What is the best web development company in Dubai for you? It should have samples of previous projects similar to yours, a clearly described procedure of creating and testing a website, and provide ownership rights and costs in written form. Choose three or four candidates, rate them based on the criteria outlined below from 1 to 10 and pick up the highest rated company, not the cheapest one.
You can easily find plenty of sources on the Internet where the best web development companies in Dubai are listed. They can help you make a list, but cannot help you choose a company for your specific needs. This is a decision to be made only by you. The rating system is the quickest and most efficient way to do this.
This article offers you a rating template, some important questions to ask and a five steps procedure to choose a company within one day.
What makes a web development company the “best” for your project?
Three aspects will be significantly more important for you than any other awards or popularity of the agency:
- Fit: they’ve developed websites similar to yours in terms of type, scale and functionality.
- Process: They will be able to talk about the process that was involved with the design, development and implementation of the business.
- Responsibility: The issue of ownership, sponsorship and cost is clearly established before the start of the project.
Each of the items below can fall under one of the three ideas.
The 10-point scorecard for web development companies in Dubai
Rate each business 0 (not covered), 1 (partial cover) or 2 (full cover) for each row given below. Maximum score possible: 20.
| # | What to check | Ask them | A strong answer looks like |
| 1 | Relevant portfolio | “Can you show me two or three sites like mine and what you built on them?” | Live links, the features they built and, where possible, results |
| 2 | Technology choice | “Which technology would you use for my website, and why?” | A recommendation tied to your goals, not the same stack for every client |
| 3 | Discovery and planning | “What happens before you write any code?” | Workshops, a sitemap, a feature list, and a written scope and timeline |
| 4 | Design and development together | “Who designs and who builds, and how do they work together?” | One team, with designs approved before the build starts |
| 5 | Testing | “How do you test the website before launch?” | Browser, device, speed, security and form tests on a staging site |
| 6 | Speed and search readiness | “How do you make sure the site is fast and ready for Google?” | Core Web Vitals targets, clean URLs, structured data and redirects for old pages |
| 7 | Security and hosting | “How do you protect the site and its data?” | SSL, regular updates, backups, admin access controls and a hosting plan |
| 8 | Ownership | “Who owns the code, domain and accounts after launch?” | You do, in writing, once the final payment is made |
| 9 | Communication | “Who will be my contact, and how often will we speak?” | A named project manager, regular check-ins and live staging links |
| 10 | Support after launch | “What happens if something breaks after launch?” | A warranty period plus clear maintenance plan options |
Evaluation of total scores: Scores of 16 and above are good matches; those between 11 and 15 need further discussions; while those below 10 suggest the company will be better off with other kinds of projects.
How do you compare web development companies in Dubai? A 5-step process
- Prepare a one-page brief. It should include the objectives, what you need, budget and deadline. This will make sure that all discussions take place in a common framework.
- Prepare a lengthy list. Prepare the list of 8-10 website design companies based on your search, directories, referrals and top 10 lists.
- Select 3-4 website design companies. These should be the companies whose websites resemble yours.
- Conduct a 30 minute telephonic discussion with each of them. Write down their answers based on scorecard questions.
- Compare detailed proposals. Compare their prices only after confirming that they offer the same pages, features, testing and support services.
If you have some other queries, feel free to use our article about 15 questions to ask a web design agency if you want to collaborate with it. It complements our checklist perfectly.
Should you choose a Dubai-based company or an offshore team?
Both are applicable. The decision will depend on how much assistance you will need from the agency.
| Factor | Dubai-based web development company | Offshore team |
| Time zone and meetings | Same working hours, in-person workshops possible | Time difference can slow feedback |
| Local knowledge | Understands UAE buyers, Arabic and English content, and local payment gateways | Usually needs more guidance on local needs |
| Accountability | UAE trade licence and a local point of contact | Contracts and support may sit outside the UAE |
| Hourly rates | Usually higher | Usually lower |
Quite often, companies that are based in Dubai utilize both local planning and management and development of the project beyond the local city.
Signals worth a closer look before you sign
It doesn’t make too much difference if you use any of the items mentioned above. The point is that each one of them deserves its own response:
- A quote with no detailed information but only the total price.
- No details of staging site or testing stage.
- Domain/hosting has been registered by the company itself and there are no plans to pass it to you.
- Technology same for all projects.
- There is no warranty period after project completion.
- The portfolio consists of images from the project without any live link.
How much should a good web development company in Dubai cost?
The cost mainly depends on the number of pages as well as the customization you need. With regards to RedBerries’ cost of their services, the following is what they charge:
- Standard CMS Website: 1,700(6,250 approx.) for a maximum of 5 pages to 6,000(22,000 approx.) for 15 pages.
- E-commerce website: 6,500(23,900 approx.)
- Custom web application: quoted individually.
To have a clear idea of the price of their services, the best would be to go through the web designing pricing guide for Dubai and E-commerce websites in the UAE. When comparing the quotations, the important thing to consider is what is included.
How RedBerries scores on the checklist
If you are marking us as well, the following is what we offer in terms of web development:
- Experience: More than 12 years and more than 200 corporate web designs in UAE and GCC countries.
- Process: First comes discovery, then we do a complete design mock-up in 10 days and start development using sprints on a live staging environment.
- Testing: Browser, device and performance testing before launch.
- Ownership: After making the final payment, you get the source code and full access to the platform without any lock-in.
- Support: Extended warranty immediately after the launch followed by website maintenance plans.
- Communication: a project manager and lead developer, as well as a regular project update meeting.
You will see some of our most recent works in our portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
Which web development company is the best in Dubai?
All web development companies in Dubai are not equally good for all sorts of businesses. It depends on who suits your project the best from portfolio, process, testing, ownership and post-launch support point of view. Choose a few companies (3-4) and ask them the following questions. Compare their answers and estimates side-by-side.
What should I ask a web development company before hiring them?
Ask them to give you links to similar live projects they have built, what technologies do they use and why, how they test their product before going live and the ownership and post-launch support they provide. Their answers will say more than any ranking table.
How long does a web development company take to build a website?
Building a typical CMS-based website takes from 4 to 8 weeks, whereas creating a custom web application or complex platform takes up to 10-16 weeks. The timeline depends on the number of pages, the amount of customization and responsiveness of both sides. For more information, check our article on how long it takes to build a business website.
Is it better to hire a web development company or a freelancer?
The freelance developer will fit for a simple website with a low budget. In case you are looking for a sole responsible person for design, development, testing and maintenance or some custom features or integration, then a web development company should be chosen.
Do web development companies in Dubai offer support after launch?
Usually, they offer some warranty period concerning bug fixing and after that period, a maintenance agreement will start and provide some updates, security fixes and changes for a price. Ask about the time needed to solve bugs, the content of the warranty period and the responsiveness of the development team.
Ready to compare?
Use the scorecard from your list. In order to understand whether RedBerries is one of the best web development companies in Dubai to cooperate with, please schedule a free consultation. We will discuss all your needs, recommend a proper technology and send you a detailed proposal to compare it.