The report finds that adoption is no longer the challenge, as precise use cases for AI are emerging and those most prolific and practiced in AI are more likely to report impact on revenue.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — blue hostThe SMB business platform that millions of small businesses, developers and agencies around the world rely on to run, grow and scale in the age of AI, today launched its inaugural release. State of Small Business AI Trust report. The study examines how American small business owners are adopting AI, how confident they feel using it, and where they see the biggest opportunities in the future. Their central finding names a new dividing line for the coming era: a trust gap in AI that increasingly separates small businesses that turn AI into outcomes from those still working to use it well.
Conducted in partnership with ListenLabs, the study surveyed 350 American small business owners across a wide variety of industries. AI adoption among this group was widespread, with 87% already using at least one AI tool and more than half using it every day. The most commonly reported AI tools in use were the general-purpose AI chat platforms ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. On average, small business owners rate their ability to use AI effectively at just 5.3 out of 10, and only 20% consider themselves very confident.
While AI is now widely available to all businesses, making it practical, reliable, and relevant to the realities of running a small business is the work ahead for AI solution providers to enable trust, usability, and revenue impact.
“Small business owners have always found ways to rise above their resources through courage, creativity and determination,” said Sachin Puri, CEO of Bluehost. “AI can give them an extraordinary advantage, but only when it is truly useful in the day-to-day realities of business. If it takes too much time to learn, too much effort to manage, or too much guesswork to rely on, it becomes another burden. Bluehost is on a mission to support small businesses with AI solutions designed specifically for their needs, easy to use, and backed by real human support.”
Key Findings Indicate AI Trust Gap Is Becoming an Income Gap
- 78% of homeowners save time each week and nearly half (48%) save four or more hours a week, showing concrete benefits even while confidence is still increasing.
- 39% reported some level of revenue growth since adopting AI.
- Owners who report high confidence in their use of AI are almost three times more likely to see revenue gains than owners with low confidence (65% compared to 23%).
- Owners with more than two years of AI experience are about twice as likely to see a positive impact on revenue than newer users (55% compared to 27%).
- Owners who report saving more than 16 hours per week using AI are 3.7 times more likely to report a positive impact on income than those who save 1-3 hours (72% vs. 20%).
Small business owners are looking for AI solutions designed specifically for their businesses
Bluehost’s research also revealed trust gaps that determine where owners are willing to allow AI to operate. Only 6% of owners rely heavily on AI to write their brand voice, keeping much of AI’s potential behind the scenes and underscoring the value of keeping a human being in the loop.
The study also highlights how much guidance is still needed as AI reshapes search, content and customer discovery. Nearly nine in ten owners have yet to take steps to optimize their websites for AI search, and 22% encountered the concept for the first time in this study, indicating a wide educational gap at a time when AI-powered discovery is becoming more important. Looking ahead, looking at the opportunities presented by AI agent adoption, 79% of owners are aware of AI agents, while only 16% have implemented one. Top automation priorities when considering agent deployment include SEO and site updates, Google and social media advertising management, and lead capture and appointment booking.
“At Bluehost, we pride ourselves on being closely connected to small businesses to understand their needs and help them thrive online,” said Salim Ali, CMO of Bluehost. “With SMBs representing 99.9% of all US businesses and generating 43.5% of total US GDP, the potential positive impact of AI on SMBs and the broader economy is extraordinary. Our mission is to help make AI highly accessible and useful to small business owners so they can take advantage of what benefits larger companies that have more technical resources. In addition to leveraging insights from our study to inform our product roadmap, we inspires the launch of a new AI Confidence webinar series designed to help small business owners succeed.”
He State of Small Business AI Trust The report is part of Bluehost’s ongoing commitment to helping SMBs and builders build, grow and scale online. Through AI-powered solutions designed specifically for small businesses and a movement to expand AI education for small business owners, Bluehost aims to close the trust gap and make advanced technology accessible, practical and impactful for business owners at every stage of growth.
For more information and to read the full report, visit bluehost.com/state-of-small-business-AI-confidence-2026.
About the study
Bluehost partnered with ListenLabs to conduct an online quantitative and qualitative study of 350 US small business owners in May 2026. Participants were business owners with between 1 and 50 employees across a wide range of industries. The survey examined AI adoption, self-assessment of confidence, confidence in AI for customer-facing work, return on investment in time and revenue, awareness and readiness for AI search, and appetite for agent AI. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 5.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Subgroup analyzes carry a greater margin of error.
About BlueHost
Trusted by over 5 million customers worldwide, Bluehost is the all-in-one platform that enables entrepreneurs, small businesses, developers, and agencies to create, grow, and operate online. With high-speed performance hosting and AI-powered tools that simplify everything from site and store building to agent creation, along with real human support along the way, Bluehost is built for growth and easy to run. Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005. For more information, visit Bluehost.com.
About Newfold Digital
Newfold Digital is a leading web and business technology company serving nearly 7 million customers worldwide through our portfolio of brands including Bluehost, Crazy Domains, HostGator, Network Solutions, Yoast, YITH and many others. We help clients of all sizes build a digital presence that delivers results. With our extensive product offerings and personalized support, we pride ourselves on collaborating with our customers to meet their online presence needs. Learn more about Newfold Digital at Newfold.com.
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