Is AI Helping or Hurting WordPress Agencies?

AI is changing how WordPress agencies build websites, find clients, and deliver services. But does faster development actually make for a better agency?

On this episode of Agency Action, Matt Medeiros joins Kurt von Ahnen to unpack how the agency business is evolving in the age of AI. From vibe coding and custom development to client relationships, recurring revenue, and the risks of taking on projects outside your expertise, the conversation gets into what it really takes to build a sustainable agency.

Kurt explains why client relationships and problem-solving still matter more than the tools you use, why established WordPress products can be a safer foundation than building everything from scratch, and how recurring services can turn one-off website projects into long-term client relationships.

Plus, Kurt shares how he used AI to rebuild a website, ditch Elementor, and improve its Google PageSpeed score from the low 70s to 99 after moving to a different host. The pair also discuss connecting AI to WordPress, managing multiple projects without losing the human touch, and the tools making their way into real agency workflows.

AI might make building websites faster. But building a successful agency is still about much more than the website.

Key Takeaways

• AI amplifies your expertise — and your mistakes. Knowing what good code, a working feature, and a successful outcome look like is still essential when using AI to build or customize websites.
• Stop selling just the website. Hosting, maintenance, support tickets, content, and ongoing development can create recurring revenue and stronger client relationships.
• Your niche might be broader than you think. Instead of specializing in one industry, agencies can focus on a shared problem or type of business and narrow their focus as they gain experience.
• AI doesn’t replace discovery. Taking on unfamiliar industries without understanding their needs can lead to incomplete scopes, unhappy clients, and costly project overruns.
• Established WordPress products still have value. Reliable plugins, licenses, and support teams provide a foundation that agencies can customize rather than rebuilding everything from scratch.
• Don’t let AI distract you from your clients. Faster workflows are useful, but communication, delegation, documentation, and meeting deadlines still matter.
• AI can unlock serious performance gains. Kurt shares how an AI-assisted website rebuild and hosting change helped improve a site’s PageSpeed score from around 71–72 to 99.
• The best agency isn’t necessarily a WordPress agency. Kurt describes his business as a consultancy that solves client problems. Sometimes that means a WordPress website; sometimes it means a different tool, training, or

Important Links

• Mark Szymanski’s episode: The WP Minute YouTube
• Kurt’s Agency: Mañana No Mas
• Agency Action Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe