Survey: 53% of Business Owners Use AI Website Builders

Research commissioned by the web hosting company Bluehost found that 53% of surveyed business owners had adopted AI website builders instead of hiring professional developers, according to TechRadar Pro. The findings were published on October 16, 2026.

Among those who adopted AI website generators, 85% said their websites would have been developed differently without the technology. Participants reported average savings of $850 and about 32 working hours compared with commissioning developers or agencies.

Separate figures from the freelance marketplace Freelancer.com show website design job postings fell 59% between the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2026. PHP opportunities also dropped 59%, WordPress assignments 58% and HTML vacancies 55%, while graphic design advertisements decreased 43% and data entry opportunities rose 16%.

Satisfaction and oversight

72% of business owners expressed strong approval of AI-built websites and 97% reported at least moderate satisfaction. Only 9% published their sites without modifying the initial AI output; 61% revised content and 60% modified visual elements. After publishing, 94% continued using AI tools for business activities, 34% reported increased visitor numbers and 31% reported improvements in sales or revenue.

Oversight remains a factor: 54% preferred reviewing every proposed website change, versus 30% comfortable with AI operating independently, and only 50% were willing to disclose their websites' AI origins to customers. 21% identified hosting and domain setup among the tasks least likely to be delegated to AI. Previously, 34% of respondents cited insufficient time as an obstacle to launching websites and 28% cited limitations in technical knowledge; even among those who had avoided AI website generators, 71% said they would consider them for future projects.