What If You Could Build a Website Without Being a Professional Developer?
Imagine a small business owner who needs a website but cannot afford an expensive web development agency. They want to showcase their services, attract customers, and look professional online, but the technical side of website development seems overwhelming.
Now imagine being the person who helps them solve that problem.
With AI-powered development tools, building websites is becoming more accessible to people who are willing to learn. You can describe the website you want, use artificial intelligence to generate the initial application, refine the design, test its functionality, and publish it online.
Two tools that can fit into this workflow are Google AI Studio and Netlify.
Google AI Studio provides AI-powered tools for generating and refining applications using natural-language instructions. Netlify can be used to deploy supported web projects so that people can access them online.
Together, these tools can help aspiring web designers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and digital creators explore a new skill and potential business opportunity.
In this guide, you will learn how to build a website using Google AI Studio and Netlify, from planning your website to publishing it online. You will also discover how to turn this skill into a potential source of income.
What Is Google AI Studio?
Google AI Studio is a platform for working with Google’s Gemini AI models. Its Build mode allows users to describe an application in ordinary language and generate a working starting point.
Depending on your project requirements, you can use it to develop:
- Business websites and landing pages
- Personal portfolios
- Product showcases
- Interactive web applications
- Educational platforms
- Business dashboards
- AI-powered tools
Google AI Studio can generate application code, provide a live preview, and allow you to request changes through further prompts.
You can also inspect the generated code, work with a connected GitHub repository, or download your project for development elsewhere.
Although AI can handle much of the initial code generation, you still need to review the result, test important features, and understand how your website will be hosted and maintained.
What Is Netlify?
Netlify is a web development and deployment platform that can publish supported websites and web applications online.
Depending on the project and its configuration, you can connect a Git repository, configure the build process, and deploy updates as your code changes.
Netlify can also support custom domains and HTTPS configuration for suitable projects.
For a beginner, this means you can concentrate on creating and improving the website with AI, then use a separate deployment workflow to make it accessible to visitors.
Important: Google AI Studio and Netlify serve different purposes. Google AI Studio helps you generate and refine the application, while Netlify provides a way to deploy compatible projects. The exact steps depend on the framework, build configuration, and backend services your website requires.
What You Need Before You Start
Before building your first website, prepare the following:
- A Google account to access Google AI Studio.
- Access to Google AI Studio Build mode.
- A clear idea of the website you want to create.
- A Netlify account if you intend to use Netlify for deployment.
- A GitHub account if you plan to connect your code repository.
- An internet connection and a web browser.
- Basic familiarity with website content, design, and testing.
You do not need to master programming before experimenting with these tools. However, learning the basics of HTML, CSS, website structure, and domain management will help you identify problems and deliver better results to clients.
Step 1: Decide What Kind of Website You Want to Build
Do not begin by asking AI to create just any website. First, determine the website’s purpose and who it is intended to serve.
For example, you could create:
- A website for a fashion designer
- A portfolio for a photographer
- A landing page for a consultant
- A website for a restaurant
- A personal brand website
- A website for a training business
- A service website for a local entrepreneur
For your first project, a simple business website is a practical choice.
It can include a homepage, an about section, a list of services, customer testimonials supplied by the business, contact information, and a clear call to action.
The more clearly you define the project, the easier it becomes to give AI useful instructions.
Step 2: Open Google AI Studio and Start Building
Visit Google AI Studio at https://aistudio.google.com/.
Open the application-building experience and start a new project in Build mode.
Instead of giving a vague instruction such as “Build a website,” explain the type of website, the target audience, the sections you need, the visual style, and the expected functionality.
A website prompt you can copy and use
Try the following prompt:
“Build a professional, modern, mobile-responsive website for a small business in Nigeria. The business offers digital services to individuals and small businesses.
Create a homepage, About Us section, Services section, Why Choose Us section, frequently asked questions, and Contact section.
Use a clean layout, attractive typography, consistent colours, generous spacing, and clear calls to action. Make the design visually appealing on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers.
Include functional navigation, accessible buttons, a contact form with appropriate validation, and clear contact information placeholders.
Use semantic HTML, a logical heading structure, descriptive page titles, and search-engine-friendly content. Optimise images and avoid unnecessary visual effects that could slow down the site.
Ensure that the website is usable with a keyboard and has sufficient colour contrast.
Before finishing, test the navigation, links, form behaviour, mobile layout, and any interactive features. Identify anything that still requires configuration before publication.”
