Website redesign in Dubai: when it is worth it and when care is enough

A cafe in Jumeirah has the same website since it opened. The menu is a photo of a printed page, the opening hours are wrong since Ramadan, and the WhatsApp number belongs to a manager who left. The owner thinks about a new website. The better first question is what is actually broken.

Five signs you need a redesign

1. The site is slow or broken on a phone. Open it on your phone with mobile data. If the page takes long to show or the buttons are too small to tap, most visitors leave before they read anything. See how to make a website fast on mobile.
2. You cannot change anything yourself. If a new price or an offer means an e-mail to a developer and a wait, the site will always be out of date.
3. It hides what customers look for. Prices, services, opening hours, the address and a way to contact you should be written as text on the page, not inside pictures.
4. It no longer matches the business. New services, a new location, a new name or a different customer all need pages that say so.
5. It runs on software nobody looks after. An old theme or plugin that has not been updated for years is a security risk and breaks without warning.

Five signs care is enough

• The pages load fast on a phone and the layout still works.
• The design fits your brand and you are not embarrassed to send the link.
• Only some text, prices or photos are out of date.
• The contact button works and enquiries still arrive.
• You or your studio can update the site without a rebuild.

In these cases a fresh start costs more than it returns. Update the content, fix what is broken and agree who checks the site every month.

What website care includes

• Updating prices, menus, opening hours and offers when they change.
• Replacing old photos with current ones.
• Fixing broken links and forms, and testing the WhatsApp and call buttons.
• Software and security updates, and a backup.
• A short monthly look at speed, visitors and enquiries.

What to keep when you rebuild

A rebuild can lose visitors you already have. Before the new site goes live, do four things.

1. List the pages that bring visitors. Your Google Search Console or analytics shows which pages people arrive on. Keep those topics in the new site.
2. Keep the addresses or redirect them. If a page address changes, point the old address to the new page so links and search results still work.
3. Keep the text that works. A page that already answers a real question does not need a new tone. Improve it and keep it.
4. Keep your Google Business Profile in step. Check that the website address, phone number and hours match across your site and your profile. See how to rank on Google Maps in Dubai.

Redesign, rebuild or start from scratch

A redesign changes how the site looks and is organised and keeps most of the content. A rebuild changes the technology underneath. Starting from scratch changes both. Ask each provider which one they propose and why. A new look on old, unmaintained software solves the wrong problem.

What it costs and how long it takes

Cost depends on the number of pages, the amount of new writing and photography, and whether Arabic is added. Ask for a written scope with a date, and compare the total over two or three years, including hosting, the web address and care. Our guide on what a website costs in Dubai shows how.

How MM² does it

MM² builds and runs websites for local businesses for a fixed monthly price. Hosting, the web address and small changes are part of it, so the site does not drift out of date. If your current site is worth keeping, we say so and tell you what to fix. Our guide on how to choose a web design company lists the questions to ask anyone you talk to.

Questions