A Website Brief Checklist for Dubai Small Businesses

A useful website brief says who the website is for, what visitors should do, which pages and features are needed, who supplies the content, and who owns the accounts after launch. You do not need technical vocabulary. A clear description of how your business works is more useful than a long list of design trends.

This checklist is for Dubai business owners requesting a new website or a redesign. Use it with any provider so their quotes cover the same requirements. If you want us to build the site, our web design service for Dubai businesses sets out the packages, completed local work and direct contact with Umair.

1. Describe the business and the next customer action

Start with your business name, services, customers and service area. State whether the site should generate WhatsApp conversations, phone calls, email enquiries, appointment requests or online orders. Choose one main action for the homepage, then list the alternatives that customers still need.

For example, a travel business may need separate visa-service information and a WhatsApp enquiry route. A B2B advisory may need service pages, experience and an editorial section before a visitor starts a conversation. Our completed Dubai projects, Oneway Global Tourism and Foundry & Form, show these different journeys. They are examples to review, not promises of a particular enquiry increase.

2. List pages, editing needs and essential features

• Pages: name each page, such as Home, About, Services, a priority service page and Contact.
• Editing: say whether you want to edit text and images yourself, or prefer the designer to make changes.
• Languages: list the required languages, who supplies approved translations, and whether a right-to-left layout is needed. Agree the extra scope rather than assuming it is included.
• Features: list products, payments, bookings, downloads, location maps or external integrations separately.
• Enquiries: identify the business email and WhatsApp number that should receive them. Avoid using an employee’s personal account if the business needs long-term control.

Our static Starter package is AED 999 for up to five pages, without a CMS. Standard WordPress is AED 2,500 for up to six pages with an editing handover. A shop starts at AED 3,999. Your brief determines whether these packages fit or whether a custom scope is needed. Read the Starter vs WordPress comparison if editing is the main decision.

3. Decide who supplies the content

Gather your logo, approved business description, service details, contact information and photographs. For each page, identify who writes and approves the text. Ask before including copywriting, photography, translation, legal policies or product entry in the budget; these can be separate tasks.

Use only project images, testimonials, qualifications and customer names you have permission to publish. Specific, verifiable work is stronger evidence than a generic claim to be the best. If you have no portfolio yet, explain the service, process and responsibilities clearly instead of inventing examples.

4. Agree ownership, costs and timing in writing

Confirm the build price, payment terms, included revisions, delivery dependencies and what counts as an extra. Domain name and hosting are separate from The Web Makers’ build prices, including initial purchase and renewals. Shopify subscriptions, paid plugins or apps, and optional maintenance may add recurring costs. The Dubai website cost guide helps you compare the categories.

Starter delivery is typically three days after final content is received. WordPress usually takes 7–14 days after content and scope are agreed. Product data, integrations, translations and approval delays can affect the schedule. Agree a realistic launch date after these dependencies are understood.

Ask who owns the domain, hosting account, source files, WordPress administrator account and any third-party subscriptions. Record what is handed over and who handles maintenance. A business should be able to retain control if its designer or staff changes.

5. Agree the checks before launch

• Review the main pages on a phone and a computer, including text size, images and navigation.
• Test the contact form with the receiving business and verify delivery; do not count a button click as a delivered enquiry.
• Check the actual WhatsApp number, phone number and email links.
• Confirm page titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, crawl permissions and sitemap access.
• For a redesign, list existing URLs and map any changes to appropriate redirects before launch.
• Check analytics consent and measurement requirements, then distinguish visits, contact clicks, submitted forms and qualified leads.
• For an online store, agree a payment, delivery and order-notification test with the business.

Copy this starting brief

You can leave items unanswered and discuss them with Umair. A first conversation is often enough to identify what needs a decision before a fixed quote can be prepared.