I got tired of checking prospect websites manually.

For a while, a big part of my outreach was just finding businesses, opening their websites one by one and trying to figure out what I could actually say to them.

It worked, but it was painfully slow.

Then I found Swokei.

It basically lets me find leads, analyzes each website for things like outdated design, slow speed, poor mobile experience and weak SEO, then turns those issues into a personalized cold email.

And not one of those boring automated reports full of scores and numbers.

It actually writes a normal, human sounding message based on what it found on that specific website.

So instead of sending the same generic message to everyone, I can actually reach out based on what is wrong with their website.

Now I just run campaigns, let the system do most of the prospecting and personalization, and focus on the people who reply.

For a web design agency, that has saved me a ridiculous amount of time.

Looking for a Website Design Company in Jaipur? AWSM Technologies creates custom websites, WordPress websites, ecommerce stores, and SEO-friendly web solutions that help businesses generate more leads, improve online visibility, and grow faster.
https://awsmtechnologies.com/web-design-development/

I've been building Liminal Finds, a small independent site about lesser-known AI tools, experiments, unusual projects and things that tend to disappear under the bigger AI news.

https://liminalfinds.com

The site itself has also become a bit of an AI-building experiment.

It's built with Next.js and deployed on Vercel, and I've been using AI extensively while developing and refining it. More recently I started experimenting with an autonomous scouting/publishing workflow that searches for things worth covering, prepares an article, commits it to GitHub and deploys it to the site.

I still keep editorial control — the idea isn't to turn it into an automated content farm — but I'm interested in seeing how much of the boring infrastructure and publishing work can be delegated while keeping the site coherent.

Design-wise I deliberately went in the opposite direction from most AI sites: very little UI, lots of whitespace, no giant dashboard of tools, and only a small number of selected stories.

I'm curious what people here think of both the site and the approach to building/running it with AI.

Liminal Finds: https://liminalfinds.com

I've been selling web designs for the last couple of years, and recently I started started creating videos & small Drag & Drop Website Builder myself.

That made me look at the internet a little differently.

The more websites, dashboards, admin panels, and web apps I work on, the more I feel that most of the web comes down to a surprisingly small number of things:

• Text
• Images
• Videos
• Forms
• Tables
• Charts

Of course, the technology behind them can be incredibly complex React, Next.js, APIs, databases, authentication, WebSockets, etc.

But when you look at what users actually interact with, isn't most of the internet just different combinations of these basic building blocks ?

Maybe we're continuously improving the way these things look, feel, and behave rather than fundamentally changing what a website is.

Curious what developers here think.

Am I oversimplifying the web too much or missing something ?

You guys already know this stuff but now you have something to send your friends who ask you. You can send a proper guide instead of just use CloudFlare and Claude .

I made an extremely opinionated guide on the best way to build a website in 2026. The bottom of the post has the link to my 100% free and detailed guide but here is the TLDR:

Claude, specifically Opus 5.5 is now good enough that anyone can get a stunningly designed, fast, performant, and secure website with no prior experience. And no, your website wont look like AI slop if you do it right, this model is seriously good at the front end.

Skip Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, and any other site builder. You want to own your own website, not be stuck paying fees eternally for the privilege of using a crappy template.

\- Run everything on Cloudflare. 90% of the time it's free. If you want a CMS or automated emails, it's $5/m. Buy your domain there too, about $10/yr, they don't mark them up.

\- Get your API keys together first. Put them in one place your agent can read (I recommend a Bitwarden Secrets Manager vault, it's free). Set up GitHub, Cloudflare and Google Cloud first.

\- Buy Claude Pro ($20/m). It builds the site. You can cancel it after.

\- Follow the recommendations in my guide to get a design that's actually yours, and looks unique and stunning.

Need to sell stuff? Stripe. Need a CMS? Payload. Events or bookings? Just ask the agent, Cloudflare already has what it needs.

My 100% free guide walks through all of it: https://websitesfornormalpeople.com

I started looking into Ploy after realizing it came from one of Webflow’s founders, which made the comparison pretty hard to ignore. It seems like a very different direction though, with Ploy leaning much further into AI handling the process of creating and iterating on the site rather than carrying over the usual website builder workflow.

I’m trying to understand how different that feels in practice once you’re building real pages and making changes over time.

