I’m selling AI websites to local businesses with good response but low perceived value; should I switch to an AI automation agency for higher value, despite lacking case studies and needing to target bigger clients?

#269 · how to start a speed to lead business in 2026

I’m selling AI websites to local businesses with good response but low perceived value; should I switch to an AI automation agency for higher value, despite lacking case studies and needing to target bigger clients?

Start by giving value up front: build a landing page for each prospect, show it to them, then offer to build the full website (or revisions) as a paid service. This lets you demonstrate value, increase reply rates, and later upsell AI automation. You can create many landing pages daily using AI tools (e.g., Claude Max) for little cost, then move clients into higher‑ticket automation services.

ai websiteai automationlanding pageupsell

Related answers

youtube ↗Niches

Is niching down to marketing agencies a good option for an AI automation agency, and what assets can I send to marketing/creative agencies that aren’t just AI‑generated?

I think marketing agencies are great; I niche down with them and make more money than most with an equivalent service. Whether you need to differentiate depends on your goals—if you aim to be the Uber of automation agencies selling to marketing agencies at $100M/year, you'll need more differentiation than just 'marketing agency'; if you want a tiny niche, you can target whatever you want, especially if you have experience to stand out. As for assets to send to marketing or creative agencies that aren't just AI‑generated: you can build them whole HTML websites (customized with context) and host them; generate newsletters from templates; create PPC ad creatives based on trending ad‑library content; produce high‑quality proposal templates; make slide decks; essentially any day‑to‑day marketing agency deliverable can be generated with AI, but the biggest impact is the customized HTML template because clients are impressed by receiving a full website.

marketing agenciesassetshtml template

youtube ↗Niches

Which businesses should I target for my AI automation agency, ideally high‑ticket, online‑focused companies, and what else should I consider?

You want three things. First, target niches with high lifetime value (LTV). The higher the LTV, the more you can spend to acquire a client and still make a profit. For example, a shoe‑shine service might generate a few hundred dollars per year, whereas a personal injury firm could bring tens or hundreds of thousands. Second, choose industries where the prospect data is easily scrapable or digitally acquirable—LinkedIn Sales Navigator, keyword searches, etc.—so you can find decision‑makers who can sign checks. Third, consider compliance: heavily regulated sectors like healthcare or government‑related services are hard to automate with AI and carry legal risk. Also avoid platforms that could ban you if you automate them. In short, focus on high‑LTV, digitally reachable, low‑regulation niches.

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youtube ↗Offers

What offers could I sell, and can my existing AI systems be used as leverage? Which type of business owners should I target and where are they? Should I sell a service and use AI to fulfill it instead of selling AI directly?

You’ve already built a DM qualification skill that let you charge 40% more on a client deal, plus LinkedIn content automation that generates one to two inbound leads per day. That gives you solid social proof, but you need to frame it in concrete, dollar‑sign metrics. Instead of talking about the system itself, talk about the results it can deliver – for example, 20 to 40 meetings per month and an estimated pipeline value of $25,000. Position yourself as helping small‑to‑medium business owners who aren’t massive enterprise CEOs – think a 30‑something running a three‑person agency who wants to relax a bit. Provide clear value to that audience. As for offers, you can sell virtually anything: the DM qualification skill, LinkedIn and content automation systems, management services, social‑media brand growth, niche video editing, AI‑enabled video editing, or even content edited with tools like Hyperframes or Remotion. Lead sources are typically scraped from LinkedIn Sales Navigator where prospects voluntarily share a lot of information.

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youtube ↗Niches

Should I start a copywriting agency or an AI automation agency with my cousin, given I have copywriting experience but find automation easier to sell?

Well, if I thought starting a copywriting agency was the highest-value thing I could do right now, my product would be called copywriting school. It's not; it's called Maker School, which is all about building an AI automation agency because I believe that's the straightest line to wealth and securing your future. In a gold rush, the people who get rich sell the shovels. If you're selling the shovel—meaning you sell the implementation that automates everything—you're in a much better position than if you sell the deliverable of something that can be automated. Do you know what I mean?

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