How AI can help you continuously improve your website
A practical guide to AI-powered optimisation
The term Artificial Intelligence was first coined at Dartmouth in 1956, but the ideas behind it, machine learning and task automation based on programmable rules, had already been around for years. Generative AI, too, isn’t exactly new. In 1961, Joseph Weizenbaum created ELIZA, a computer program that could hold basic conversations with humans using natural-sounding, empathic language.
Fast-forward to 2022, when OpenAI launched ChatGPT, combining Generative AI with powerful Large Language Models, and suddenly AI moved from niche tech to something that touched daily life. It’s had an impact on how we live and work not seen since smartphones actually became smart in the mid-2000s (anyone remember Blackberrys and Windows Mobile?).
Whether you love it or hate it, AI isn’t going away and it’s going to shape our lives for the foreseeable future, until the next big revolution comes along (still holding out hope for cloning myself to get more done… wait, erm, maybe that’s what AI already is?!).
There are now so many AI tools that help us design and develop websites, from tools that help with wireframing and templating to coding assistants, there are hundreds of excellent and not-so-excellent applications that can help get us to a solution faster than we used to be able to do before. At Pixeled Eggs, we’ve been experimenting with many of them, and even using a few in our process. But while they’re powerful, they’re still not great at handling complex, bespoke solutions (the kind every unique project needs). That said, these tools are evolving fast, and as they grow, our jobs as designers and developers will evolve with them.
In this article, I want to focus on practical, actionable ways AI can help you maintain and improve your website and make managing your content just a little easier.
How AI can help improve your website
Website content is a broad subject these days and there’s a lot to think about. Your main focus should always be the user and good storytelling. However, writing for the web also requires particular technical and design skills and as well as writing engaging copy, you need to consider accessibility, SEO and a clear structure. AI can help at every step:
Content creation and optimisation
Writing
- Tools like Gemini and ChatGPT are great for getting your first drafts down for website copy, blog posts, product descriptions, and more.
- They can also adjust your tone of voice, suggest better page structures, and rewrite your drafts to suit specific audiences.
- Other options like Copy.ai, Jasper and Anyword, focus more on content marketing and all making bold claims about why their language model is better than their competitors. The trick here is to try a few and see which one fits your style and needs.
Images
- AI-powered image generators like DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion allow you to create custom visuals for your website.
- You’ve probably already tried some of these tools and know that getting a result you’re happy with often takes a bit of trial and error, but you’re only limited by your imagination.
- That said, don’t overlook great free resources like Unsplash for stock images.
- You can also use AI tools to create branded imagery that keeps your website’s look and feel consistent.
Videos
- Video is a powerful way to communicate and now it’s more accessible and affordable than ever. Tools like RunwayML and Pictory AI help you easily create and edit professional-looking videos at a fraction of the cost.
- As with images, patience and experimentation are key, but the potential is huge!
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is technically part of content creation, but deserves its own section. AI tools like Surfer SEO, MarketMuse and Neuron Writer focus purely on helping you write content that ranks better.
If you’re using WordPress or Shopify like we do, Yoast SEO (the Premium version) is excellent and it uses AI to help generate meta titles and descriptions that can improve your click-through rates.
Accessibility
AI can also help make your website more inclusive. Tools like accessiBe scan your site, flag accessibility issues, and even offer dynamic content and visual adaptations for users with different needs.
Accessibility often gets overlooked, but it’s critical for creating a web that’s truly for everyone.
Performance and UX (User Experience) improvements
Not all tools in this category are full AI (yet), but they’re still hugely helpful for optimising your website:
- Hotjar: We’ve been recommending Hotjar to our clients for years. It uses heatmaps and user session recordings to show where people click, scroll, or get stuck. They’re now adding AI-driven insights and they offer discounts for charities and nonprofits so it’s well worth exploring.
- Google PageSpeed Insights: This excellent tool analyses your site’s speed (vital for SEO) and gives tips for improvement. Some fixes might need your developer’s help to implement, but others, like resizing images, are easy wins!
- Google Analytics (GA4): The newest version of GA4 is using more AI to deliver behavioural insights and predictions, helping you move beyond surface-level reporting (numbers) to understanding user patterns.
A few final thoughts on AI
There are lots of other areas where AI is making an impact on website performance, like security and personalisation. But today, we’ve focused mainly on content and usability.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Human oversight is essential.
AI is a great assistant, but it can’t replace your brand’s voice, values, or nuance. Always add the human touch. - Be ethical and mindful.
AI tools raise real concerns around data privacy, bias, and environmental impact (especially energy and water usage for generating images and video). Use it responsibly! - Stay curious.
The world of AI is evolving fast. I find some of the AI News sites a bit too nerdy (even for me!) but if you want to keep up, sites like the AI Tools Directory offer a good, user-friendly overview of new tools.
And remember: You don’t always need a brand-new website.
Sometimes a good tune-up, smarter content, better performance and more thoughtful design is all it takes to make your existing site even more powerful.
If you’d like a hand making the most of your website and your content, I’d love to chat.
