You Asked, We Replied: About Website Development in UAE

Is website important for my business?

Having a website for your business is no more a choice. It’s a mandatory thing to have. Just like you need a name, address, and license for your business, you need a website too.

Without a website, you can’t grow your business in the UAE. Reason? Well, most of your competitors already have a website that they are using to attract your potential clients. Just do a little research and you will find that your competitors are also generating business through their websites.

Therefore, building a website is no more a choice. If you are running a business, you need a website. 

How much does a website cost?

The answer to this question can’t be in one line. Because the cost of website development depends on your business and the features that you want to incorporate in your website.

Let’s take a few scenario here.

If you need a website to showcase your company’ services, portfolio, contact details, etc., you need a business/corporate website. The cost to build a corporate website in the UAE starts at AED 1000 and can go up to AED 3000 or more.

If you want to build an online store to sell your products online and receive online payments from your customers, you need an eCommerce website. The cost to build an eCommerce website in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE starts at AED 3000 and can go up to AED 10000 or more. 

Now that you have an idea about the website development costs, you can consult a competent web developer or a web design agency to get a quotation.

Recommended post: How much is the website design cost in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE?

How much time does a website development take?

The time to build a website completely depends on the nature or size of the website. The more features & sections of a website are, the more time it takes to build. For example, it may take 1-2 weeks to create a corporate website while an eCommerce website development may take 3 weeks or more to set up. The website development timeframe may also depend on the experience of your website developer. Experienced website builders can build an eCommerce website in as few as 10 days. So, check out the working experience of your web developer before hiring them.

Is there any recurring cost involved in website development?

Yes, there are a few recurring payments that you may need to consider before starting your website development in the UAE. Below are some of the common recurring/ongoing website costs:

• Website hosting: It’s the space where your website & emails will be hosted. In most cases, you will have to renew your website hosting every year.
• Domain name: The name of your website is known as the domain name. For example, in our case, our domain name is innomedia.ae. For a domain name also, you will need to pay every year.
• SSL: An SSL certificate is used on your hosting server to secure your website. SSL certificates also come with a nominal cost that you have to pay for every year.
• Premium plugin cost: If your web developer has used any premium plugin to build your website, you may have to pay for it every month or year. Before you hire a website developer, make sure to get clarity on this.

How does the website development process look like?

The process of website development involves a few steps, mainly below:

• Website design: The first step in website development is to design its layout. Your web designer will create a template/layout for your website and present it to you for your approval/feedback. Based on your feedback, they will make the necessary changes.
• Website development: The process of website development starts after the finalization of website design. Once you give the go-ahead to your web development team, they will then start building the website based on the approved design. This is the phase where the web developers will add all the required features to the website.
• Content feeding: After the setup of a basic website structure, the web development team will then start adding the content to the website.
• Feedback & changes: At this stage, the client is given temporary access to view the website and provide the web developers with feedback. The web developers will make the necessary changes according to the client’s feedback. This process may take a few rounds.
• Testing: After making all the required changes, the next step will be to test the whole website before launching it.
• Going live: This is the final step of website development. The web developers will launch the website and make it accessible to public for viewing.

How to save on website development cost?

This is one of the common questions that we get from our potential customers. “How can I reduce the cost of my website development?“.

There are many ways in which you can reduce the cost of your website making. Below are some of them:

• Use a CMS like WordPress: Using WordPress for website development can save on your website design cost by more than 40%. Not only the cost, WordPress CMS can also save you time to create the website.
• Subscribe to affordable website hosting: Web hosting plays an important role in making or breaking a website. Not all the expensive web hosting packages are good. There are many reliable yet affordable web hosting companies that you can subscribe to.
• Choose a template/theme: Ask your web developer to use a template/theme to build your website instead of creating a custom design. This decision alone can save you a lot.
• Learn yourself: This is one of the best ways to save on your website development and website maintenance cost. When you can make changes to your website’s content, you don’t need to hire a web developer for these tasks.

What is a content management system?

A CMS (content management system) is an open-source platform that enables webmasters to build their websites quickly & cost-effectively. Over the last 2 decades, we’ve witnessed a never-ending popularity of content management systems. A CMS can help businesses save on their website development costs and maintenance costs.

