You need a website but you can't afford to hire a designer, and you definitely don't know how to code. Good news: AI website builders can take you from zero to a live, professional-looking site in a single afternoon. Here's exactly how to do it.
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Website Builder | AI-powered website builder — generates your site from a description | $2.99/mo (includes hosting) | Sign up → |
| ChatGPT or Claude | Writes your website copy — About page, service descriptions, etc. | Free | Sign up → |
| Unsplash | Free professional stock photos for your site | Free | Sign up → |
What to do: Go to Hostinger Website Builder and sign up for a plan. The Premium plan at $2.99/month includes the AI builder, hosting, and a free domain name for the first year.
Why you’re doing it: Hostinger’s AI builder asks you to describe your business in a few sentences, then generates a complete website — layout, color scheme, placeholder content, and pages — in about 30 seconds. You edit from there instead of starting from scratch.
What to expect: After signup, you’ll be prompted to describe your business. Something like: “I run a residential plumbing company in Houston. We do repairs, installations, and emergency service.” The AI generates a full multi-page site based on that.
Common mistakes: Don’t overthink the description. A couple of sentences is enough. You’ll customize everything afterward. Also, alternatives worth considering: Wix ADI and Squarespace also have AI-assisted builders if Hostinger isn’t your style.
What to do: Enter your business name, type, and a brief description when prompted. Pick a style direction if asked (modern, classic, bold, etc.). Let the AI generate your site.
Why you’re doing it: This gives you a complete starting point — homepage, about page, services page, contact page — instead of staring at a blank canvas.
What to expect: Within a minute, you’ll have a multi-page website with a color scheme, fonts, layout, and placeholder text. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be 70% there.
Common mistakes: Don’t accept the first generation and call it done. Think of this as a first draft. The real work is in the next few steps.
What to do: Open Claude or ChatGPT. For each page on your site, ask it to write the copy. Be specific. Example prompt: “Write the About page for a residential plumbing company called Joe’s Plumbing in Houston. We’ve been in business for 12 years. We’re family-owned. We specialize in emergency repairs and water heater installation. Keep it warm and professional, about 150 words.”
Why you’re doing it: The AI builder’s placeholder text is generic. Your copy needs to sound like YOUR business. Using a separate AI to write it gives you much better results because you can give it specific details about who you are.
What to expect: You’ll get solid first drafts for each page in about 20 minutes. Read them out loud — if it sounds like something you’d actually say to a customer, it’s good. If it sounds robotic, ask the AI to rewrite it more conversationally.
Common mistakes: Copying AI-generated text word for word without editing. Always add a personal touch — a specific detail, a real story, your actual years of experience. The AI gets you 80% there; you add the 20% that makes it real.
What to do: Replace every placeholder image with real photos. Use your own photos first — your storefront, your team, your work. For anything you don’t have, go to Unsplash and search for relevant free stock photos.
Why you’re doing it: Stock photos of smiling people in suits make your site look generic. Real photos of your actual business build trust instantly.
What to expect: Budget 30 minutes for this. Take new photos with your phone if you need to — modern phones take great photos. Good lighting matters more than camera quality.
Common mistakes: Using low-resolution or blurry images. Also, don’t use stock photos that look obviously staged. A real photo of your shop, even if it’s not perfect, beats a stock photo every time.
What to do: Make sure you have these pages at minimum: Home, About, Services (or Menu, or Products), and Contact. On the Contact page, include your phone number, email, address, and business hours. Add a contact form if your builder supports it.
Why you’re doing it: These are the four pages every potential customer looks for. If any of them are missing or empty, you look unprofessional.
What to expect: Most AI builders generate these pages automatically. You’re mainly editing and filling in accurate information.
Common mistakes: Forgetting to add your actual phone number and address. Sounds obvious, but it happens. Also, make sure your business hours are correct.
What to do: If you got a free domain with your plan, connect it during setup. If you already own a domain, point it to your new site following the builder’s instructions. Then hit Publish.
Why you’re doing it: Your site isn’t real until it has a domain name and is live on the internet. This is the finish line.
What to expect: Domain setup takes 5–10 minutes. The site should be live within an hour (DNS propagation can take up to 24 hours in rare cases, but usually it’s fast).
Common mistakes: Not setting up SSL (the padlock icon in the browser). Most builders do this automatically, but double-check. A site without SSL looks sketchy and Google penalizes it in search rankings.
This workflow is Beta — Based on Best Available Knowledge. We’ve researched the current AI website builder landscape and tested Hostinger’s AI builder interface. The steps are accurate based on current documentation. Your experience may vary slightly depending on which builder you choose.