The verdict in three sentences
For a high jewellery and luxury watch retailer in Doha, the website is what a client checks before requesting a private appointment: it has to prove authenticity, after-sales service and discretion from the first screen. A serious redesign costs between 25,000 and 120,000 USD with a high-end local agency in 2026, and 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900 USD on the fixed Kolonell grid depending on the tier. The real risk is less the budget than losing search traffic on brand names and publishing a logo use your dealer agreement does not allow.
Which signs show your current site is costing sales?
Clients of a Doha house type very precise queries: "Patek Philippe authorised dealer Doha", "Rolex waiting list Qatar", "certified pre-owned watches Doha", "bespoke diamond ring Doha", or the same in Arabic. They then compare two or three sites in under a minute. The signals that push away a 40,000 USD buyer are usually the same:
| Observed signal | What the client concludes | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Blurry watch photos or generic catalogue shots | The house does not have the piece in stock | High |
| Authorised dealer status missing or unclear | Doubt about authenticity | Very high |
| Machine-translated Arabic version, broken RTL layout | The house pays little attention to local clients | High |
| No way to book a private appointment online | They must call, so they postpone | Medium |
| After-sales, servicing and certificate pages hard to find | Risk after purchase | High |
| Slow mobile site (over 4 s) | Dated brand image | Medium |
Note that watch and jewellery brands impose strict digital guidelines on their dealers (logos, visuals, wording, sometimes no displayed prices or no online sale of some references). Your site should only display the status and brands actually granted by contract, and online sale of certain references may be restricted by the brand itself.
What does a redesign cost in Doha in 2026?
The ranges below are 2026 ballpark figures drawn from typical Gulf agency quotes and public freelance rates. Local QAR amounts are converted to USD approximately (around 3.64 QAR to 1 USD).
| Option | Redesign budget (USD, approximate) | Typical timeline | Often excluded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer in Doha | 6,000 to 15,000 | 6 to 10 weeks | Polished Arabic version, follow-up |
| Mid-range local agency | 25,000 to 55,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Product shoot, CRM integration |
| High-end local or regional luxury agency | 60,000 to 120,000 and more | 4 to 6 months | Maintenance, campaigns |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Private areas, integrations |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Private areas, integrations |
| Kolonell Premium (multilingual tier) | 8,900 | 4 to 6 weeks | Private areas, integrations |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) and 3 months of support. Premium is the multilingual tier: the languages, including Arabic, and the RTL scope are set in the quote. Client areas, connection to your point-of-sale or stock system and any custom application are on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 included months. Details are on the international offer.
Timeline and risks: how do you protect what already works?
Kolonell timelines start once content is ready (approved copy, photos, list of authorised brands). A typical plan looks like this: inventory and scoping in week one, mock-ups and brand guideline check in week two, build and migration in week three, testing and go-live in week four (two more weeks for a multilingual site with RTL).
| Risk | Why it is real | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Lost traffic on brand-name queries | Old URLs disappear | Full URL inventory, 301 redirect map, Search Console monitoring |
| Unauthorised logo use | Brand guidelines are contractual | Review by your brand manager before go-live |
| Poorly migrated content (product pages, certificates) | Hasty copy-paste | Page-by-page migration sheet |
| Appointment forms and client data | Qatar Law No. 13 of 2016 on personal data privacy | Compliance review of your notices, clear consent |
| Site downtime | Badly planned DNS switch | Go live on a quiet day, rollback ready |
Qatar has a personal data privacy law (Law No. 13 of 2016), and the QFC applies its own data protection rules to entities established there. Check with your adviser which framework applies to you. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask before signing, and when a local agency is the better choice
Ask every provider: who writes the Arabic version and who reviews it, how the 301s will be tested, who checks compliance with brand guidelines, what happens if a brand rejects a mock-up, and who owns the code and accounts.
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To be fair: a Doha agency is the better choice if you want a product shoot in your boutique, weekly in-person meetings, or if a partner brand requires a provider already approved on its side. A remote studio like Kolonell fits when you already have your visuals and want a fixed budget with a short timeline.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Maison Al Dafna, a dealer for three watch brands and a jewellery creator in Doha. Local agency quote: 68,000 USD for a bilingual redesign in 5 months. Alternative: the Premium tier at 8,900 USD, plus a 40-piece shoot by a local photographer at about 6,000 USD and an external Arabic review at about 1,500 USD, 16,400 USD in total. The gap is 51,600 USD. If a single extra 25,000 USD sale with a 30% gross margin comes from the site each quarter, the redesign returns about 7,500 USD of margin per quarter, so a little over two quarters to cover 16,400 USD.
FAQ
Can we display watch prices on the site?
It depends on each brand: some forbid displaying prices or selling their references online. Most Doha houses show "price on request" for pieces above 10,000 USD and keep online sales for accessories or their own jewellery.
How long does a redesign take with Kolonell?
3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, once content is ready. The real timeline depends mostly on brand guideline approval.
Do we need an Arabic site?
A large share of Qatari clients prefer Arabic for a first contact. The Premium tier at 8,900 USD is the multilingual tier, with languages and RTL scope set in the quote.
Will the redesign hurt our search rankings?
A temporary dip of 2 to 6 weeks is common, even with clean redirects. A full 301 plan and Search Console monitoring limit the loss, but no serious provider promises a ranking.
Can we add a client area for collectors?
Yes, on quote: a private area with purchase history and certificates needs separate pricing. Allow an extra 2 to 4 weeks depending on integrations.
Let's scope your project. An English and Arabic redesign on the Premium tier can be live in 4 to 6 weeks once your visuals and brand guidelines are ready. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
