1. That afternoon that made me cringe
Last week client Linda opened my site, closed it in 3 seconds, and texted me back: "This is what you call a studio website?"
I still remember that feeling—like a carefully prepared resume tossed in the trash. Since then I've been seriously researching AI site builders, not to show off, but because I never want to lose face like that again.
2. What these tools are, and who's already using them
This week I tried all 4 mainstream AI site builders: Squarespace, Wix, Relume, Framer. They do different things—it's not a simple "which is better" question.
My friend Ajie runs a design studio in Shanghai. He uses Relume—the AI generates page structure and copy directly, and he finished his portfolio site in a day. Student Monica does private-label baking in Shenzhen. She used Squarespace's AI features and got her menu and contact info up in 30 minutes—customers scan a code to order. Then there's Lao Zhou in Hangzhou building an app startup. His team uses Framer to turn design files straight into websites, skipping the frontend step entirely.
The mistake I made before: assuming one tool could do everything. Actually, service businesses, e-commerce, and "web app" style pages need different picks—mixing them just makes things messier.
3. What it costs to replicate this today
Money: Most tools run 100-300 RMB/month. Squarespace is about 3,000 RMB/year, Wix's basic plan is free forever.
Time: About 2 hours to get familiar the first time, half a day to build a site clients won't close in 3 seconds. 10x faster than outsourcing.
Technical barrier: Zero code (and I don't code)—all drag-and-drop and typing. The only skill you need: being able to clearly explain what business you run.
First step: Go to Squarespace or Wix's site, hit "Get Started," answer their "what's your business" questions. The AI auto-generates a first draft—you tweak from there.
4. Your situation, my take
Just starting / no clients yet: Don't pay yet. Wix's free plan covers 6 months. I started on free too—only upgraded after my first client paid. Not everyone needs a paid tool, but if you haven't even handed out business cards yet, free is totally fine.
Got 1-2 clients: Upgrade to Squarespace or Relume. 3,000 RMB/year, but your clients won't close your site in 3 seconds anymore. Better value than paying 8,000 for outsourcing.
Scaling / want brand feel: Go Framer. Pricier, but the output looks custom-coded to clients—save the time for landing the next one.
No rush to try today—a site doesn't need to be perfect right now. But if a client's roasted you too, I know that Linda look.