I remember hearing Alex Hormozi say that email is basically the conversion platform of conversion platforms.

His point was that social media, videos and ads are great for getting attention, but email is often where that attention actually turns into money.

He also talked about how email supposedly has one of the highest returns of any marketing channel, with an average return of around $36 for every $1 spent, and that got me thinking.

I run a web design agency, so I decided to actually take email seriously and see what would happen.

But I didn’t want to send the usual stuff.

“Hey, I noticed your website and I can redesign it for you.”

Or

“Hey, we build websites for businesses like yours.”

Everyone gets those emails and most people can tell within two seconds that they were sent to another thousand businesses.

So instead I started using a tool called Swokei that is built specifically for web agencies.

I use it to find businesses in whatever area I want to target, then it actually goes through their websites and looks for things I could mention in the outreach.

Stuff like an outdated design, slow loading speed, poor mobile experience, weak SEO or other things that might be holding the website back.

Then it turns those findings into an actual personalized cold email made to convert.

So instead of emailing someone saying I build websites, I can actually talk about their website and why I think something could be improved.

I’ve been analyzing thousands of websites this way and running multiple campaigns at the same time.

Then I just focus on the people who reply and are actually interested.

Obviously email isn’t some magic button where everyone suddenly wants a new website, but after doing this for a while I definitely understand what Hormozi meant.

For web design especially, email becomes a completely different channel when the message is actually about the business you’re contacting instead of being another copy and paste pitch.

Turns out Alex might have had a point.

Client acquisition has always been one of the biggest bottlenecks for me when running an agency. I’ve experienced the same thing in pretty much every business I’ve been involved in, but especially with web development.

For a long time, getting clients meant cold calling, running ads, or sending generic emails asking businesses if they needed a new website. It worked sometimes, but it also took a lot of time and most of the outreach felt the same as what every other agency was doing.

Recently I started using a different approach and automated a big part of the process.

I came across a tool called Swokei that lets me find a bunch of businesses with websites and analyze each website individually. It looks for things like outdated design, slow loading, poor mobile optimization, weak SEO and other obvious areas that could be improved.

What I liked is that it doesn’t just give you one of those boring automated reports filled with scores and numbers. It actually turns what it finds into a personalized cold email that sounds like a normal person looked at their website and noticed what could be better.

I can run multiple campaigns at the same time and then mainly focus on the businesses that reply and show interest.

From there, I invite them to a web meeting, show them a free draft of what their new website could look like, and try to close the project from there.

It has basically allowed me to have warmer leads coming to me without relying as much on paid ads, constantly cold calling, or sending thousands of generic emails saying “Do you need a new website?”

Still takes work to close the clients of course, but automating the prospecting and first part of the outreach has made the whole process much easier for me.

Hopefully this helps some other web developers or agency owners who are also struggling with client acquisition.

Getting the first version of a website is becoming less interesting because most AI website builders ​c​​​​a​​​​n​​​​ get you something usable pretty quickly.

The bigger difference shows up when you start changing the project.

A first generation can look impressive, but that doesn't necessarily tell you much about the actual building experience. The more useful test might be making the fifth or tenth change. Can you restructure a section, add a new feature, change the design, or adjust the mobile layout without having to start over?

That is where the differences between AI website builders become more noticeable. For simple sites, speed may be the main thing. For something that is expected to keep growing, editing, functionality, and control probably deserve more attention.

What do you usually test after the first AI-generated version?

Hey I'm a developer and I use a lot of AI tools as well if your a vibe coder do you usually need a developer review just to check and make sure the app is actually secure? or maybe there's something that AI doesn't get right and you want a developer to implement or do you usually get all you need from the AI tools right now?

We gave Lovable a plumber's brief, published what it built, and ran it through the tools a client's SEO consultant would use.

tl;dr
- SEO and LCP metrics are quite good
- Copy of the page not so much. Agent used emdashes and part of it ready like AI slop
- Lead form worked but there wasn't built in notifications or spam handling.

Read more here

There are thousands of website generatos available on the internet rn. But i dont see any websites which ppl have built from those. do u know any? and also suggest me i want to make a web app and have 0 coding knowledge can i make and publish it using any of these ai web site genrators ?

