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Can generative AI help you build a website? There’s a lot of hype around generative AI and it can seem overwhelming to the uninitiated—particularly when it comes to creating the correct prompts to get the results you need.
Generative AI can be a useful tool to streamline website improvements. But how specifically can AI assist in making your website more effective? It’s all about creating the right prompts. This guide will provide you with actionable ideas to start using AI in your website creation.
How generative AI works
Generative AI refers to a type of artificial intelligence that can generate new content on its own—text, images, even music—based on the patterns it has learned from large datasets. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Squarespace’s AI tool use advanced algorithms to analyze input, then spit out coherent results that can be useful for various tasks, including website development.
When you provide a good prompt, the AI processes your request and generates an output that matches your context, tone, and style.
How generative AI can improve your website
For website owners, generative AI offers significant benefits. It can help you write copy, make design changes, enhance SEO, analyze your competition, and more. Regardless of your technical ability, you can use AI to help with a range of tasks. Here are a few to consider.
Content creation
You can use an AI tool to help you generate new content ideas, refine your existing copy, and ensure that your website’s tone and voice align with your brand identity. If you’re writing blog posts, product descriptions, or homepage copy, AI can offer suggestions that make your content more engaging and effective by helping you clean up your writing, shorten it, or adjust its tone.
It’s also good for writing taglines or helping brainstorm content ideas. Try using it to build a content calendar to help jumpstart a marketing plan.
Get more tips for generating copy with AI
Design assistance
You can also ask an AI tool to provide recommendations for optimizing your site’s design, from layout and color schemes to typography and overall aesthetics. These suggestions can help you create a more visually appealing site.
In some cases, like with Squarespace’s AI website builder, you can use AI to help you generate a well-designed website, customized to your needs and brand.
SEO and user experience
Generative AI can suggest relevant keywords to include in your website copy and analyze search results. Or use it to refine your site’s navigation, and ensure that your content is easy to read and navigate. This not only improves your site’s search engine ranking but also enhances the overall user experience, which keeps visitors on your site for longer.
By integrating generative AI into your website strategy, you can create a site that looks good and performs well.
See web design tips from a Squarespace expert
Understanding AI prompts
Prompts are key to using generative AI for your website. If you think of generative AI as a conversation or chat, rather than a single question or prompt, even better.
AI website prompts are something to be experimented with. Because AI technology is constantly changing, and because the dataset for training AI is ever-growing, a prompt that worked last week may no longer get the desired results. So try things, and see what works for you.
In personal experimentation with generative AI tools, we’ve found that providing context is very helpful. Describe your business, audience, and desired outcomes. Include examples of things you like or dislike to help the AI refine its answers. Ask the AI for an outline or to generate ideas. The key here is to test various approaches.
Below are some practical AI prompts designed to address common challenges in website development and optimization. These prompts are only meant to be a starting point, to help you discover the best types of questions that will return the most useful information.
10 AI prompts to improve your website
If you’re new to generative AI, explore AI tools that are user-friendly and accessible or one that’s built into a platform you trust, like Squarespace. These platforms can help you experiment with different types of prompts.
1. Brand and voice
Example prompt: “What famous person does this website’s style and voice match?”
Use case: This prompt helps you understand the personality and tone your website conveys. By comparing your site's style to that of a well-known figure, you can gauge whether it aligns with your brand identity and make adjustments as needed. You can also tell it to write copy inspired by the speech patterns and vocabulary of a famous person to help give your brand a particular voice.
Learn more about creating a unique brand voice
2. Copywriting assistance
Example prompt: “Generate five headlines for my homepage that convey a modern and approachable tone.”
Use case: Headlines are crucial for grabbing attention and conveying your message quickly. Use this prompt to create engaging headlines that resonate with your target audience, then choose your favorite to make your homepage more compelling.
3. Design evaluation
Example prompt: “Is this page design user-friendly? How can I improve the layout?”
Use case: Design plays a significant role in user experience, which impacts how long people spend on your site. This prompt allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your page layout, identify potential pain points, and receive suggestions for improvement, ensuring that your site is both attractive and easy to navigate.
4. Elevator pitch creation
Example prompt: “Describe my website in one sentence for a tech-savvy audience.”
Use case: Crafting a concise and impactful description of your website is essential for marketing and communication. Try this prompt to help distill your site’s value proposition into a single, memorable sentence that clearly communicates its purpose and appeal.
Learn how to create a value proposition
5. Image and aesthetic suggestions
Example prompt: “Suggest images that match a minimalist and modern aesthetic for my website.”
Use case: Visuals are a key component of your website’s overall feel. This prompt helps you find image inspiration that complements your brand’s aesthetic, ensuring that your site’s visuals are cohesive and appealing to your audience.
6. Keyword optimization
Example prompt: “What are some effective keywords for a sustainable fashion ecommerce site?”
Use case: Keywords are critical for improving your website’s search engine visibility with your target audience. This prompt helps you identify relevant and effective keywords that align with your content, driving more targeted traffic to your site.
7. Navigation and UX
Example prompt: “How can I simplify my site’s navigation to improve user experience?”
Use case: A well-structured site is easier for visitors to navigate, leading to better engagement and conversions. Use this prompt to streamline your site’s navigation and make it more intuitive and user-friendly.
8. Color and typography
Example prompt: “What color scheme and fonts would suit a creative agency’s website?”
Use case: Color and typography set the tone for your website’s visual identity. This prompt can give you ideas to test out. Choose a color palette and fonts that reflect your brand’s personality and appeal to your target audience.
9. Competitor research
Example prompt: “What are my top competitors doing on their websites that I should consider?”
Use case: Understanding your competitors’ strategies can provide valuable insights for your own website. Try this prompt to identify trends and best practices in your industry so you can stay competitive. You can list specific competitor websites or add an industry to the prompt for clarity.
10. Peer analysis
Example prompt: “How does my website compare to similar sites in terms of design and content?”
Use case: Benchmarking your website against others in your industry helps you identify areas for improvement. This prompt allows you to compare your site’s design, content, and functionality with that of your peers, so you meet or exceed industry standards. You can list specific sites or an industry here too.
See more prompt ideas for brands and businesses
Remember to double-check everything
One caveat with generative AI is that it can sometimes generate false or misleading information, or images that include errors. Make sure you use your human filter to strengthen the work and remove any mistakes. AI can literally sound like a robot if you’re not careful. It can often be a great way to generate ideas, organize information, or start a project, but you should be the one making the final decisions, not the AI.
Generative AI offers many opportunities for improving your website, from enhancing content and design to optimizing user experience and SEO. The key is to be curious, open to experimentation, and willing to iterate.