I’ve been in the SEO and traffic game for a long time. Long enough to remember when just having a website was a big deal. Now, every local business has one, and honestly? Most of them are just digital paperweights. They're pretty brochures that sit there, gathering dust, maybe getting a few pity-clicks from a Google Business Profile. We've tried to patch them up for years with annoying pop-ups, clunky chat widgets, and “Contact Us” forms that feel like shouting into a black hole.
It's a problem I've ranted about to clients for years. Your website should be your hardest-working employee, not a lazy intern. So, when I stumbled across a platform called Strictly.ai, my typical jaded-marketer-skepticism kicked in. Their headline claim? "Get 28.3% More Leads w/ a Visual AI Sales Rep."
Okay, you have my attention. Another AI tool promising the moon, right? But the more I looked, the more I realised this wasn't just another chatbot plugin. They’re talking about building entire “conversational websites.” An interesting idea. Is this the real next step, or just more tech hype? Let's get into it.
What Exactly is Strictly.ai Supposed to Do?
First off, let's clear up what this thing is. Strictly.ai isn’t just a website builder in the way Squarespace or Wix are. It’s an AI-powered platform designed specifically for local service businesses—think plumbers, electricians, law firms, dentists, the kind of businesses that live and die by incoming leads. Its entire purpose is to turn a passive visitor into an active, qualified lead.
Visit Strictly.ai
The core idea is to transform your website from a static page of information into a dynamic, interactive conversation. The metaphor they use, a “Visual AI Sales Rep,” is actually pretty spot on. Imagine a user lands on your site. Instead of them having to hunt for your phone number or figure out which of the 15 services you offer is right for them, the website itself starts a conversation. It asks questions, provides answers, and guides them exactly where they need to go. Your website stops being a static billboard and becomes your best salesperson—one that never sleeps, never asks for a coffee break, and has a perfect memory.
The Core Features That Actually Matter
A feature list is just a list until you see how it actually helps a business owner. Some of the stuff Strictly.ai offers is genuinely compelling, while other parts… well, we’ll get to that.
Beyond a Chatbot: The "Conversational Website" Experience
This is the main event. We’ve all seen those little chat bubbles in the bottom-right corner of a screen. This is different. The entire user experience can be conversational. The AI is trained on your data—your services, your pricing, your common customer questions. This isn't some generic bot that can only say “Someone will be with you shortly.” It can actually qualify a lead by asking budget questions, scheduling availability, and understanding the user's problem before a human ever gets involved. It’s a massive leap from a simple FAQ bot. It’s more like a digital concierge for your business.
The Promise of "Effortless SEO"
Okay, confession time. As an SEO professional, when I saw the words “Effortless SEO,” my eyes rolled so hard I think I saw my own brain. For years, I’ve told people there's no such thing as effortless SEO. It’s a grind. But, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and looked closer. What they're really talking about is automating some of the most tedious, yet critical, parts of technical SEO.
The platform automatically handles page speed optimization. This is HUGE. Core Web Vitals are a known ranking factor, and most small business owners have no idea how to even begin optimizing their site speed. If Strictly.ai can deliver a blazing-fast site out of the box, that’s a genuine, undeniable SEO win. They also claim the AI helps build the site with SEO best practices in mind from the ground up. I see this not as a replacement for a real SEO strategy, but as building your house on a rock-solid foundation instead of on sand. You still need to do the work of creating great content and building authority, but you're not fighting your own website's code to do it.
Marketing on Demand is an Interesting Perk
This was a surprising feature. Strictly.ai offers access to “top marketers” for on-demand help. For the average small business owner who wears a dozen hats, this is a pretty compelling safety net. Got a question about running a Facebook ad campaign that points to your new conversational website? Need a second opinion on your marketing copy? Instead of hiring a full-blown agency, you can apparently tap into this resource. It’s a smart add-on that acknowledges their customers are business owners, not marketing gurus.
So, How Does This Actually Get You More Leads?
It all comes down to reducing friction. Think about the last time you tried to contact a local service. You go to their site. You hunt for a phone number. You fill out a form and wonder if it went to a real person or an abandoned inbox from 2012. I once waited four days for a roofer to get back to me from a web form. By then, I’d already called three others and had two quotes.
Strictly.ai aims to kill that waiting period. By engaging a user immediately, it does a few things:
- It provides instant gratification. Users get answers to their questions right away, 24/7.
- It qualifies leads automatically. The AI can sort out the tire-kickers from the serious buyers by asking the right questions upfront. No more wasting 20 minutes on the phone with someone who isn't a good fit.
