The way people find businesses has changed more in the past two years than in the previous decade. Between AI-powered search results, shifting social media habits, and rising expectations around website speed, the old playbook of “build a website and hope for the best” simply does not work anymore.
For small and medium-sized businesses especially, understanding how customers actually discover, evaluate, and choose a company online is no longer optional. It is the difference between a steady stream of enquiries and a website that sits there collecting dust.
At ProfileTree, a web design and digital marketing agency based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we work with businesses across the UK and Ireland on exactly this challenge. The common thread we see across almost every industry? Business owners underestimate how quickly the rules of online visibility are shifting — and overestimate how long their current website will stay competitive without attention.
AI Search Is Changing How People Choose
One of the biggest shifts in 2026 is how search engines present information. Google’s AI Overviews, along with tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, now generate answers directly rather than simply listing ten blue links. For a growing number of users, the first interaction with a business happens inside an AI-generated summary — not on the business’s own website.
This matters because AI systems do not pick businesses at random. They tend to recommend companies that have clear, consistent information across the web: well-structured websites, strong reviews, accurate business descriptions, and content that directly answers the questions people are asking. A vague “About Us” page and a handful of stock photos are not going to cut it when an AI is deciding which three companies to mention in response to a query like “best web designers near me.”
For businesses wanting to stay visible, the starting point is still the website itself. A well-built site — one that loads fast, works properly on mobile, and clearly explains what you do, where you operate, and why someone should choose you — gives AI systems the raw material they need. This is exactly why professional web design focused on performance, structure, and clear messaging has become more commercially valuable than ever, not less.
Your Website Speed Is a Business Decision, Not a Technical One
There is a persistent myth that website performance is a “developer thing” — something technical that happens behind the scenes and does not really affect the business. The reality is quite different. Site speed directly affects whether visitors stay or leave, whether Google ranks you above or below a competitor, and whether your pages appear in AI-generated search results at all.
Research consistently shows that conversion rates drop sharply as page load times increase. Even a one-second delay can cost you a measurable percentage of potential customers. On mobile — where the majority of web browsing now happens — the effect is even more pronounced. Users expect pages to load almost instantly, and they have zero patience for sites that lag, stutter, or display content in messy stages.
Neil Patel’s team published a practical breakdown of how to improve website performance, covering everything from image compression to browser caching and render-blocking fixes. What is striking about that guide is how many of the recommended actions are straightforward — not rocket science, but the kind of thing most business websites simply have not done. Reducing page weight, optimising images, limiting unnecessary scripts: these are not massive redesign projects, but they can dramatically improve how both users and search engines experience your site.
The key point is that website speed is not a vanity metric. It is a direct contributor to revenue, and treating it as an afterthought is one of the most expensive mistakes a business can make.
Social Media Still Shapes Perception (But Not How You Think)
Social media’s role in business marketing has evolved considerably. The days of simply posting content and hoping organic reach does the work are largely over for most platforms. What social media does do, particularly well, is shape perception and create the kind of consistent brand signals that both human visitors and AI systems pick up on.
Interestingly, many of the platforms people use every day are filled with abbreviations, slang, and shorthand that not everyone understands. A study covered by Digital Journal looked at the social media abbreviations confusing people the most, and the results were revealing. Terms like “FB,” “ATM,” and “DL” had hundreds of thousands of monthly searches from people trying to decode their meaning. For businesses trying to communicate clearly on these platforms, this is a useful reminder: clarity beats cleverness every time.
This principle applies beyond social media posts. Whether you are writing a website page, a Google Business Profile description, or a social media bio, using plain language that your audience actually understands will always outperform jargon-heavy copy that sounds impressive but communicates nothing.
The Tourism Sector Shows What Good Digital Marketing Looks Like
One industry that has adapted quickly to these digital shifts is tourism. Markets across Africa, for example, have seen significant growth by using social media strategically to reach international audiences. Business Insider Africa explored how social media is helping market African tourist destinations, highlighting how visual content, authentic storytelling, and platform-specific strategies are driving real visitor numbers.
The lesson for businesses outside tourism is just as relevant. Showing up consistently, sharing genuine expertise, and making it easy for people to understand your offering works across every sector. The businesses that thrive online are the ones that treat their digital presence as an ecosystem — website, social profiles, third-party mentions, and reviews all reinforcing the same message.
What Practical Steps Actually Move the Needle
If your business is not getting the online visibility or enquiries you expect, here is where to focus your energy.
Start with your website. Is it fast? Does it work well on mobile? Can a first-time visitor understand what you do and how to contact you within a few seconds? If the answer to any of these is no, that is your priority. Everything else — social media, content marketing, even AI optimisation — builds on a strong website foundation.
Next, look at consistency. Is your business name, address, and description the same across your website, Google Business Profile, social media accounts, and any directory listings? AI systems cross-reference these details, and inconsistencies create doubt — both for algorithms and for potential customers.
Then think about content. Not content for content’s sake, but practical, specific information that answers the questions your customers are actually asking. Pricing guidance, process explanations, location-specific details, FAQs — these are the types of pages that perform well in both traditional search and AI-generated results.
Finally, treat your online presence as something that needs regular attention, not a one-off project. The businesses seeing the best results are the ones updating their sites, adding fresh content, responding to reviews, and adjusting their approach based on what the data tells them — not the ones who launched a website three years ago and have not touched it since.
The tools and platforms will keep evolving. What will not change is the basic principle underneath: be clear about what you do, make it easy for people and machines to find that information, and keep showing up consistently. That is what actually works.