Below are some of the popular CMSs for building websites:

• WordPress
• Drupal
• Joomla
• OpenCart
• Magento

What is responsive website design?

Responsive website design is an approach to building a website that ensures a website’s layout, images, and other content adjust efficiently across various devices and screen sizes.

The responsive website design approach eliminates the need to create separate versions of a website for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. A responsive design uses flexible grids, fluid images, and CSS media queries to adapt the content to different viewing environments.

Benefits? There are several benefits of using a responsive design for websites. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Responsive website design is SEO-friendly.
• Responsive website design is cost-effective because now you don’t have to build a separate website for mobiles.
• Responsive website design helps websites load quickly on mobiles.
• Responsive website design helps mobile users navigate a website easily.

How to secure a website?

The security of a website is the most important concern for every webmaster. With the ever growing possibilities of security threats and vulnerabilities, it has become crucial than ever to protect websites.

But you don’t need to worry. Because a professional website developer can help you secure your website by implementing a few strategies to it.

Below are some of the activities that most web developers do to secure their client’s website:

• Upgrade the website’s core software (for example, WordPress) to its latest version.
  Upgrade website’s theme and plugins to their latest versions.
• Restricting the access to the crucial files of a website.
• Changing the conventional path or URL to access a website’s backend.
• Installing a security plugin such as “All in One WP Security”

Consult a web developer now to secure your website or build a secured website.

What is website hosting?

Website hosting allows you to make your website accessible to the world. It’s a virtual storage where your web developers host your website files, folders, and database. Most web hosting packages also come with email hosting. So, if you need an official email such as info@yourwebsitename.com, you can subscribe to a web hosting package and create your emails.

To make a website accessible to the world, you also need a domain name. A domain name can be pointed to web hosting to let users open a website through its name. The domain name is the address of your website. For example, in our case, our website domain is innomedia.ae.

Web hosting plays a vital role in the development of a website. It can make or break your website and your online business. Therefore, you must choose a web hosting package very carefully. If you are not sure which web hosting company is best, you can consult your web design or developer to help you subscribe to a reliable yet affordable web hosting company.

Is WordPress good for my website development?

WordPress web development is one of the best & effective ways to build a website at an affordable cost. If you are a startup or a small business and looking to save money on your website development, go for WordPress.

There are many benefits of using WordPress for website development. Some of these benefits are mentioned below:

• WordPress CMS is easy to use. Even a layman can use WordPress’s backend to manage their website.
• WordPress is free. You don’t have to pay for any monthly or yearly subscription to use it.
• WordPress is SEO-friendly. This means your website will have a high chance of ranking on search engines.
• WordPress enables webmasters and web developers to build their websites quickly.
• There are hundreds of themes that you can use to make your WordPress website look beautiful.
• WordPress developers are easily available for hire. These developers also charge lower fees as compared to other developers like Java developers, Dot Net developers, etc. 

So, if you need a low-cost website, seek a website quotation from an experienced WordPress developer.

What is website redesign & when is it needed?

The facelift of a website is known as website redesign. The redesigning of a website can also include enhancing its features & functionalities. Below are some of the major benefits of redesigning/revamping your website:

• You get a new look for your website.
• You get an opportunity to change the structure & content of your existing website to make it look more attractive.
• You may start getting more conversions & sales of your website after revamping it.

Below are some of the situations in which you may need to redesign your website:

• When your website design is outdated.
• When your website is not performing well.
• When you want to change your existing website’s overall concept or structure.
• When you need more conversions or desired results from your website.
• When you want to make your website better than your competitors.
• When you change your range of services.

What are the different types of websites that I can have?

There are several types of websites that you can build. It depends on your requirements. Below are some examples for you to choose from.

If you need a corporate/business website to showcase your services or expertise, you need a corporate/business website. This kind of website will allow potential customers to view your services and contact you through a web form or WhatsApp. Depending on your unique requirements, a business website may cost you AED 1000 or more.

Recommended post: How much does a business website cost in the UAE?

