[vhodge517]

I’ve been thinking about whether building websites is still a good opportunity in 2026 especially with AI changing the way people search for information.

People can now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI tools for answers instead of visiting multiple websites. At the same time, social media platforms are becoming a major source of information, recommendations, and even product discovery.

But people are still using Google, visiting websites, comparing products, reading reviews, making purchases, and looking for local businesses.

So I’m curious about the bigger picture:

Are websites still going to be profitable in 2026, 2027 and beyond?

Or should website owners and online businesses start focusing mainly on social media + AI platforms instead of traditional websites and SEO?

I’d also like to hear from people who are currently building websites or earning from them.

What do you think will work best going forward websites, social media, AI search, or a combination of all three?

 

[Menuga Buchanan]

I think websites will still matter, but the role of a website is changing. People may discover you through AI or social media, but when they're seriously interested, they often want to check the actual website. That's where trust and conversion happen.

 

[MistyBruce]

I think smaller businesses can still benefit a lot from websites. A local customer might discover a business through Facebook or Google Maps, then visit the website before calling. All these channels can work together.

 

[SaraJackson]

I still think websites are important. Social media can bring attention, and AI can bring discovery, but your website is the place you actually control. Platforms change their algorithms and policies all the time. I’d rather build traffic from multiple sources and use the website as the central hub.