Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead

Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JnlJCRxWPmc/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlJCRxWPmc) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: #ai #client-expectations #web-agencies #business-strategy #outcomes-focus > author: Web Agency Summit > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlJCRxWPmc > date created: 2024-12-19 10:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Reframe AI as service layer, not product — focus on client outcomes #strategy - [H2] Position agency for DIY platform migrations — capture customers outgrowing tools #positioning - [H3] Develop content strategy for SMB visibility — target 50+ pages for 33x crawler visits #seo ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [[#📝 Summary]] - [[#📖 Main Content]] - [[#🗒️ Notes]] - [[#📚 References]] - [[#🗣️ Paraphrase]] - [[#📰 Newsletter]] - [[#✅ Action Items]] - [[#🧪 Hypotheses]] - [[#📊 Methodology]] - [[#❓ Questions]] - [[#🔮 Future Research]] - [[#💡 Implications]] - [[#🧠 Learning Styles Assessment]] - [[#📊 Accessibility Assessment]] - [[#🌍 DEIB Assessment]] - [[#✅ Logical Validity]] - [[#🛡️ DARVO Analysis]] - [[#🎯 Conclusion]] ### 🔗 References - [Web Agency Summit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlJCRxWPmc) - [WordPress Support Systems](https://wordpress.org/support/) ## 📝 Summary - Web agencies face disruption from AI tools that lower barriers to entry and enable DIY solutions - Clients don't want AI features—they want business outcomes like reduced support load, increased conversions, and workflow automation - 73% of small business owners already have websites, with 32% using DIY builders, creating future migration opportunities - Content strategy remains critical: sites with 50+ pages get 33x more crawler visits, with blog posts increasing visibility 7% vs 4% for regular pages - Agencies must reposition AI as a service layer to achieve client outcomes rather than selling AI as a product feature ## 📖 Main Content The presentation argues that web agencies are misunderstanding client needs around AI. Rather than positioning AI as a product feature, agencies should frame it as a service layer that delivers specific business outcomes. The speakers note that AI has fundamentally changed the competitive landscape by lowering barriers to entry, with tools like Claude enabling technically-savvy individuals to achieve agency-level output for less than 10% of traditional agency costs. Despite this disruption, opportunities exist for agencies willing to adapt their approach. A significant portion of small businesses (73%) already have websites, with many using DIY builders that will eventually hit limitations. Agencies can position themselves as thought leaders ready to help when businesses outgrow their current platforms. The discussion also emphasizes the continued importance of content strategy, presenting research showing that websites with 50 or more pages receive 33 times more crawler visits than median sites. This suggests agencies should help SMB clients develop comprehensive content strategies addressing customer questions and service offerings. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=0) — [H1] AI as service layer, not product - Key idea: AI should be positioned as means to achieve client outcomes, not an end product - Evidence: "AI, it is a service layer. It's not a product... What your clients really want is outcomes" #### ⏱️ [02:15](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=135) — [H2] Current website ownership landscape - Key idea: Most small businesses already have websites built using DIY platforms - Evidence: "73% of small business owners already have a website. Most of them have built it themselves. 32% use some sort of DIY builder" #### ⏱️ [03:42](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=222) — [H3] AI as primary competition - Key idea: AI tools have fundamentally changed the competitive landscape for agencies - Evidence: "The biggest competition today is AI. AI has changed the level playing field... the barrier to entry is significantly lower" #### ⏱️ [05:18](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=318) — [H2] Content impact on visibility - Key idea: Websites with more content receive dramatically more search engine attention - Evidence: "Sites with 50 more pages earned 33 times more crawler visits than the median website" #### ⏱️ [06:45](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=405) — [H3] Bootstrap growth vs aggressive scaling - Key idea: Conservative financial approach may limit growth potential for agencies - Evidence: "Knowing what I know today, if we were to do it again, we would probably grow more aggressively" #### ⏱️ [08:22](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=502) — [H1] DIY platform limitations create opportunities - Key idea: Businesses will eventually outgrow DIY builders, creating migration opportunities - Evidence: "Eventually there is something that this customer is going to want to do that is a limiting factor on that platform" #### ⏱️ [10:07](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=607) — [H3] Blog posts vs regular pages for SEO - Key idea: Blog content provides higher visibility impact than standard pages - Evidence: "While a normal page increases visibility by 4%, blog posts increase it by 7%" #### ⏱️ [11:30](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=690) — [H2] Escaping repetitive work patterns - Key idea: Breaking cycles of redoing similar work requires strategic business model changes - Evidence: "I was in this consistent business of redoing things. So I had a thought, what if I just stopped?" #### ⏱️ [12:54](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=774) — [H2] Value baseline has shifted - Key idea: Traditional agency value propositions are now achievable through AI tools at fraction of cost - Evidence: "Value agencies used to deliver is now the baseline... achieve some level of output similar to what they would get from an agency for less than 10% of the cost" #### ⏱️ [14:20](https://youtu.be/JnlJCRxWPmc?t=860) — [H3] Answer-focused