How I Build Websites in 2026: AI, Claude Code, and the Future of Web Development

I’m going to be honest with you about something most developers won’t say out loud: AI has fundamentally changed how I build websites. Not in a gimmicky, slap-a-chatbot-on-it kind of way. In a “this is now woven into every hour of my workday” kind of way.

If you’ve hired a web developer in the last year — or you’re thinking about hiring one — you deserve to know what’s actually happening behind the scenes. Because the developers who are leveraging these tools are building better work, faster. And the ones who aren’t? They’re falling behind.

Here’s exactly how I work in 2026, what tools I use, and what it means for you as a client.

My Daily Driver: Claude Code + Opus

Every morning, I open my terminal and fire up Claude Code. It’s Anthropic’s command-line AI assistant, and it’s become the most important tool in my workflow — right up there with my code editor and my coffee.

The model I use most is Claude Opus 4.6. If you’re not familiar with AI model tiers, think of it this way: Opus is the heavyweight. It’s the model you bring in when you need deep reasoning, complex architecture decisions, or when you’re building something that requires understanding hundreds of files at once.

When I’m working on your website, Opus is helping me:

• Architect the project structure — figuring out the best way to organize your site for speed, maintainability, and SEO
• Write production-quality code — not just boilerplate, but thoughtful, well-tested code that follows best practices
• Debug tricky issues — when something isn’t working, Opus can reason through the problem and find root causes I might spend hours hunting for manually
• Review my own work — before I ship anything, I have AI review my code for security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and accessibility problems

This isn’t “AI writing code and I just hit enter.” I’m directing every decision. I’m the architect. Claude is the most capable assistant I’ve ever worked with.

The Right Model for the Right Job

Here’s something most people don’t realize about AI: there’s no single “best” model. Different tasks call for different tools, just like you wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame.

My daily toolkit includes three tiers:

Opus 4.6 — The Deep Thinker

This is what I use for the heavy lifting. Complex component architecture, multi-file refactors, writing business logic that needs to be bulletproof. When I’m building your contact form with four layers of spam protection, or structuring your site’s SEO schema so Google actually understands what your business does — that’s Opus territory.

Sonnet — The Workhorse

Sonnet is fast and capable. I use it for everyday coding tasks: building out page layouts, writing utility functions, generating responsive CSS. It’s like having a skilled junior developer who works at the speed of thought and never needs a coffee break.

Haiku — The Speed Demon

Haiku is lightweight and incredibly fast. I use it for quick tasks: generating boilerplate, formatting data, writing commit messages, and handling routine operations. It costs a fraction of Opus and it’s perfect for the small stuff that adds up over the course of a day.

Why does this matter? Because using the right model for the right task means I’m not burning time or money on overkill, and I’m not cutting corners on the work that demands precision. Your project gets the exact level of attention each task requires.

Building Claire: My Own AI Assistant

One of the projects I’m most excited about right now is Claire — a personal AI assistant I’m building on Cloudflare Workers. The name is a nod to OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant framework that inspired the project.

Right now, Claire is still in early stages. She can handle basic tasks, but I’m building her to grow into something much bigger:

• Lead generation — helping qualify and respond to incoming inquiries
• Content drafting — assisting with blog posts, proposals, and client communications
• Email management — drafting responses and organizing client correspondence
• Project context — understanding each client’s project so she can help me work more efficiently

Why am I telling you this? Because building AI tools — not just using them — is part of how I stay sharp. The developers who are just consumers of AI are already behind the ones who are building with it. And when Claire is ready, she’ll make the entire client experience smoother.

I Read AI News Every Single Day

This isn’t something I do casually. Every morning, before I start client work, I spend time reading about what’s happening in AI. New model releases, new capabilities, new frameworks, new research.

Why? Because the landscape changes weekly. The tools I’m using today are meaningfully better than what I was using six months ago. If I stopped paying attention for even a month, I’d miss capabilities that could save my clients time and money.

Here’s what I’m tracking right now:

• New model capabilities — each generation of AI models gets dramatically better at coding, reasoning, and understanding context
• Developer tooling — new integrations, workflows, and frameworks that make AI more useful in production work
• Industry applications — how other developers and agencies are using AI, what’s working, what’s not
• The research frontier — what’s coming next, so I can prepare for it rather than react to it

This is my competitive edge. I’m not just a developer who knows HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I’m a developer who understands where the entire industry is heading and is already building with tomorrow’s tools.

The Matt Shumer Thesis (And Why I Agree)

If you follow the AI space at all, you might have heard of Matt Shumer. He’s the CEO of HyperWrite and one of the most vocal thinkers about how AI will reshape work. His core thesis is simple but profound:

AI won’t replace developers. But developers who use AI will replace developers who don’t.

I believe this completely. And I’d extend it further: the developers who are building with AI — not just using it as a fancy autocomplete — are the ones who will deliver the most value in the next five years.

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

• Speed without sacrifice. I can build a complete, production-ready website in a fraction of the time it used to take — without cutting corners on quality, accessibility, or performance.
• Deeper problem-solving. Instead of spending hours on repetitive tasks, I spend that time thinking about your business, your customers, and how your website can actually drive results.
• Better code quality. Every piece of code gets reviewed by AI before it ships. That means fewer bugs, better security, and a site that’s easier to maintain long-term.
• Staying current. The web moves fast. AI helps me stay on top of new best practices, browser capabilities, and performance techniques.

What This Means for You (The Business Owner)

Okay, so I’ve talked about my tools and my process. But what does this actually mean for you?

1. You’re Getting More Value for Your Investment

When I can build faster without sacrificing quality, that means your project gets more attention to detail within the same budget. Instead of spending three hours writing boilerplate code, I’m spending those three hours refining your homepage copy, optimizing your site speed, and making sure every page converts.

2. Your Website Will Be More Technically Sound

AI-assisted code review catches issues that human eyes miss. Security vulnerabilities, accessibility problems, performance bottlenecks — these get caught before your site goes live, not after.

3. You’re Working With Someone Who’s Future-Proof

The web industry is changing rapidly. You want a developer who’s not just keeping up with the changes, but leading them. I’m not going to build you a site using yesterday’s tools and charge you today’s prices.

4. The Human Touch Isn’t Going Anywhere

Here’s the thing that matters most: AI doesn’t replace the discovery call. It doesn’t replace understanding your business, your market, or your customers. It doesn’t replace the design intuition that comes from years of experience. And it definitely doesn’t replace the relationship between us.

AI makes the technical execution faster and better. The strategy, the creativity, and the personal service? That’s still 100% human. That’s still me, sitting down with you, understanding what you need, and building something that actually works for your business.

The Bottom Line

The best developers in 2026 aren’t the ones writing every line of code by hand. They’re the ones who know how to combine human creativity and business understanding with AI-powered execution.

I use Claude Code and Opus 4.6 as my daily drivers. I use Sonnet and Haiku for the right tasks at the right times. I’m building my own AI tools. I read about this stuff every single day. And I do all of it for one reason: to build better websites for my clients.

If you’re looking for a developer who’s on the cutting edge — not because it’s trendy, but because it delivers better results — let’s talk. I’d love to show you what’s possible.