Another type of website is an eCommerce store. With the help of an eCommerce website, you can sell your products or services online and receive payments from your customers online. An eCommerce website can help small retail businesses grow their sales & turnover by reaching out to a vast audience. The cost to develop an eCommerce website in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE may start at AED 4000 and can go up to AED 10000 or more.

Some people or companies also prefer building a blog to share their views & opinions with their target audience. A blog can also help businesses to get found on search engines. Building a blog in the UAE may cost you AED 800 or more.

If you want to develop a website/platform where service providers or vendors can meet their customers, you need a marketplace website. The cost to create a marketplace website in the UAE may start at AED 10000 or more.

What is SEO & how can a developer make an SEO-friendly website?

SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization, is optimizing a website to rank on search engines like Google. Without visibility on search engines, your website may not be able to attract your potential customers. So, having a website is not enough to run a business. It must be visible to your potential customers and they should be able to find it when they need your services or products.

Below are some of how a website developer can make your website SEO-friendly:

• Install an SEO plugin like ‘Yoast SEO’ that will allow you to set meta tags for each webpage so that the search engines can read them and show your site for the relevant keywords.
• Interlink webpages with the relevant terms and keywords.
• Ensure the website’s loading time is minimal.
• Ensure that there are no broken links on the website.
• Ensure that the website is responsive for mobile users.

What kind of services do web developers in Dubai/UAE provide?

You need to hire a website designer or developer when you want your business/brand to grow online. Below are some of the important services that most website builders in the UAE offer to their clients:

• Website design & development (when you start a new business and want to build a website).
• (when you want to change your website’s design or overall features).
• Website maintenance (if you don’t have time to maintain your website).
• Website repair (if you are experiencing any bugs or issues on your website).
• Website optimization (when you want your website to rank on search engines for the relevant keywords).
• eCommerce store (if you want to sell your products or services online).

Can I add eCommerce features to my existing website?

Yes, you can add eCommerce features to your existing website, especially if developed using a CMS such as WordPress or Drupal. So, you don’t have to rebuild your website or create a new eCommerce store to sell online. You can add a plugin or module to your existing WordPress or Drupal website and set up your online store. For making advance customizations to your store, you can hire a professional WordPress developer.

For instance, if your existing website has been developed using WordPress, you can install an eCommerce plugin “WooCommerce” with your website and set up your online store to sell online. The WooCommerce plugin will enable you to:

• Add & publish products to your online shop.
• Integrate payment methods such as PayPal and Stripe so that you can start receiving payments online.
• Receive, check, and fulfill your orders from the website backend.
• Create discount codes and share them with your customers. Your potential buyers can use these discount codes on the checkout page to get special rebates.
• Manage inventory of your products.

How do I get the handover of my website from my developer?

It’s very crucial to take a complete handover from your web developer to make sure that you don’t lose your website even if your developer is not available. We’ve had many clients who were relying on their previous developer to provide the new website agency (Innomedia) with all the required credentials. For our clients, it was a nightmare. Don’t let that happen to you.

To get a complete handover of your website, you need below items:

• Unlocked source codes of your functional website.
• Login access to your website hosting.
• Login access to your domain name.
• Login access to your website’s backend.
• License or key for any paid theme, plugin, etc., if applicable.

What kind of post-launch services do web developers provide?

Website development doesn’t end up with its launch. You do need the cooperation of your web developer even after your website development is completed. There are many services that you will need from your website developer to ensure the smooth running of your online business. Below are some of those services:

• Website maintenance: Maintaining a website is a crucial part of any online business. If you have a website, you need to maintain it regularly. Web developers not only provide website-building services to their clients, but they also offer website maintenance assistance.
• Website repair services: Most web developers offer website fixing/repair services to their clients. The website repair services include fixing broken links, slow-loading speed, functional errors, or design errors.
• Website optimization: To get a website positioned in noticeable positions of search engines, SEO is required. For SEO to be successful, on-page is crucial. On-page SEO is a technical name for website optimization. There are many tasks that a website builder can do to optimize a website for search engines. Some of these tasks include managing meta tags, ensuring SEO-friendly URLs, interlinking among web pages, and more.