content strategy - Key idea: SMB content should address customer questions and service offerings systematically - Evidence: "Content that is answer focused for an SMB... asking your SMB clients the kinds of questions they receive from their customers" ## 📚 References - [Web Agency Summit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlJCRxWPmc) - [WordPress vs DIY Builders Comparison](https://wordpress.org/) - [Claude AI Platform](https://claude.ai/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Instead of selling AI features, agencies should focus on delivering specific business outcomes that AI enables, such as automating workflows or reducing support overhead - The majority of small businesses already have websites using DIY platforms, but these will eventually hit limitations, creating opportunities for agencies positioned as migration specialists - Content remains crucial for visibility, with research showing sites containing 50+ pages receive 33 times more search engine crawls than typical websites ## 📰 Newsletter **Agency Survival in the AI Era: Focus on Outcomes, Not Features** The landscape for web agencies has fundamentally shifted. While AI tools are lowering barriers to entry and enabling DIY solutions, smart agencies are adapting by repositioning how they deliver value. **Key insight**: Your clients don't want AI—they want results. Instead of pitching AI features, focus on the outcomes AI helps achieve: reduced support loads, increased conversions, automated workflows, and eliminated repetitive tasks. **Strategic opportunity**: 73% of small businesses already have websites, with many using DIY builders that will eventually hit limitations. Position yourself as the expert ready to help when they outgrow their current platform. **Content still matters**: Research shows websites with 50+ pages receive 33x more crawler visits. Help your SMB clients develop comprehensive content addressing customer questions and service offerings. The agencies thriving in this new era treat AI as a service layer—a powerful tool to deliver better outcomes faster, not a product feature to sell. Resources: [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/), [Developer Docs](https://developer.wordpress.org/), [WP-CLI](https://wp-cli.org/) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create content showing how to integrate AI tools effectively in WordPress development workflows - Education: Develop workshops on AI-assisted WordPress development for agency teams - Developer experience: Document best practices for AI service layer implementation - Developer marketing: Position WordPress as superior platform for AI-powered client solutions - Community management: Facilitate discussions on AI impact on WordPress agency business models #### Community - Maintainers: Support development of AI integration guidelines for WordPress ecosystem - Contributors: Encourage contributions to AI-related WordPress tools and plugins - Sponsors: Fund research on AI impact on WordPress business models - Ecosystem: Coordinate cross-platform migration tools for DIY builder refugees #### WordPress - Core: Evaluate AI integration points that don't compromise core philosophy - Core Performance: Ensure AI-generated content doesn't negatively impact site performance - Community: Develop resources for agencies adapting to AI-driven market changes - Training: Create lesson plans on positioning WordPress vs DIY builders for business growth - Marketing: Develop campaigns highlighting WordPress advantages over AI-generated sites - Support: Prepare migration guides for users outgrowing DIY platforms - Documentation: Document AI integration best practices and limitations - CLI: Develop commands for automated content generation and SEO optimization - Hosting: Provide guidance on hosting requirements for AI-integrated WordPress sites - Themes: Encourage development of themes optimized for AI-generated content - Plugins: Support development of ethical AI integration plugins ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Agencies focusing on AI outcomes rather than AI features will maintain higher client retention rates compared to feature-focused agencies - WordPress agencies positioned as DIY platform migration specialists will capture more leads as businesses outgrow builders like Wix and Squarespace - SMB websites implementing systematic content strategies targeting 50+ pages will see measurably higher search visibility than those with minimal content - Agencies that reframe AI as a service layer tool will command higher rates than those selling AI as a standalone product feature ### 📊 Methodology - Client retention analysis comparing outcome-focused vs feature-focused agency positioning over 12-month periods - Lead generation tracking for agencies marketing migration services vs traditional web development - Search visibility correlation studies between content volume and organic traffic for SMB WordPress sites - Rate analysis comparing agencies using different AI positioning strategies ### ❓ Questions - How can WordPress agencies differentiate from AI tools while leveraging AI capabilities internally? - What specific limitations of DIY builders create the best migration opportunities for WordPress agencies? - Which client outcomes provide the highest perceived value when delivered through AI-powered WordPress solutions? ### 🔮 Future Research - Longitudinal study tracking DIY builder user migration patterns to professional WordPress solutions - Analysis of AI tool capabilities vs professional agency output quality over time - Investigation of content strategy ROI for different SMB industry verticals ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Agencies need to restructure service offerings around business outcomes rather than technical features - Policy: WordPress community may need guidelines for ethical AI integration and positioning - Security: AI-generated content and automated workflows require new security considerations - Education: Agency teams need training on outcome-focused sales and AI tool integration - Funding: Investment in positioning and content strategy becomes critical for agency survival ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 10th Grade #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Video format with speakers and presentation elements - Improve: Infographics showing DIY builder limitations, content impact charts, outcome framework diagrams #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Audio discussion format with multiple speakers sharing insights - Improve: Podcast version with cleaner audio, chapter markers for key topics #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of AI as service layer, outcome-focused language - Improve: Glossary of terms, client conversation examples, pitch templates #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Practical examples of agency positioning changes - Improve: Worksheets for identifying client outcomes, migration assessment checklists #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Statistics on website ownership, content impact data, clear cause-effect relationships - Improve: Decision trees for platform recommendations, ROI calculators for content strategies #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Panel discussion format with multiple perspectives - Improve: Discussion prompts for agency teams, peer review frameworks #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual insights that can be reflected upon - Improve: Self-assessment tools for agency positioning, private planning worksheets #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Market ecosystem analogies and business evolution patterns - Improve: Platform lifecycle comparisons, ecosystem health metaphors ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Video has speakers clearly identified in transcript - Improve: Structured headings in transcript, speaker identification markup #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube player controls - Improve: Custom transcript with keyboard-accessible timestamps #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast video player interface - Improve: Transcript styling with adequate contrast ratios #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: YouTube responsive design - Improve: Dedicated transcript page with responsive text sizing #### Media and captions - Present: Auto-generated transcript available - Improve: Professional captions with speaker identification, punctuation timing #### Forms and interactions - Present: Basic video controls accessible - Improve: Interactive transcript with clickable sections #### Standards reference - Video accessibility could be improved with proper captions and audio descriptions per WCAG 2.2 AA ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Focus on general web agency challenges without geographic specificity - Improve: Examples from different markets, international DIY platform considerations #### Inclusive language - Present: Business-focused language, avoids exclusionary jargon - Improve: Define technical terms, provide context for industry assumptions #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear section breaks in discussion topics - Improve: Content warnings for business stress topics, structured takeaways #### Representation - Present: Multiple speakers with different perspectives - Improve: Broader representation of agency types, business models, geographic regions #### Psychological safety - Present: Acknowledges business challenges without blame - Improve: Emphasize adaptation over failure, provide support resources ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: AI lowers barriers → increased competition → agencies must adapt (strong logical flow) - Inductive strength: Content volume statistics support visibility claims (strong data backing) - Causal reasoning: Clear connection between AI capabilities and competitive pressure - Analogical strength: DIY platform limitations parallel other technology adoption curves #### Fallacies - False dichotomy: Positioning AI as either product or service layer oversimplifies integration options - Hasty generalization: 73% website ownership statistic may not apply across all markets or business types #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Pragmatic and solution-focused, with urgency but not panic about AI disruption ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns observed—speakers acknowledge real competitive threats - Attack: No attacks on agencies struggling with AI competition - Reverse victim/offender: No victim/offender reversal present - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Motivational framing focused on opportunity rather than fear ## 🎯 Conclusion - Web agencies must reframe AI as a tool for delivering business outcomes rather than a product feature to sell - The key to survival in an AI-disrupted market is positioning for the inevitable migration from DIY platforms to professional solutions - Content strategy remains a powerful differentiator, with substantial data supporting the visibility benefits of comprehensive site content ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] AI functions as service layer for client outcomes > [!quote] [Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlJCRxWPmc) by [[Web Agency Summit]] via [[YouTube]]. Published 2024. Accessed 2024-12-19. > "AI, it is a service layer. It's not a product... What your clients really want is --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] AI, it is a service layer. It's not a [00:02] product. A lot of times we try to put AI [00:04] into the strategy deck on page whatever. [00:06] But AI, yeah, that was like a buzzword [00:08] before. I think it's gotten a little bit [00:10] hyped up now. What your clients really [00:12] want is outcomes instead of just AI [00:15] this, AI that. AI is really the means to [00:17] the end. And so what they really want is [00:19] you be able to reduce their support load [00:21] or increase their conversions or [00:23] automate their workflows or eliminate [00:25] the repetitive work in their business. [00:27] Web Agency Summit 6 is here and live. [00:31] >> We're back. [00:32] >> Back now. [00:32] >> It is official. We are back. [00:34] >> Knowing what I know today, if we were to [00:36] do it again, we would probably grow more [00:38] aggressively because we were a bit [00:40] concerned about earning money. [00:42] >> So, this is how you're going to create [00:43] your Hit by a bus plan. First up, you [00:45] need to identify two people. [00:47] >> 73% of small business owners already [00:49] have a website. Most of them have built [00:51] it themselves. 