- AI now handles website creation for 53% of surveyed entrepreneurs
- Business owners saved $850 and 32 hours using AI tools
- Website design job postings have fallen 59% since early 2024
Freelance website development opportunities have fallen sharply since 2024, while an increasing number of American entrepreneurs are using artificial intelligence to create websites independently.
Research commissioned by Bluehost found that 53% of surveyed business owners had adopted AI website builders rather than relying on professional developers.
The findings coincide with substantial declines in freelance programming advertisements, particularly in website design, PHP, WordPress, and HTML development.
Website development vacancies fall by nearly 60%
The Bluehost survey questioned 201 American entrepreneurs involved in decisions concerning their companies' online operations.
Among respondents adopting AI website generators, 85% indicated that their websites would have been developed differently without access to these technologies.
Participants reported average savings of $850 and approximately 32 working hours compared with commissioning developers or agencies to complete equivalent projects.
However, website hosting and domain setup remained tasks that respondents were reluctant to delegate to AI, with 21% identifying these among the least likely to be outsourced.
Previously, 34% identified insufficient time as an obstacle to launching websites, while 28% cited limitations in their technical knowledge.
Even among respondents who had avoided AI website generators, 71% expressed willingness to consider these technologies for future website development projects.
Historical recruitment figures on Freelancer.com indicate that website design advertisements declined 59% between the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2026.
PHP opportunities experienced an identical 59% reduction, while WordPress assignments decreased 58%, followed by HTML programming vacancies with a 55% decline.
These reductions exceeded those recorded across certain other freelance categories, suggesting that website development assignments have experienced particularly substantial pressure.
Graphic design advertisements decreased 43% during the corresponding period, whereas data entry opportunities increased 16%, despite their exposure to automation technologies.
However, these figures cover one freelance marketplace and cannot confirm that the adoption of AI tools directly caused the reduction in advertised programming jobs.
Business owners increasingly manage websites without developers
Business owners reported considerable satisfaction with AI websites, with 72% expressing strong approval and 97% reporting at least moderate satisfaction.
Nevertheless, just 9% published their websites without modifying the initial AI output, indicating continued involvement in reviewing and adjusting generated material.
Content revisions were undertaken by 61% of respondents, while 60% modified visual elements before making their websites accessible to customers online.
Following publication, 94% continued employing AI technologies for business activities, extending their use beyond the initial website development process itself.
Among these respondents, 34% reported increased visitor numbers, while 31% experienced improvements in sales or revenue after adopting AI assistance.
However, 54% preferred reviewing every proposed website modification, compared with 30% who were comfortable allowing AI to operate independently without approval.
Only 50% expressed willingness to disclose their websites' AI origins to customers, indicating reservations despite generally favourable assessments of the technology.
The survey's relatively small sample also limits generalisation, with adoption estimates carrying approximately 6.9 percentage points of uncertainty at 95% confidence.
Although freelance advertisements have declined considerably, the evidence does not establish an equivalent collapse in employment across the entire website development industry.
