My first experience with a computer was at age 11 in my aunt's printing business. Owning a personal computer in Cameroon in the early 2000s was a luxury most people couldn't afford, so folks came to her shop to type and print their documents. My parents couldn't afford one either, so I'd visit this repurposed shipping container - converted into a small printing shop right by the main road - most days after school and weekends to play with the computer and learn how to type.
When I moved to the US, I was astounded to find multiple computer labs at school. I'd never seen that many computers in one place. For the first time, I could have a computer all to myself. It was fascinating, and I wanted to take any class where I could use one. At first, it was awkward, I was self-conscious about my typing speed, which must have been 10-15 words per minute at the time (I know that’s atrocious please don’t judge me 🤭). I was fascinated by classmates who could type full papers in 30 minutes without looking at the keyboard or while talking to someone else.
Then I took a web development class. Suddenly, my keystroke speed didn't matter because we were building cool stuff. That was when I first learned CSS and HTML using a software called Dreamweaver. I could write a few lines of code and watch it render into an actual webpage in real time. It felt like magic, and I didn't want to stop.
Things have evolved rapidly since 2005 when I was writing HTML in high school using Adobe Dreamweaver. From drag-and-drop editors like Wix to new AI-native tools like Lovable, web development is now accessible to anyone who can speak and write English.
But with the new advancements in AI can any small business owner really create a website for their business just using natural language?
AI Claim vs Reality
One of the first things almost every small business thinks about when they first start out is creating a website. Without a digital footprint, customers can’t fine you and a website is still the most important first step to take to establish your digital presence. Many main street business owners still hire the services of a contractor on platforms like Fiverr and others to build a website. So, the promise of a tool that can allow business owners to create high quality professional websites in minutes would be a game changer.
Think of an AI website builder as a virtual website developer that's been trained on millions of real websites and the underlying code for each. When you type "I need a one page website for my flower shop business with a neutral theme and a contact form," the system breaks down your request into pieces and uses what it's learned about page layouts, form fields, and styling to predict the exact code you need, one line at a time.
It's similar to how the AI video and image tools we've discussed work, but instead of predicting pixels or frames, it's predicting code. The AI stitches together headers, image galleries, text blocks, and buttons for your website based on patterns it's seen across millions of websites. It even handles the behind-the-scenes stuff like ensuring form submissions actually get emailed to you.
Once everything is drafted, the tool packages it into a ready to go website which you can preview live and push to a hosting service like GoDaddy and others. You can also make changes using natural language and the AI will update your website instantly. What you end up with is a fully functional website built in minutes, without ever writing a line of code.
This week I put this claim to the test by creating a one page website for a nail salon in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania using three of the most popular AI website builders; Lovable, Bolt and v0.
I used the same prompt shown below for each tool and have provided a full review of the results in the videos that follow (click to open video).
Prompt: build a one page website for my nail salon shop called *Destination Nails* located in Conshohocken, PA. i want to have a contact form and also an appointment scheduler where customers can set appointments with one of my three mani and pedi technicians named Haley, Hazel and Harriet respectively.
Lovable
Bolt
v0
The Verdict
So, is the claim that AI can generate a professional website using a simple english prompt accurate? Yes! I was very impressed by these tools' ability to create a functional one-page website. There were some minor design issues with font colors and images, but these could largely be resolved by asking the AI to edit the output.
I personally preferred Lovable for creating my website. While Bolt's output was equally impressive, I loved the user experience and overall feel of Lovable. It seemed more flexible. I could move components around and edit things directly if I didn't want to use the AI. The interface felt more intuitive to navigate.
Twenty years ago, when I started learning HTML with Dreamweaver, I could never have imagined a time when anyone could build a website by simply typing an English prompt. Using Lovable brought back that same childlike excitement I felt when I first walked into the computer lab at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and wrote my first line of code.
I'm thrilled that now, with AI, a small nail salon in Conshohocken, PA can create a website and get their business online in less than 15 minutes. This creates a new level of agency that unlocks boundless opportunities for entrepreneurs across the globe.
Pro Tip
When editing your website in Lovable, select the specific section you want to change, then describe what you want in natural language. This gives the AI better context and produces more accurate results.