Dubai has no shortage of web designers. Search for one and you’ll find agencies, freelancers and marketplaces, all promising beautiful, fast, SEO-friendly websites. The difference shows up months later, when the site needs a change, gets hacked or simply doesn’t bring in enquiries.
Here are the questions I’d ask if I were hiring someone myself.
About their work
- Can I see live websites you’ve built? Not mock-ups: live sites you can click through on your phone. Check their speed and how they feel on mobile.
- Have you built something similar? An online store, a clinic, a bilingual site or a booking system each have their own pitfalls.
- Can I speak to a past client? A confident designer won’t mind.
About the project
- What exactly is included? Pages, design rounds, content entry, SEO set-up, forms, training. Get it in writing.
- Is the price fixed? Open-ended hourly billing is how budgets grow.
- What’s the timeline, and what do you need from me? Delays are usually caused by missing content, so a good designer tells you early what they’ll need.
- Will it be custom or based on a theme? Both are valid, but you should know which you’re paying for.
About ownership and what happens after launch
- Who owns the domain, hosting and website? The answer should be: you. Domains registered in a designer’s name are a common trap.
- Can I update the site myself? You should be able to change text, images and blog posts without calling anyone.
- How do you handle security, updates and backups? If the answer is vague, so is the plan.
- How fast will the site be, and how do you measure it? Look for answers that mention Core Web Vitals and mobile testing.
- How do you approach SEO? At minimum: clean structure, titles and descriptions, schema, a sitemap, Search Console and redirects from any old pages.
Red flags
- A price before they’ve asked what the website needs to do
- No live examples, or only template demos
- Guaranteed “first page of Google” results
- The domain or hosting stays in their name
- No written scope or contract
- They’re hard to reach before you’ve paid
A good web designer asks more questions about your business than about your favourite colours.
Freelancer or agency?
Both can work well. I’ve written a separate guide on choosing between a freelance web developer and an agency in Dubai.
How I answer these questions
Live work is on my projects page. Every project gets a written scope with a fixed price, you own everything, and I handle design, development, hosting, SEO and care myself. The full list of what I do is on the services page, and the rest of the answers are in the FAQ.
Interviewing web designers for your project? Ask me these questions too. Message me on WhatsApp or send a project enquiry. I reply within one working day.