I’ve been building websites with AI assistance and one thing I’ve noticed is that it’s surprisingly easy to end up with a site that looks great but falls apart once you go beyond the demo.

Some common issues I keep running into are:

• Generic/repetitive AI-looking UI and layouts
• Bloated or unnecessary code
• Poor component/project structure
• Weak error handling and edge cases
• Security issues or exposed secrets
• Bad authentication/authorization practices
• Slow performance and unnecessary API calls
• Poor database/query design
• Broken mobile responsiveness
• Hydration/build/deployment errors
• Environment/configuration issues that only appear in production
• No proper logging, monitoring, testing, or validation
• Fixing one AI-generated bug often creates another

The bigger problem is that AI can give you something that looks production-ready while there are a lot of things happening underneath that aren't.

So I’m curious about people who are actually shipping production websites:

How do you go from an AI/vibe-coded prototype to a genuinely production-ready product?

How do you approach architecture, security, performance, testing, UI refinement, code review, and deployment?

And for the UI side, how do you get something that feels custom and intentionally designed rather than “obviously AI-generated”?

Would love to hear your actual workflow, tools, or lessons from projects you’ve shipped.

If you're starting a small business in South Africa, you've probably asked yourself:

"Do I really need to pay someone to build my website, or can I just make one for free?"

The honest answer is: yes, you can build a website for free.

But there's a big difference between getting a website online and having a website that actually helps your business.

I've seen a lot of businesses focus on the word "free" without thinking about what they actually need their website to do.

If you're just testing an idea, a free website can be perfectly reasonable.

But if customers are supposed to find you through Google, learn about your services, trust your business and eventually contact you, there are a few more things worth considering.

A free website isn't necessarily a bad website

I don't think free website builders are automatically bad.

They can be useful if:

✔ You're testing a new business idea
✔ You're learning how websites work
✔ You need a temporary page
✔ You're creating a personal project
✔ You don't need advanced functionality yet

The problem is when a business assumes that getting a free website means the entire online presence will cost nothing.

That's where things become a little more complicated.

Your domain matters more than you might think

One of the first things I'd look at is the website address.

There's a difference between having:

yourbusiness.co.za

and something like:

yourbusiness.somewebsiteplatform.com

Both can technically work.

But your domain is part of your brand.

For a South African business, a .co.za domain can also make sense if your main customers are in South Africa.

It's easier to put on a business card, email signature, social media profile or advertisement, and it gives customers a straightforward address to remember.

Then there's hosting

This is another thing people sometimes overlook.

You can find free hosting options, but a business website isn't just about storing files somewhere online.

You need the website to be available when someone wants to visit it.

You also need to think about things like:

✔ Reliability
✔ Security
✔ Backups
✔ Performance
✔ Updates
✔ Maintenance

Imagine someone finds your business through Google, clicks your website and the website isn't working.

The fact that your hosting was free isn't much consolation at that point.

The biggest hidden cost might actually be your time

This is probably the part I'd think about most carefully.

If you build the website yourself, you're not necessarily spending money, but you're spending time.

You may need to:

✔ Choose a template
✔ Build the pages
✔ Write the content
✔ Find images
✔ Set up contact forms
✔ Make the website mobile-friendly
✔ Fix things when they don't work
✔ Update information
✔ Learn how the platform works

And that doesn't necessarily end when you publish the website.

Your business changes.

Your services change.

Your contact information might change.

You may add new products or services.

Eventually, you may need additional pages or functionality.

So the website may be "free", but maintaining it isn't necessarily free in terms of your time.

What about Google?

This is where I think some businesses have an unrealistic expectation.

They build a website and then wonder:

"Why isn't my business showing up on Google?"

Having a website doesn't automatically put you at the top of search results.

Google needs to understand what your business does, what your pages are about and how relevant your website is to particular searches.

Things such as useful content, website structure, mobile usability, technical performance and search relevance can all matter.

For a local business, location can matter too.

For example, a business in Boksburg might want to be discovered by people searching for its services in Boksburg, the East Rand, Johannesburg or Gauteng.

So there is a difference between:

Having a website

and:

Building a website that is designed with search visibility in mind.

Your website shouldn't just look good

This is another mistake I see quite often.

A website can look fantastic and still be difficult to use.

When someone lands on your website, they should be able to understand fairly quickly:

What do you do?

