AI website builders reach 53% of surveyed U.S. entrepreneurs as freelance web postings fall

The Bluehost survey questioned 201 American entrepreneurs involved in decisions about their companies' online operations. Among those using AI website generators, 85% said their sites would have been developed differently without access to the technology. Respondents reported average savings of $850 and about 32 working hours compared with hiring developers or agencies for equivalent projects.

Website hosting and domain setup remained tasks that respondents were reluctant to delegate to AI, with 21% identifying them among the least likely tasks to be outsourced. Before adopting AI, 34% cited insufficient time as an obstacle to launching a website and 28% cited limited technical knowledge. Even among respondents who had avoided AI website generators, 71% said they would consider the tools for future projects.

Recruitment data from Freelancer.com show website design advertisements fell 59% between the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2026. PHP opportunities also fell 59%, WordPress assignments fell 58% and HTML programming vacancies fell 55%. Graphic design advertisements decreased 43% over the same period, while data entry opportunities increased 16%.

TechRadar noted that the figures cover one freelance marketplace and cannot confirm that AI adoption directly caused the decline in advertised programming jobs. The report also said the evidence does not establish an equivalent collapse in employment across the entire website development industry.

Business owners reported high satisfaction with AI-built websites: 72% expressed strong approval and 97% reported at least moderate satisfaction. Only 9% published their sites without modifying the initial AI output. Content revisions were made by 61% of respondents, and 60% modified visual elements before making their sites available to customers.

After publication, 94% continued using AI for business activities beyond the initial website build. Among them, 34% reported increased visitor numbers and 31% reported improvements in sales or revenue. Still, 54% preferred reviewing every proposed website modification, compared with 30% who were comfortable letting AI operate independently without approval. Only 50% were willing to disclose their websites' AI origins to customers.

The survey's relatively small sample limits generalisation, with adoption estimates carrying about 6.9 percentage points of uncertainty at 95% confidence, according to the report.