Replace the business description with the actual client’s industry, services, colours, and goals.
Google AI Studio will use your instructions to generate an initial application that you can inspect in its preview.
Step 3: Review and Improve the Website Design
Your first AI-generated website is a starting point, not necessarily the finished product.
Open the preview and examine the website carefully.
Ask yourself:
- Is the business information easy to understand?
- Does the design look professional?
- Are the headings clear?
- Can visitors find the contact details?
- Does the layout work on a mobile screen?
- Are the buttons and links useful?
- Does the website reflect the business’s identity?
If something needs improvement, describe the change precisely.
For example:
“Improve the homepage hierarchy. Make the main headline more prominent, simplify the navigation, add more spacing between sections, and make the primary contact button easier to notice. Keep the design clean and ensure that the mobile layout remains easy to use.”
You can continue refining the website through additional prompts.
If you use a brand’s logo, photographs, or other assets, ensure you have permission to use them.
Step 4: Test the Website Before Publishing
A website that looks attractive can still contain broken links, nonfunctional buttons, or incomplete forms.
Test the website before deploying it.
Check the following:
- Navigation links open the correct sections or pages.
- Buttons perform their intended actions.
- Forms validate the information entered.
- Contact details are accurate.
- Images display correctly.
- The layout adapts to different screen sizes.
- Headings and page titles are meaningful.
- There are no obvious errors in the browser console.
- Any external services or APIs are configured correctly.
If the website collects personal information, consider privacy, secure handling of submissions, and any applicable legal requirements.
Never place secret API keys directly in client-side code. Sensitive credentials should be stored securely on the server or in the hosting platform’s supported environment-variable settings.
Step 5: Export or Connect Your Project
After you are satisfied with the website’s initial functionality, prepare it for deployment.
Google AI Studio supports downloading project code and connecting projects to GitHub.
Choose the workflow that fits your experience.
Option A: Use GitHub
Connect your Google AI Studio project to a GitHub repository using the available integration.
Review the files, confirm that the latest changes are saved, and ensure the project contains the configuration needed to build the website.
This approach can make it easier to manage updates and connect your project to a deployment platform.
Option B: Download the project
Download the generated project as a ZIP file and inspect its structure.
You may need to install dependencies, configure environment variables, or adjust the project for the hosting provider you intend to use.
Before deploying, identify whether the application is a static website, a framework-based frontend, or a full-stack application that requires server-side functionality.
This distinction matters because not every application can be deployed by simply uploading its files to static hosting.
Step 6: Deploy Your Website Using Netlify
Once your project is ready, you can prepare it for deployment through Netlify.
The general deployment workflow
- Create or sign in to your Netlify account.
- Ensure your project is stored in a GitHub repository if you plan to use repository-based deployment.
- In Netlify, start a new site deployment and select the repository.
- Configure the appropriate build command and publish directory for your project’s framework.
- Add any required environment variables through the platform’s configuration settings.
- Start the deployment and review the build logs.
- Open the published website and test it again.
The build command and publish directory depend on how your project was generated. Do not copy settings from another project without checking your own configuration.
If the deployment fails, inspect the build logs and identify whether the issue involves dependencies, an incorrect build command, missing environment variables, or unsupported server-side functionality.
You may need to adapt the application or use a hosting environment that supports its backend requirements.
Step 7: Connect a Custom Domain
A published website may initially use a hosting-provider subdomain.
For a business client, a custom domain can make the website easier to remember and more consistent with the company’s brand.
For example, a business might prefer a domain such as example.com rather than a generic project URL.
To connect a domain:
- Register an available domain through a domain registrar.
- Add the domain to the site’s domain settings in Netlify.
- Configure the DNS records requested by the hosting provider.
- Allow time for DNS changes to propagate.
- Confirm that HTTPS is working correctly.
- Test the website using the custom domain.
Domain registration and renewal usually involve costs. Confirm the current pricing and configuration requirements before quoting a client.
Step 8: Optimise Your Website for Search Engines
Publishing a website does not automatically mean that it will appear prominently in Google search results.
Search-engine optimisation begins with making the website useful, understandable, accessible, and technically sound.
Essential SEO steps
Write descriptive page titles. Each important page should have a title that accurately describes its content.
Create useful meta descriptions. Summarise what visitors will find on the page without making misleading promises.
Use a logical heading structure. Organise content with meaningful headings and subheadings.