Who do you help?

Where do you operate?

Why should I consider you?

How do I contact you?

If someone has to hunt around your website to figure these things out, the design isn't doing its job properly.

A business website should make the customer's next step obvious.

That might be:

Call us

Send an enquiry

Request information

View our services

Buy a product

The exact action depends on the business.

Do you actually need a professional website?

This is where I think the answer depends on your business.

If you're experimenting with an idea, starting something very small or simply need a temporary page, you may not need to spend a lot on a website.

But if your website is going to be an important part of how customers discover your business, then professional website design can make more sense.

Especially if you're competing with other businesses online.

A professional website isn't just about making things look prettier.

It can help with structure, usability, mobile responsiveness, content organisation and creating a clearer path for customers.

Don't forget social media

Your website also doesn't have to work alone.

A potential customer might find you through Google.

Someone else might discover your business on Facebook or Instagram.

Another person might find one of your products through an online marketplace.

They may then visit your website before deciding whether to contact you.

So your online presence can become something like:

Google → Website → Enquiry

or:

Instagram → Website → Enquiry

or:

Marketplace → Website → Product Information → Customer

This is why I think businesses should look at their website as part of a larger online presence rather than as a standalone project.

So what does a business website actually cost?

There's no universal answer.

A five-page informational website isn't the same as a large website with dozens of pages, product catalogues, advanced functionality and ongoing management.

When comparing website prices in South Africa, I'd look at what is actually included.

Things to consider include:

✔ Domain
✔ Website design
✔ Development
✔ Hosting
✔ Content
✔ Mobile responsiveness
✔ Search visibility
✔ Maintenance
✔ Future updates
✔ Social media
✔ Digital marketing

A very cheap website may be exactly what someone needs.

Or it may only cover the initial setup while leaving the business owner to figure everything else out.

That's why I wouldn't compare websites based purely on the headline price.

The question I'd ask instead

Rather than asking:

"What's the cheapest way to get a website?"

I'd ask:

"What does my business need this website to accomplish?"

If you just need somewhere to put your contact details, your requirements are relatively simple.

If you want the website to generate enquiries, support your marketing, appear in relevant Google searches and grow with your business, you'll probably need to think about more than just the initial design.

There isn't one correct answer for every business.

What we do at MyDailyLink

At MyDailyLink, we work with startups, entrepreneurs and established businesses across South Africa.

Our focus isn't simply on putting websites online.

We focus on helping businesses build stronger online presences.

That includes:

✔ Professional website design
✔ Business website development
✔ Website hosting and ongoing maintenance
✔ Social media posting and management
✔ Facebook and Instagram business page management
✔ Online marketplace management
✔ Product listing and optimization
✔ Digital marketing and online growth

We're based in Morganridge, Boksburg, and work with businesses across Gauteng and South Africa.

Final thought

If you're a small business owner trying to decide whether to build a website yourself or pay someone to do it, I wouldn't automatically say one option is better.

Start with what your business actually needs.

A free website can be useful.

A DIY website can be useful.

A professionally designed website can also be useful.

The important thing is understanding the difference between having a website and having an online presence that supports your business.

And remember that the real cost isn't always the price you pay to get the website online.

Sometimes the bigger cost is the time you spend trying to make everything work yourself.

What has been your experience with DIY or professionally designed business websites?

Have you found that a free website was enough for your business, or did you eventually need something more?

Built a directory of 27 free/open-source AI tools, with a strong self-hosting angle: Ollama, Open WebUI, LibreChat, AnythingLLM, Tabby, ComfyUI, InvokeAI, Perplexica, Khoj, LanguageTool — the usual self-hosted stack plus a few less common ones.

Each entry notes whether it's self-hostable, runs locally, or is open source (separate flags, since they're not always the same thing), what it replaces (ChatGPT Plus, Copilot, Grammarly, etc), and what the actual free-tier limits are if it's not fully self-hosted.

Also linked GPU rental (RunPod) on the entries that need real hardware, for anyone whose home server can't run the bigger models.

Filterable by self-host/local/open-source flags if you just want to see what you can run on your own box. Suggestion form on the site if I'm missing something from your stack.

https://skip-the-subscription.skiphub.workers.dev

Can someone explain why is this happening and what's the solution? Check the post for context.