7 Questions to Ask a Website Developer in Dubai Before You Sign Anything

Hiring the wrong website developer Dubai businesses rarely announces itself early. Smooth pitch, sharp mockups, good pricing, and then, months down the line, you are chasing an email that remains unanswered as your launch date moves further out and your invoice rises.

There is a world of difference between a developer that delivers and a developer that disappears. The difference usually shows up in a series of seven questions you would never have considered asking.

The answers to these seven questions show you whether or not you are really working with a developer who will deliver, or if you are about to hire the kind of developer that is going to cost you more than money to fix.

Redberries, based in Dubai, was designed with this level of scrutiny in mind, with provable work, clear terms for ownership, experience in their market on Arabic builds and VAT-compliant stores, and support that does not disappear post-launch. Start here at redberries.ae if you are looking for a developer that enjoys answering tough questions.

1. Can you show me live work in my sector?

Screenshots do not mean anything. Request two to three URLs that work right now, preferably in your industry, and try them yourself. Load them up on your phone, conduct a speed test, and check to see if they even show up in the search engines.

Industry relevancy counts more than portfolio. If a developer team has worked on projects in retail, real estate, or health care before, then they understand the expectations of your customers.

It is more than due diligence; it is peace of mind. Seeing tangible proof gives you that peace of mind knowing you did not make the decision solely based on charm.

2. Who actually builds and manages my project?

In some cases, your team will dazzle you with their experienced staff on the field, only for you to learn that they transfer all responsibilities to their junior employees or even a third party.

Be clear about your one point of contact and how frequently he or she will update you. Once you know precisely whom to call at six o’clock when there is a deadline coming up, you can breathe easy.

Any respectable web development company in Dubai will not fail to tell you straight away who does what, and how frequently you will hear from him or her.

3. How do you handle Arabic, VAT, and local payments?

It is the difference between teams who understand the UAE and teams who work there. The use of proper Arabic requires right-to-left design and proper typography, not just a translation of the text file into the same design.

For those selling products online, inquire if VAT invoicing is supported, along with integration with local payment gateways such as Network International, Telr, Paytabs, and buy-now-pay-later services such as Tabby and Tamara. UAE consumers demand these features, and a Stripe checkout alone means leaving money on the table.

The use of a developer who cannot properly converse with these is dangerous, since discovering this problem midway through the development process will cost time and money.

4. Is SEO built into the site or added later?

Most quotes do not take this into account, and it will determine if your website is ready to compete after launch. Find out if the elements such as clean code, heading structure, quick loading, mobile optimization, and schema markup are part of the construction or if they have to be added separately.

Without them, you spend money on your website one time and have to spend money again in order to rebuild your website technically to allow it to rank. It is the crucial distinction between a website which gets the traffic and beautiful webpage nobody visits.

Find out if they are able to explain you in simple words how the website construction is going to support the search engines.

5. What is your process for timelines and revisions?

Find out if they are able to explain you in simple words how the website construction is going to support the search engines.

6. What happens after launch, and what does support cost?

Creating a website is not a one-off thing. You need to keep it safe, backed up, and maintained in order for it to remain stable. Find out whether post-launch support is included in your fee or charged separately and how a maintenance plan looks like on a yearly basis.

Get the annual cost in writing, normally stated as a certain percentage of the build cost. The reason why a disappearing act team sees this as friction is simply because they are not expecting a long-term engagement. It’s all part of hiring a web developer the right way.

7. Who owns the site, and what does the contract say?

Your site's real owner is determined by two clauses. Write it down in black and white that you own the programming, the design, and the content upon final payment, not the developer. Look into the terms of exiting: how you get the files, credentials, and access back when parting ways.

Structure the payments according to milestones based on approvals, but not a huge down payment, and you will have the upper hand if the developer's work does not meet your standards. Be aware of the typical problems in website development contracts: unclear scope, ownership remaining with the agency, lack of support clause, and single lump sum fee without an itemized price.

It pays off to treat it as if you will be tested one day.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of questions should you ask a website developer when considering hiring them?

Look for confirmation about their past work, who does what behind the scenes in terms of construction and management of the website, how they deal with Arabic and VAT and other payment aspects, if SEO comes with the package, their revision policy, post-website creation costs, and who owns the website.

What should I look out for when asking a web developer if SEO will be included in the build?

Yes, any decent developer must build the SEO from the ground up in their construction. A good developer builds clean URLs, well-built headings, fast loading and proper schema markup.

How much post-website creation support should a contract include?

It should at least include security updates, backups, software patches, uptime and other minor repairs. It is normally a package per month or year which costs 10% - 20% of the build.

The real tell

In all seven questions asked, the most important thing that will come across will be how the web development agency responds to the question. A good one embraces it, as it is from the questions that the developer succeeds. A bad one is defensive, hurries you into paying an advance, or simply gives you empty assurances.

Go with the response. You are selecting someone whom you will depend on when things go wrong in times of stress, not someone who makes the most beautiful website. Go with the developer whom tough questions became simple for, and you will be safe.