What websites will survive the AI era?

Fewer people are posting. Fewer people are visiting websites. And more of us are turning to tools like ChatGPT to answer our questions.

That shift isn’t just changing how we consume. It’s changing how we connect. And for small business owners and founders, that change matters more than you might think.

In a recent piece for The New Yorker, Kyle Chayka explored how the average person has largely stopped posting online. The internet, once a place of spontaneous expression, is increasingly becoming a one-way broadcast from businesses and influencers. Social media feeds that were once full of casual thoughts and grainy photos from friends now feel like polished storefronts.

Highly recommend you check out said The New Yorker article, by Kyle Chayka

But this shift isn’t just playing out on Instagram. You can see the same trend unfolding across the broader internet. Website traffic patterns are changing and consumers aren’t browsing the same way they used to. Instead of opening five tabs to research a purchase or compare services, they’re asking a chatbot. Google’s AI summaries now give readers the answer without them needing to open your ‘how to’ blog at all. Attention has never been easier to lose, or harder to earn.

It's an interesting paradox that while access to starting a business has never been more open, the ability to stand out has never been more difficult. The pond is more crowded, but your customer can now fish from a different stream. (If I’ve lost you with this analogy, the new stream is AI…).

One well-phrased prompt, and they’ve bypassed a dozen search results, skipped over your beautifully worded homepage, and landed on a generic but helpful summary of what they needed.

So where does that leave your website?

It leaves it in a more important position than ever. Just not in the way we’re used to thinking about it.

Websites are no longer just informational checkpoints. The internet is already saturated with information, and most of it is now indexed, summarised, or scraped by AI. If your site is simply echoing what someone could get from ChatGPT, you’re not giving them a reason to visit.

In this new digital environment, your website must offer more than facts. It must offer feeling. That means rethinking your site not just as a sales tool, but as a stage. A space to showcase what you care about. What you bring to the table that no AI ever could. What it actually feels like to work with you, buy from you, or be part of your world.

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Think of it like a conversation. You wouldn’t walk into a room, recite your services in bullet points, and leave. Yet so many websites are built to do just that. The businesses that will stand out in this next era are the ones who treat their website like a living, breathing part of their brand. A digital experience that builds trust, curiosity, and connection.

So, how do you do that?

You start by asking better questions.

What are you trying to be known for? What do you want someone to feel after visiting your site? What’s something only you can say?

Those questions should shape everything. You probably need to restructure your homepage so that it leads with emotion. You might want to add a blog or insight hub that doesn’t just optimise for keywords, but shares original thinking and project reflections that position you as a voice. You could consider adding a private area for members, or a guided resource path for different types of customers.

There’s no one-size-fits-all here. That’s kind of the point. The future of websites isn’t about replicating best practice or having a ‘website checklist’ you can follow. Instead, it will be originality that wins.

Googles’ AI overview summarising a blog post for me, so I don’t have to click into the blog post, about whether people still click into blog posts.

Your website is one of the only places online where you fully control the narrative. Which will always make it the most valuable place to tell your story well. But as people are relying more and more on AI for discovery, it’s no secret that your site will need to work harder. You need to hold your customers interest, speak to them clearly, and leave a lasting impression.

Founders who are willing to show more of their perspective, build more human connection, and centre their originality are the ones who will thrive. Because yes, people are posting less. Yes, fewer people are visiting browsers. And yes, ChatGPT is doing more of the answering.

But that doesn’t mean people want less connection. They just want it to feel worth their attention.

So, what are you doing to make your website stand out?

If the answer is nothing, I’m a website designer for purpose-led brands, and I’d love to help.

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