- It captures the lead now. It gets their contact info and schedules an appointment while their intent is at its absolute peak.
They also mention AI A/B Testing, which is something usually reserved for companies with big marketing departments. The platform can test different conversational flows, headlines, and questions to see what converts best, then automatically apply the winner. For a small business, that level of data-driven optimization is practically unheard of.
Let's Talk Money: The Strictly.ai Pricing Breakdown
This is where the rubber meets the road for most businesses. It’s not a $12/month template builder, and it shouldn't be. You're buying a lead generation system. The pricing seems to have evolved, but their current structure is pretty clear. I've broken it down into a simple table.
| Plan | Price (Per Year) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $450 | Businesses wanting to enhance an existing website with AI conversational features. A great entry point. |
| Convert | $3,950 | The core offering. A fully custom, done-for-you conversational website built from scratch. For businesses serious about lead flow. |
| Grow | $9,500 | Larger businesses or agencies that need more scale, multiple AI assistants, and higher usage limits. |
My take? The price might cause some sticker shock if you're comparing it to a basic hosting plan. But that's the wrong comparison. You need to compare it to the cost of an employee, the cost of a lead-gen service, or the cost of lost leads from a bad website. If the Convert plan gets you just a few extra high-ticket jobs per year, it pays for itself easily. I also love that they offer a "Free Done For You Setup" on their plans. That removes a huge technical hurdle for a lot of folks.
The Good, The Bad, and The AI
No tool is perfect. After digging through everything, here’s my honest breakdown.
On the bright side, this platform solves a very real, very expensive problem for local businesses: leaky lead funnels. The automation of both the conversation and teh technical SEO is a powerful combination. It’s a forward-thinking approach that feels like a natural evolution of what a website should be doing in the first place.
However, let's be realistic. The price on the higher tiers will be a barrier for brand new or struggling businesses. It requires a certain level of established revenue to make the investment feel comfortable. There's also the reliance on AI. While powerful, you can't just set it and forget it entirely. You'll still want to monitor the conversations and make sure the AI is representing your brand correctly. It’s a tool, not a magic wand. Finally, I’d question if this is the right fit for every business. A high-end bespoke furniture maker might not benefit as much as a 24/7 emergency plumbing company. The more transactional and lead-focused your business is, the better this will probably work.
Frequently Asked Questions I'd Ask Myself
Is this just another fancy chatbot?
No, and I think that's the key point. It’s about building the entire site experience around a conversation, not just adding a pop-up. The AI is trained on your specific business data, making it a much smarter and more integrated tool than a generic, third-party chat widget.
Can I really trust AI with my SEO?
For the technical foundation? Yes. Things like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and clean code are what machines excel at. For content strategy, keyword research and link building? No. You still need a human brain for that. Think of it as the AI building you a race car; you still need a skilled driver to win the race.
Is the "Done For You Setup" really free?
According to their pricing page, yes. It appears to be included in the annual cost of the plans. This is a massive value-add, as it removes the implementation headache, which is often where businesses get stuck.
What kind of businesses see the best results with this?
In my opinion, any local service business that relies on appointments, quotes, or consultations. Plumbers, HVAC companies, lawyers, mortgage brokers, dentists, cleaning services, contractors... if your business grows by getting people on the phone or in the door, this is built for you.
How does the pricing lock-in work?
Their site says, "Lock your price in forever before they go up." This is a classic (and smart) SaaS marketing tactic. It encourages early adoption by promising you won't be subject to future price hikes. If you believe in the platform, getting in now could save you money down the line.
Final Thoughts: Is Strictly.ai Worth It?
I came into this with a healthy dose of cynicism, but I'm walking away genuinely intrigued. Strictly.ai is one of the first platforms I’ve seen that doesn't just use AI as a gimmick but places it at the very core of its value proposition to solve a real-world business problem.
The era of the static, brochure website is ending, especially for local businesses that need to be more than just an online phonebook entry. The shift to dynamic, interactive, and conversational experiences is already happening. Strictly.ai isn't just following that trend; it’s building a platform to lead it.
It’s not for everyone. The investment requires you to be serious about growth. But for the right business—one that’s tired of a website that doesn't pull its weight—it could be a total game-changer. It's a compelling look at the future of the web for local business, and it's happening right now.
Reference and Sources
- Strictly.ai Official Website
- Strictly.ai Pricing Page
- What Is Conversational Marketing? - A helpful overview from Neil Patel
