The most common question a Dubai website development company receives
Updated: October 2024
This article will help those looking to develop a new website understand the related costs and help provide insights into one of the most frequently asked questions our team is asked: How much does it cost to build a new website in Dubai or the UAE?
Before we get into how a website is priced and what features influence this, there's no doubt many readers of this article simply want to know how much a new website costs in Dubai. Now, without further delay, please see below:
This is how much a new website will cost you in Dubai. For a small and simple business website, the cost will be approximately AED 15,000. For a conversion or lead-focused website, the cost will be from AED 35,000, while a complex, feature-rich website will cost upwards of AED 50,000.
Much like a lot of products and services in the market, there are many variables involved that change the price of a website design in Dubai. For example, let's look at buying a Jeep Wrangler. The base model starts at AED 125,000 and is brand new. However, with add-ons and extras, the price can quickly jump to AED 155,000 and above with varying roof types, wheel options, rims, seat quality, engine add-ons, etc. The two images below help to illustrate the differences between the two models:
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The most important question to ask when building a website is, 'What do I want to get out of my website?'
Are you looking to use your website to:
Once you understand exactly what you need, we can design and build your website to do what you need to achieve these goals.
Factors that affect the website design price in Dubai:
The price of the website varies on some of these key elements that make up your website and the length of time it takes to build or implement them.
There are various technologies out there, but the most common platforms are ASP.net and PHP. The arguments about which one is better have been discussed for years. We personally prefer ASP.net and this is where the strength of our team lies. When we build a website, we design it using ASP.net from the ground up to suit your brand. There are several reasons for this, but here are a few:
The size of the website is going to directly affect how long it takes to make and how much it will cost. If you have a 300-page website, it will take much longer to build than a simple five-page website. Also, with a large website, there may be animations and links between pages, lengthening the process longer and making it more complicated.
The Website DesignWhen it comes to a basic corporate site, the site may only have 5 - 10 pages and it is a simple online brochure of the company that showcases the brand, its staff, the products and services, and the contact details. However, with these simple sites, lousy design and over-complication can confuse the customer. This could lead to the customer leaving your website and choosing the next option on Google - probably your competitor.
The website design and how complicated it is can also affect the price. For instance, largely image/text-based websites are built faster than websites where every single page is hand-drawn/designed. Again, revert back to the question asked previously, 'What do I want to get out of my website?'
If it is simply to show that you exist and have a webpage, then go simple. If the website is to show off your abilities, for instance, with companies that provide services like branding, then a more artistic and creative approach may work better, allowing you to showcase your creativity and other important talents.
The most critical factor with design is to get your website to do what you want it to do. Ensure the design allows your customer to make the transaction you want them to make, whether it be to contact you, buy a product, submit their details, subscribe, etc.
Two factors are predominant here; function of the website and interaction with third parties.
The function of the website will affect the price. The more complex, the more expensive it will be. With e-commerce sites, you are using the website as a shop. There will often be many product categories, products, brands, sub-products, etc. Therefore, there will be a lot of work involved in E-commerce Website Development. E-commerce sites also typically allow your customers to build their own profiles and add all of their details. After this, the customer also wants to shop. Therefore, you need a link to a payment gateway so they can make a purchase. Here, the web company needs to communicate with either a payment gateway provider or a bank, so you also have to expect delays in interaction back and forth with these. Lastly, with e-commerce sites, an important area to consider is the security issue. The website needs to be stable, and all transactions must be safe and secure; otherwise, you will lose the trust of your customers.
Other third-party integrations can range from talking to your CRM or ERP system. For example, hotels and restaurants want integration with room booking and table booking applications. At a bare minimum, you should connect your website with a database system, like SQL or MySQL, which allows you to store information that has been put on your website.
Third-party integration can often cause the cost to rise, but the integration will mean automation for your business and less manual work, freeing up your resources to help you make more money!
The Content Management System (or CMS) is often overlooked in the buying process, but it remains one of the most crucial parts of your website. This system allows you to edit or update the information on your website once it has launched.
As with the platform's technologies, the technology that could be used for this is extensive. The players in the market are companies like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, and many more for CMS development.
The best way to approach this subject is to consider who will manage the website once it is launched. If the person is very technical, then one of the above CMS options could work. However, most of the time, marketing or administrative staff are updating the website. These groups of people are generally less tech-savvy and just want something simple to use. We would build a custom CMS in this case - a simple editor that allows you to click on what you want to change and then change it. Easy-peasy!
As technology continues to evolve in 2024 and beyond, the number of website content management systems continues to rise. While costs can impact the choice of CMS, it's important that businesses consider the following elements to help them select the best CMS for their business:
Based on these answers, a website development agency can help you determine the best CMS for your business requirements and budget.
In some industries, such as Oil and Gas, the new website may serve as nothing more than a shopfront for the business. The relationships the businesses have with their customers are often long-established, and these relationships are used alone to generate leads and sales.
Basic corporate websites are often used when a company is newly established and simply doesn't have the budget yet for something more extensive. In these cases, the website can be just 5-10 pages long and very simple in terms of features and functionality. For this 5-10 page basic corporate site, a guide price can be between AED 15,000 - 35,000 and delivery can be expected in less than 2 or 3 weeks.
These sites depend on some of the factors mentioned above, but for a 10-30 page website, you should expect to budget for AED 35,000-60,000. These types of websites may take slightly longer to design and build, but you should expect delivery within approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
The bigger they are, the more interactive and complicated they become. That's why you are looking at AED 60,000 and above for a more advanced website that includes more functions and interactivity.
The costs here depend on the level of complexity; the more products there are, the more expensive they are. If you want to build Amazon number 2, you could set aside millions to build it. The range of cost varies but can range from AED 30,000 to AED 200,000, depending on features and license requirements. If you are considering building an e-commerce site, speak to an expert to figure out precisely what you need and how it can work. They can also build it in phases to help you with your budget and test if your products work online.
The following summarises the information to help you budget for a new website:
Web design costs in Dubai vary hugely based on what you want to get out of it. It is best to talk to our expert and get a real cost evaluation of your project. Consider the following key expectations from your web development company:
Profile and experience in Dubai and beyond. Look at the web company's profile and the work they have completed, which is similar to your model. They will be able to tell you exactly how much each one costs and why. You can also get a good idea of how they are by interacting with some of their websites and seeing how they work.
Fit. If a web company doesn't understand your needs from the start, they probably won't at the end of the project, and you'll end up being unhappy with the final design. Make sure your web company understands you and your ideas; otherwise, they probably aren't the right fit. Remember that this isn't a you versus them situation - you are building a project together. If they don't come off as a potential partner to your business, then they probably aren't the best fit.
Budget. Tell the web company how much you have to put towards this project. Most of the time, they are not trying to use all of your money but seeing how they could apply it best. Good web design companies will have a budgeting formula. Get them to show you how it works and how they calculate your price.
Communication. As with anything in life, communication is key. In the UAE, there are many communities, races, religions and languages and thiscan make communication difficult. Make sure your web design company is based in and works in your region. If they outsource to other companies based in other countries, then you are likely to lose time (and money) in communication, and your project will be delayed and probably won't be what you expected. You may pay a little more for 100% in-house, but you will reap the rewards of a timely delivery of what you actually want. Don't underestimate the value of being able to sit face-to-face with those working on your project.
Curious about what your web design will cost in Dubai? Get started today with our website calculator and take the first step towards creating a website that drives results for your business.