Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a part of everyday search and customer service. Tools like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT can now answer customer questions directly, without requiring the customer to ever click through to a website for the full answer.
At first glance, this may sound like a convenience. After all, if the information is accurate and your customers get their answers faster. But for businesses, there are some important implications to this that are worth understanding.
Loss of Visibility and Connection With Your Audience
Traditionally, your website has been the digital “front door” to your business. Search engines and social media bring people to it, where they can learn more about your products, services, and values. But when AI tools provide answers directly, two things can happen:
- Reduced Website Traffic – If they already have the answer, they don’t need to click any further Fewer visits mean fewer chances for people to explore all that you offer. They might get an answer to one question but never see your services, products, and what makes your solutions unique.
- Lost Context – AI pulls pieces of information from a variety of sources, and often strips away nuance. A carefully worded explanation on your website may be shortened or rephrased, leaving out the details that make your solutions unique.
For small businesses, this shift away from delivering an audience makes it harder to build trust, showcase your expertise, and capture leads. It also highlights the importance of a full and robust digital presence with multiple endpoints to engage an audience and capture leads.
What This Means for Small Businesses
This change doesn’t mean small businesses should panic. Instead, it’s a reminder that digital strategies need to adapt. The focus is no longer just about bringing people to your website — it’s also about ensuring your business stays visible and credible wherever customers look for answers. This may be on search, social, email, and other destinations online.
- Accuracy Matters – If AI tools are going to reference your business, you want to make sure they’re pulling the right information. That means keeping your website content clear, structured, and up-to-date. Don’t let old, outdated, information sit out on the internet.
- Diversified Presence – Your customers may find you through AI, search engines, social media, email, or directories. All of these resources should deliver engaging content in a consistent manner.
How MS Digital Solutions Can Help
At MS Digital Solutions, we specialize in helping small businesses adapt to changes like these. Two ways we can support you are:
- Content Structuring and SEO Optimization – Our website development and SEO services can make sure your website content is written and formatted in a way that both AI tools and human visitors understand. This improves the accuracy of AI-generated answers while keeping your website attractive to real customers.
- Holistic Online Strategy – We can help you build a digital presence that extends beyond your website. From social media integration to email marketing and local listings, we make sure your business continues to be found and chosen, not just by AI, but by your customers too when they are exploring the web.
Looking for help? Contact MS Digital Solutions today at [email protected] or call 704-997-9465.