders work until they don’t.
As soon as you need:
- Custom integrations
- Advanced analytics
- Performance optimization
- Unique user flows
You hit a wall.
At that point, most businesses:
- Scrap the AI site
- Rebuild from scratch
- Lose time, traffic, and momentum
What looked like a shortcut becomes a detour. Doing it the “right way,” would’ve been better and more cost effective in the long run.
Letting AI fully generate your website is like letting autopilot fly a plane with no pilot onboard.
When AI Is Useful (And When It Isn’t)
To be clear: AI isn’t useless.
AI is great for:
Ideation
Drafting
Rapid prototyping
Supporting skilled professionals
The Bottom Line: Your Website Deserves Better Than Average
An AI Website might be fast, cheap, and convenient—but it’s also:
Generic
Strategically shallow
Conversion-weak
Forgettable
Your website is often the first impression of your brand. Handing that responsibility entirely to AI guarantees one thing:
You’ll look like everyone else who took the easy route.
If you want a website that actually performs—one built around clarity, psychology, and growth—AI should assist the process, not replace it.
Want a Website That Doesn’t Suck?
At Steck Insights, we focus on strategy-driven websites that convert, rank, and scale—without relying on generic AI shortcuts.
Because average is expensive.
