Build it yourself · free guides

Building a website with AI is easy. Getting it right isn't.

You can give a prompt to Claude or ChatGPT and get a website in minutes. But will it read well, stand out from every other AI website, and still be easy to edit next year? After 600+ websites, here's what I've learned, for free.

What you need to get right Watch the videos

Your prompt

Build a website for my dental clinic.

Done. It looks good.

What's still missing

Your own words, not AI content
Real photos of your business
A design that doesn't look AI-made
Fast, easy to find, with an SEO plan to grow
Easy to edit, update and manage yourself
Hosting and backups set up properly

01
Content: start with your own words
Write your raw content yourself, even if it's rough, then use AI to tidy it. Pages written only by AI usually don't make sense when you actually read them, and they sound like every other website.
Google doesn't ban AI content. But readers can tell, it doesn't connect with them, and it isn't unique.
02
Images: use real photos
Photos of your real work, your place and your people. AI images and obvious stock photos make your website look like everyone else's.
03
Design: make it stand out
Everyone is making AI websites now, and most of them look the same. The layout, fonts and colours still need your eye. That's what most of my videos teach: how to make it look designed, not generated.
Watch how I do it
04
Editable later: you'll need to change it
Prices change, services change, you'll add pages. Build on a platform where you, or anyone you hire, can edit a page without asking AI to rebuild the whole thing.
Video: a fully editable AI website

Then the technical part

The parts nobody sees until they break

AI won't set these up for you, and most first websites get at least one of them wrong. It starts with where your website lives.

Just starting, no budget?

Free hosting with your own domain

Good for getting your first website online and learning how it all works. Treat it as a temporary option: once the website matters to your business, you'll outgrow it.

Video: host your website for free

For the long run · what I recommend

WordPress hosting

Affordable, and it's where I host my own websites. After trying Bluehost, GoDaddy, DreamHost and others, my top pick is SiteGround, then Hostinger.

Which host I use, and why

Speed

Most visitors leave if a page takes more than a few seconds. Big images, too many plugins and slow hosting are usually the cause.

Video: speed, security and SEO

Security and backups

Keep everything updated, use strong logins and take automatic backups. If something breaks, a backup gets you back in minutes instead of days.

Video: speed, security and SEO

Getting found on Google

SEO means clear page titles, one topic per page and content that answers what your customers actually search for. It starts on day one, not after launch.

Video: speed, security and SEO

Phones first

Most of your visitors will be on a phone. Check every page on a real one: menus, buttons, forms and how big the text is.

Know what's working

Add Google Analytics and Search Console on day one. They show who visits, what they searched to find you, and which pages bring in enquiries.

Forms that reach you

Send a test message from your contact form and make sure it lands in your inbox, not spam. A form that fails quietly loses every lead.

Choosing a platform

Which platform should you build on?

It depends on the website. These are my top three builders in order, plus custom code for when none of them fit.

01 · My pick
WordPress
Most client websites I build
Why I use it
It can be any kind of website, from a clinic to a shop to a blog. You own it and can host it anywhere. It's fast when it's built properly, it has the best SEO tools, and any developer can pick it up later. With the block editor, you can edit your own pages without touching code.
Best for
Business websites, blogs, anything that needs to rank on Google
Watch out for
It needs good hosting and regular updates
02
Framer
Design-first and fast
Why it's second
It works like a design tool, so you can get a good-looking, fast website live quickly, with hosting included. It's great for small websites, but it gets harder as a website grows to lots of pages.
Best for
Portfolios, startups, landing pages
Watch out for
A monthly fee, and a limited CMS for big websites
03
Webflow
Full control without code
Why it's third
It gives designers full control over the layout and has a strong CMS for blogs and big websites. But it takes a while to learn, and editing can feel complicated for a business owner.
Best for
Designers building marketing websites
Watch out for
Pricing plans add up, and it has a learning curve
04
Custom code
When no builder fits
When I use it
Built from scratch in code, for things no builder does well: an unusual feature, a web app, or the fastest possible website with nothing extra loaded.
Best for
Unusual features, web apps, top performance
Watch out for
No editor unless one is built in, so most changes need a developer

Wix and Squarespace are the easiest to start with, but it's harder to make them stand out, and harder to move away from them later. That's why they're not in my top three.

Read the full comparison

Blog

I write about each part

Step-by-step guides from real builds, with every prompt and setting. New posts come with most videos.

Read the blog

Prompts 9 Oct 2026 11 min read

How to Make an E-commerce Website with Claude Code and WordPress (Full Prompts)

The exact prompts I used to build a real WooCommerce store with Claude Code: brief, design, conversion to editable WordPress blocks, going live on Hostinger and adding payments.

Read the post

Website basics 28 Sep 2026