32% use some sort of DIY [00:53] builder as their starting point. This is [00:55] your Wix, your Squarespace of the world, [00:57] the Shopifies of the world. And now in [00:59] this age of AI, you know, they're vibe [01:00] coding websites. [01:01] >> If you think about it, the biggest [01:03] competition today is AI. AI has changed [01:07] the level playing field. It's it's [01:09] changed everything entirely. What is [01:11] happening today is that the barrier to [01:13] entry is significantly lower. [01:15] >> My breaking point was actually I was [01:17] running my WordPress support system and [01:19] this pattern was just completely [01:20] trapping me all the time. I was in this [01:23] consistent business of redoing things. [01:26] So I had a thought, what if I just [01:28] stopped? [01:29] >> For anyone who has worked in the search [01:31] space or just even read any of it, it [01:33] should come as no surprise that content [01:35] helps a lot with visibility. So we saw [01:37] in our research that sites with 50 more [01:39] pages earned 33 times more crawler [01:41] visits than the median website. [01:42] >> We raised capital when I after, you [01:44] know, after I joined, but we never [01:46] touched the money because we had this [01:47] sort of culture of running business [01:49] profitably in a very prudent manner. [01:51] Samrush is a bootstrapped company. So [01:53] founders have spent eight years scaling [01:56] it from nothing to let's say $15 million [01:59] AR. When I joined, there was a lot of [02:00] built into culture in terms of how to [02:02] spend cash wisely. I think we could have [02:05] spended more aggressively and grow [02:07] faster. [02:08] >> The first one is your personal alert [02:10] lookout. This is somebody that is in [02:13] your family, maybe a close friend, not [02:15] someone that is connected to your [02:17] business necessarily. is somebody that [02:20] will know if something happens to you. [02:22] Person number two is what we're calling [02:24] our designated executive. It's the [02:26] person who makes sure that someone's [02:28] wishes are carried out. That's what this [02:30] individual is. There's a plan in place [02:32] and they execute. [02:33] >> The reason why that's important is [02:34] because if you start with one of these [02:35] DIY builders, those of us who've been in [02:37] the space long enough or those of us who [02:39] love Drupal or WordPress, we know that [02:41] there's eventually a limitation that's [02:43] going to come. As strong as some of [02:45] these companies are that are building [02:46] these new capabilities on top of their [02:48] platform, eventually there is something [02:50] that this customer is going to want to [02:51] do that is a limiting factor on that [02:54] platform. And so many of these owners [02:56] are in fact going to outpace or they're [02:58] going to outgrow the tool that they are [02:59] on. Being there every step of the way, [03:01] having this conversation, being a [03:03] thought leader basically uh positions [03:05] you in the long run to finally say, [03:07] "Hey, I'm the one who can help you with [03:09] that." I've kind of really thought about [03:11] the fact that not every client needs a [03:13] full discovery workshop. They don't need [03:15] endless custom pages. They don't need to [03:17] have 17 different design options. And we [03:20] don't have to spend months of meetings. [03:22] But I need to identify who those clients [03:24] are for which a non-bespoke build would [03:27] be a worthwhile opportunity for [03:29] everybody. [03:30] >> Value agencies used to deliver is now [03:33] the baseline. A product manager, anyone [03:35] with enough technical knowledge who can [03:38] put a few tools together can now get on [03:41] clawed for example and achieve some [03:44] level of output similar to what they [03:46] would get from an agency for less than [03:48] 10% of the cost if they were working [03:51] with an agency. So it's very very [03:52] tricky. We're in a phase where the [03:55] climate for lack of a better word has [03:58] changed significantly. AI is your [04:00] competitor and you need to deal with it. [04:02] If we break that down onto types of [04:03] pages, we see that while a normal page [04:05] increases visibility by 4%, blog posts [04:07] increase it by 7%. Across our data set [04:10] of websites, there's a lot of very [04:12] strong evidence that just creating more [04:13] content is a very strong way to be [04:16] recommended more often. Ideally, content [04:18] that is answer focused for an SMB. You [04:20] know, 50 pages might sound extreme, but [04:22] it's worth thinking about asking your [04:24] SMB clients the kinds of questions they [04:26] receive from their customers or asking [04:28] about the kind of services they offer.  📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead.md|Your Clients Don't Actually Want AI They Want This Instead by YouTube]] ## Highlights - individual is. There's a plan in place and they execute. >> The reason why that's important is because if you start with one of these DIY builders, those of us who've been in the space long enough or those of us who love Drupal or WordPress, we know that there's eventually a limitation that's going to come. As strong as some of these companies are that are building these new capabilities on top of their platform, eventually there is something that this customer is going to want to do that is a limiting factor on that platform. And so many of these owners are in fact going to outpace or they're going to outgrow the tool that they are on. Being there every step of the way, ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kqzf0aphfm46h8hcqrah8rk0)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted