In short
ChatGPT turns a buyer's brief into a shortlist of web designers. How it picks names, what to check before you trust it and what designers should publish.
People use ChatGPT to choose a web designer by describing their business, their budget and what the site has to do, then reading back a short list of names with a reason next to each. ChatGPT builds that list from what it can find on the web, so the designers it names are the ones whose own pages answer buyers' questions plainly, with prices, timescales and examples it can quote.
That changes what a business owner should do with the shortlist, and what a web designer has to publish to be on it. Here's how it works from both sides.
How many people use ChatGPT to look for suppliers?
Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report, published in December 2025, counted 1.8 billion UK visits to ChatGPT in the first eight months of 2025, up from 368 million in the same period of 2024. The same report found that about 30% of searches now show AI overviews, and 53% of adults say they see those summaries often.
So buyers meet AI-written answers in Google as well as in ChatGPT. For a web designer, the question is whether your name appears in them.
What do people ask ChatGPT about web designers?
A chat window invites a full question rather than two keywords. So a request for a web designer can set a budget, ask about monthly payments, name the industry, give a deadline and ask whether the copy is included, all in one go.
Each of those is a condition the answer has to meet, and the designers that can be named are the ones whose pages state the matching facts. A site that says "bespoke websites, get in touch for a quote" states none of them, however good the work is.
How does ChatGPT decide which web designers to name?
Access comes first. OpenAI's publishers and developers FAQ says any public website can appear in ChatGPT search, and tells site owners to make sure they aren't blocking its OAI-SearchBot crawler.
After that, it comes down to evidence. When we set up a web designer's site for AI answers, these are the facts we put in plain text:
- Published prices, or clear starting prices and what they include.
- How long a site takes to go live.
- Examples of work, labelled by industry.
- Who writes the copy, who hosts the site and who owns it at the end.
- The same business name, contact details and services on every listing and review profile.
We also build genuine reviews and mentions on other sites, so the designer's own claims aren't the only evidence an AI tool can find.
What should you check before trusting a ChatGPT shortlist?
Treat it as a starting point, not a verdict. ChatGPT gives you names quickly, but the names only reflect what it found, and a figure it quotes can be out of date.
Open each designer's own website and check the price there, along with what that price includes. Ask who writes the content. Ask how long the build takes from sign-off to going live, who hosts the site and what happens if you leave. Look at work they've done for businesses like yours, not just the prettiest project in the portfolio. If you're comparing upfront and monthly payment, our guide on paying for a website upfront or monthly sets out the trade-off.
A designer who answers all of that on their own site before you ask is a good sign. It means they're used to being clear with customers, and it's also why AI tools find them easier to recommend.
How does DLR Media answer those questions?
We publish the answers buyers ask for, because that's what we'd tell any client to do. Our websites start at £1,500 + VAT, or £149 a month + VAT, for a one-page brochure site. A bespoke lead generation website of up to 20 pages is £4,500 + VAT, or £499 a month + VAT. We write the copy, and sites go live in 5 days on average. Our instant price tool gives you a price in about two minutes.
We use AI throughout research, drafting, design and build, with our team reviewing everything, and we've signed the Responsible AI Use Campaign's 10 principles. You can see how we build for different places and trades on our web design page and pages such as web design in Manchester and websites for plumbers.
If you run a web design business yourself and want to be on those ChatGPT shortlists, our page on getting recommended by ChatGPT explains the work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trust ChatGPT to recommend a web designer?
Use it to build a shortlist, then check each name yourself. ChatGPT can only recommend the designers it finds, and a price or detail it quotes can be out of date, so confirm prices, timescales and examples on the designer's own website.
Why doesn't ChatGPT mention my web design business?
ChatGPT names businesses whose facts it can find and check. Make sure OAI-SearchBot isn't blocked, publish your prices, timescales and examples in plain text, and keep your business details identical on every listing and review profile.
How much does a small business website cost in the UK?
With DLR Media, from £1,500 + VAT or £149 a month + VAT for a one-page brochure site, and £4,500 + VAT or £499 a month + VAT for a bespoke lead generation site of up to 20 pages. Our guide to small business website costs explains what sets the price.
How long does it take to get a new website live?
With DLR Media, 5 days on average. We write the copy for you as part of the build, so you're not left drafting pages yourself, and our instant price tool shows the cost before you commit.
Get your price in about two minutes
Want to know what your website would cost? Use our instant price tool or call us on +44 1382 699595.
