For years, small businesses had two options for their digital marketing: do it yourself (badly) or hire an agency (expensively). In 2026, there’s a third option that’s changing everything — AI-powered digital assistants.

The problem with traditional agencies

Let’s be honest about what most small businesses get from a digital agency:

• High monthly retainers — $3,000 to $10,000 per month is standard for SEO and web management
• Slow turnaround — Want to change a heading? That’ll be in next week’s sprint
• Generic strategies — Your account manager handles 15 other clients and uses the same playbook for all of them
• Reports you don’t understand — 30-page PDFs full of metrics that don’t clearly connect to your bottom line

Agencies aren’t bad — they’re just built for bigger budgets. When you’re a plumber, tradesperson, or local service business, you need something that works harder for less.

What an AI assistant actually does

An AI assistant like Sally is connected directly to your WordPress website. She doesn’t just suggest changes — she makes them. Here’s what that looks like day-to-day:

• Publishes SEO-optimised blog posts targeting keywords your customers search for
• Monitors your Google rankings and adjusts strategy when things change
• Fixes technical issues (broken links, slow pages, missing meta tags) automatically
• Tracks what your competitors are doing and recommends how to beat them
• Sends you clear weekly reports showing what improved and what’s next

The cost difference

A traditional agency charges $3,000-$10,000/month and works on your account a few hours per week. An AI assistant costs from $500/month and works on your site every single day, including weekends and holidays.

That’s not a slight improvement — it’s a fundamentally different value proposition.

Is AI right for your business?

AI assistants work best for small to medium businesses that need consistent, high-quality digital marketing but can’t justify agency-level budgets. If you’re spending more than $500/month on digital marketing and not seeing clear results, it’s worth exploring what an AI assistant could do instead.

Get a free SEO audit and see exactly what Sally would improve on your site — no obligation, no sales pitch.