Optimise images. Use suitable file formats, compress large images, and provide descriptive alternative text where appropriate.
Make the website mobile-friendly. Test the layout on different screen sizes.
Improve loading performance. Reduce unnecessary scripts, optimise images, and review performance reports.
Use meaningful URLs. Where appropriate, create clear paths that describe the page content.
Add internal links. Help visitors discover related pages and information.
Configure Google Search Console. Verify website ownership and monitor indexing, search queries, and technical issues.
Add structured data when relevant. Use accurate structured data that reflects the content visible on the website.
Good SEO supports discoverability, but rankings and traffic are not guaranteed. They depend on many factors, including content quality, competition, technical implementation, and how search engines process the website.
Step 9: Maintain the Website After Launch
Website development does not end when the site goes live.
Businesses may need to update their services, prices, contact information, images, and other content.
Plan for maintenance by documenting how the website is deployed, where its code is stored, and which services it depends on.
Check for broken links, failed forms, expired domains, outdated information, and performance issues.
If your website depends on APIs, databases, authentication, or third-party services, verify that those services continue to work and that their usage costs remain manageable.
When delivering a website to a client, explain what is included in the handover and who will be responsible for future updates, hosting, and maintenance.
How Can You Make Money Building Websites With AI?
Learning to build websites with Google AI Studio and deploy compatible projects through Netlify can create opportunities to offer digital services.
However, income comes from delivering useful work to paying customers, not simply from using AI tools.
Here are five ways to explore monetisation.
1. Build websites for small businesses
Many businesses need a professional online presence.
You could offer simple websites to restaurants, fashion businesses, consultants, photographers, tutors, event planners, and other service providers.
Start with a clearly defined package that explains the number of pages, design features, contact functionality, and revisions included.
2. Create landing pages
Businesses use landing pages to introduce products, promote events, collect enquiries, or explain a particular service.
You can specialise in building focused pages with clear messaging, relevant information, and appropriate calls to action.
3. Offer website redesign services
Some businesses already have websites that need clearer navigation, improved mobile layouts, updated content, or a more consistent visual identity.
You can assess their requirements and offer a defined redesign service.
4. Sell website templates or starter projects
If you create reusable website layouts, you may be able to sell them as templates or starter projects, subject to the licences and terms applicable to the code, assets, and tools involved.
Clearly explain what buyers receive and what technical knowledge is required to customise the project.
5. Offer ongoing website maintenance
After launching a website, clients may need regular content updates, link checks, small design changes, and technical assistance.
A maintenance package can provide recurring revenue when its scope, responsibilities, and pricing are clearly agreed upon.
An example of how website income could work
Suppose you charge ₦100,000 for a small business website and complete two projects in a month.
Your gross revenue would be ₦200,000.
This is an illustrative calculation, not a prediction of earnings or a typical income level. It excludes hosting, domains, subscriptions, advertising, taxes, revisions, and other expenses.
Your actual results will depend on your experience, project scope, pricing, client acquisition, and the value you deliver.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Websites With AI
Relying entirely on the first AI-generated result. Always review and test the website before publishing.
Ignoring mobile users. A design that works on a desktop may be difficult to navigate on a phone.
Publishing broken features. Verify forms, links, buttons, and any external integrations.
Exposing API keys. Keep sensitive credentials out of public source code and client-side applications.
Ignoring hosting requirements. Confirm that the deployment provider supports the framework and backend features your project needs.
Forgetting SEO. Add meaningful content, page titles, descriptions, and a logical site structure.
Underestimating maintenance. Clients may need support after launch, so establish clear service terms.
Promising guaranteed business results. A well-built website can support a business, but it cannot guarantee leads, sales, or search rankings.
Final Thoughts: Start Building, Keep Learning, and Explore New Opportunities
You no longer need to approach website creation as a process that begins with writing every line of code manually.
With Google AI Studio, you can describe an idea, generate an initial application, and improve it through iterative instructions. With an appropriate deployment workflow, such as Netlify for compatible projects, you can take the next step towards publishing your work online.
The important thing is to learn the entire process: planning, design, testing, deployment, SEO, and maintenance.
Start with one simple project. Build a website for a fictional business, test every important feature, and document what you learn.
Then create a portfolio that demonstrates your skills and begin exploring the needs of potential clients.
Your first website may be a learning project. With practice, it could become a portfolio piece or the starting point for a digital service business.
Start small. Build consistently. Solve real problems.