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Web Development May 3, 2026 2 min read

How I Build Sites for Clients: Simple WordPress, Custom Builds, and AI Automations

Not every project needs AI, a custom build, or a complex CRM integration. Here is how I decide what stack to use for each client — and where AI automations actually change the equation.

MIN_READ 2
WORDS 363
YEAR 2026
May 03, 2026 — DISPATCH_009
Abstract modular workspace visual for WordPress custom builds and AI automation

Every client project starts with the same question: what does this person actually need? Not what they asked for — what they need. Sometimes that’s a simple WordPress site with a clean theme and a contact form. Sometimes it’s a fully custom-built experience with automations running in the background while they sleep.

The Stack Depends on the Client

For local businesses — a salon, a dentist, a small agency — off-the-shelf WordPress with a premium theme does 90% of the job. Fast to deploy, easy to hand off, and the client can update it themselves. I configure Elementor or the block editor, set up WooCommerce if they need a shop, and ship it in days, not weeks.

For clients with more complex needs — lead generation funnels, CRMs, booking systems that need to talk to each other — I go custom. Custom PHP plugins, custom post types, REST API integrations. The kind of WordPress most people don’t know is possible.

Where AI Automations Change Everything

The most exciting part of my work right now is layering AI on top of existing business processes. A client sends a lead form submission — instead of manually following up, an AI reads the form, drafts a personalized reply, and sends it through their CRM. Another client has a content pipeline: a human writes a brief, AI expands it into a full post, formats it for WordPress, and publishes it on a schedule.

These automations aren’t magic — they’re well-scoped workflows built with Make (formerly Integromat), OpenAI’s API, and custom WordPress webhooks. The difference between a client who works 12 hours a day and one who works 6 is often just a few of these pipelines running quietly.

The Honest Part

Not every project needs AI. Sometimes a client asks for automation because it sounds impressive, and the right answer is “let’s start with a simpler system and see if you actually have the volume to justify it.” Charging for complexity the client doesn’t need isn’t a service — it’s a trap. I try to earn the long game: the maintenance retainer, the next referral, the client who trusts you enough to call first.

That’s the job. Match the solution to the problem. Ship it. Make it last.

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