For the build, I used Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.7 as my coding partner/second in command. It seemed like the natural choice because it allowed me to work directly with the project files, run commands, make changes across multiple files, and help troubleshoot problems as they cropped up.

I wanted to know just how much AI could be relied upon for web design, or if there was still a way to go until the day when we’ll be able to type out one prompt, snap our fingers, and magic up the perfect website. So let’s see how I got on. 

Read: How AI Is Improving Real-Time Workplace Communication

AI Conjured Up the First Version Surprisingly Quickly

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. AI doesn’t mess around; it’s FAST. I described the site I wanted, and Claude took care of the initial structure, components, and style. After that, I just inspected the browser and gave it further instructions. 

I think it’s also worth pointing out that I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. I wanted to construct a site that could be adopted by businesses of different shapes and sizes.

Within minutes, a loop emerged: describe, build, test, review, then improve.

Because it was all so fast, I didn’t need to spend hours on end agonising over every single minute function and detail. Instead, I was out of the weeds and allowed to think about the bigger picture, e.g. the greater goals of the website. Yes, Claude could take care of all of the repetitive development (it’s good at that), while I guided it. But this created a bit of a problem for me.

The AI Needed a Marketing Strategy

So I’m a Software Engineer by trade. Not a marketer. But since Claude was doing what I usually do, it was now up to me to decide what the website should actually say. Sure, Claude could generate a ton of options when it came to the calls to action and content ideas, but it was still left to me to decide which was the best option to go with in the end. 

This was tricky, because I needed to try and put myself in the shoes of a target customer for this lead generation site, which meant that I also had to define what that target audience is. Granted, if I were doing this professionally, I would have the guiding hand and stern emails of my client to go off for direction. But this scenario made me realise just how out of my own depth I really was. 

So AI still isn’t able to create a marketing strategy. And if it could, we’d probably wind up with a bunch of shoddy, homogenised marketing strategies that fail to capture the attention of their customers. Anyway, speaking of capturing…

Building the Lead Capturing System

This is it. The big one. At the centre of every single good lead gen website that was ever created was an effective lead capturing system. So no pressure, Claude. Take your time. Oh – you’re done already?

Claude Code managed to build the form, validation, responsive layout, and the supporting interface in virtually no time at all. It required some polish, sure, but it was essentially there. So I also experimented a bit with how much information to request, but opted for less, as it was a lower-friction option and would probably be better for UX. 

What I’d Do Differently Now

Now that I’ve finished this ‘project’, for lack of a better word, I now have the benefit of hindsight on my side. If I ever do this again (I probably will), I’ll definitely spend a lot more time planning the site as a whole before I even enter my first prompt. AI like Claude is great for carrying out repetitive technical tasks, but is severely lacking when it comes to overall strategy and vision. I’d also establish some clear ground rules with Claude from the very start, like which libraries to use and how components need to be structured across the whole site.

In Conclusion

I’m glad I gave this a go. While it’s not perfect, AI is somewhat capable of building a competent website – especially one that isn’t too complicated. And as I said earlier, I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. I wanted to construct a site that could be adopted by the usual corporate-leaning suspects, like an accountancy firm in London or a design agency in Leeds. While the website itself was hardly groundbreaking, it demonstrated that the foundation is there, and that there’s a lot of potential for the future.

The post I Used AI to Build a Lead Generation Website. Here’s What I Learned appeared first on IT Business Trend.