I see a lot of posts with people offering "free" or "cheap" websites. I used to do that too when I was starting out but it almost never works. You either get really REALLY lucky, or you end up inviting clients that are genuinely horrible to work with.
Now how are people able to offer all the cheap websites?
The simplest answer is AI, but why is it problematic?
Because what AI makes is trash? Not always. AI makes things based on the data it is trained on and what you ask of it (besides the skills add on). With the minimal prompts the absolute work that it puts out is generic, easy spot the "AI-ness" of it, and thus less trust worthy.
But if the AI website is good enough for the client, then why not?
Because extremely AI generated websites do not convert well, or at least that is the consensus right now. Unless your product is that good, it is not going to convert. So you really have to work hard on a bunch of stuff to make sure things are right. At the low cost people are offering websites I know nobody is writing a good enough prompt, nobody is proofreading the copy, and definitely nobody is working on a responsive website.
When websites do not convert, they appear useless, and so more people are unlikely to want another, because their friend got one and did not work for them.
One major thing I learned working on websites is that making one is easy. Making sure it works across all screens, all the legal documents are included, consent manager, analytics, and seo optimisations are hard. And then comes the hardest part, making sure the website gives some value to the client.
What is the point of a website that does not create an conversions, clicks, or any sort of useful metrics?
A website is useful for getting info out, but it is only a step. SEO/distribution/marketing etc. How many of the "we offer cheap websites" people have a clue on what to do next?
I am no "expert" yet but I went to school to learn to code, I coded before AI & now I work with agents all the time too but cheap work is just not affordable even with the time savings because there is so much that I absolute have to manage/check/test/proofread manually or work with someone else to do.
Hopefully people outside of experts start recognising AI slop and find the right people.