New research with Localogy reveals how framing AI as automation builds trust, boosts adoption, and drives better outcomes for small business clients.

Boulder, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - August 26, 2025) - Duda, the leading white-label website builder for agencies and SaaS platforms, has released new findings in collaboration with Localogy.

The research showed how SMBs perceive AI and how agencies can position AI-powered tools more effectively to drive adoption and results.

Source: Duda

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The 2025 Duda-Localogy SMB Perceptions of AI and Automation Report, based on a survey of 754 small and mid-sized business owners, revealed 75% of SMBs are experimenting with AI, but many remain skeptical of the term itself.

By contrast, 86% expressed confidence in "automation", even when describing identical features.

"We conducted this survey to understand how SMBs perceive AI versus automation, what drives adoption, and where the barriers lie," said Mike Boland, Senior Analyst at Localogy.

"Our goal is to equip SaaS providers and marketing agencies with insights that help them bridge the trust gap, ensuring that AI adoption is built on a foundation of transparency, education, and real-world value."

The report provides a clear blueprint for how digital agencies can frame and support AI tools to increase adoption and long-term client value. Key takeaways include:

Why Agencies Should Rethink How They Talk About AI

• SMBs are 24% more likely to respond positively to automation than AI
• 15% of SMBs still don't fully understand what AI does
• Only 2% say the same about automation

Build Trust in AI Through:

• Plain-language messaging that emphasizes outcomes over technology
• Guided onboarding and walkthroughs that help clients understand and apply AI features
• Real-world use cases like automated content creation, faster lead response, and smart reporting
• Seamless integration of AI into familiar tools, so SMBs see it as an upgrade, not a risk

"SMBs are eager for innovation, but they also exercise caution in their adoption of emerging technologies," said Itai Sadan, CEO and co-founder of Duda.

"Agencies and software providers have an incredible opportunity to lead this transformation, not just by offering AI-powered tools and services, but by providing the expertise SMBs need to use these tools effectively."

Discover how to position AI successfully for your SMB at https://www.duda.co/ai-assistant.

About Duda:
Duda is a leading white label web building platform for digital agencies, SaaS platforms, and web professionals offering web design services to SMBs. From its industry-leading AI Assistant to advanced API-driven automation workflows, Duda offers web professionals a comprehensive suite of tools to build pixel-perfect, feature-rich websites efficiently and at scale-all on a flexible platform that can be fully customized to match their go-to-market strategy and ideal customer experience. As the top platform for Core Web Vitals, a critical metric for SEO performance, Duda makes it easy for web professionals to deliver a superior digital presence and outstanding performance to their customers under their own brand. More than 22,000 organizations have trusted Duda to build 1 million active websites. For more information, visit www.duda.co.

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