AI Agents Are Coming — Is Your Website Ready for Its New Visitors?
So, I recently watched a keynote by Jeremiah Owyang about AI agents and how they’re set to change the way we reach audiences. It got me thinking: what does this mean for websites, businesses, and content creators? And more importantly, how do we prepare for it?
What Are AI Agents, Anyway?
In simple terms, AI agents are autonomous software systems that can perceive their environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. Think of them as digital assistants that don’t just follow commands but actually learn and adapt over time.
The Shift: From B2C to B2A (Business to Agent)
We’re all familiar with B2C (Business to Consumer) and B2B (Business to Business). But now, new models are emerging:
B2A (Business to Agent)
C2A (Consumer to Agent)
A2A (Agent to Agent)
Yes, it’s getting a bit sci-fi, but it’s happening. AI agents are starting to handle tasks like shopping, content consumption, and even decision-making on behalf of humans.
Your Website’s New Audience: AI Agents
Here’s the kicker: if you own a website, your most frequent visitor might soon be an AI agent, not a human. These agents will browse the internet to perform tasks for their human counterparts. That means your website needs to cater to both humans and machines.
Decoupling Design and Data
As AI agents become more prevalent, the data layer and content layer of your website will need to decouple from its aesthetics. In other words, while your site should still look good for human visitors, it also needs to present information in a way that’s easily digestible for AI agents.
The Evolving Decision Funnel
The traditional decision funnel is transforming. AI agents will eventually handle much of the browsing, comparing, and purchasing processes. This shift means:
Google Ads may become less relevant. Instead, we’ll see sponsored sentences in AI responses.
New APIs will emerge to serve data to AI agents, sitting behind the ‘human’ layer of the site.
Content for AI agents can be uploaded in large quantities, separate from human-facing content.
The Future: AI Agents Interacting Autonomously
Looking ahead, AI agents might start interacting with each other autonomously — buying, selling, and negotiating with minimal human intervention. It’s a bit science fiction-y, but it’s on the horizon.
Websites are becoming more important than ever. They need to serve human visitors effectively AND cater to AI agents
What This Means for Web Designers and Developers
Websites are becoming more important than ever. They need to:
Serve human visitors effectively, resonating with their shortened attention spans.
Cater to AI agents, providing structured data and machine-readable content.
As developers and designers, we need to be aware of these new requirements and adapt accordingly.
Need Help Making Your Website AI Agent-Friendly?
At Jambi Digital, we specialize in building future-ready websites that resonate with both real users and smart agents. Let’s chat about how we can prepare your site for this new era.