The verdict in three sentences
For a high jewellery and luxury watch retailer in Dubai, a dated website costs appointments: a client torn between two authorised dealers for a waitlisted watch chooses the one that inspires trust online. A redesign costs a 2026 ballpark of AED 10,000 with a freelancer to more than AED 400,000 at a luxury agency, against a fixed Kolonell grid of USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900. The real risks are SEO loss during migration, breaching the digital guidelines brands impose and a careless Arabic version.
Signs that your current site works against you
| Sign | What the client concludes | Expected fix |
|---|---|---|
| Brand logos with no clear statement of dealer status | Doubt about authenticity | Authorised dealer status shown only for brands actually granted, per their guidelines |
| Supplier catalogue photos, identical to competitors' | Nothing distinctive | Your own photography of pieces, boutique and workshop |
| Nothing on after-sales service | Worry about servicing a USD 30,000 piece | Servicing, repair, turnaround and warranty page |
| Private appointments by plain email only | Slow, lacks discretion | Short form, private salon slots, fast call-back |
| Machine-translated or missing Arabic version | Disrespect for local clients | Carefully written Arabic, right-to-left layout |
| Certified pre-owned pages with no provenance detail | Perceived counterfeit risk | Certificates, inspection, history, supporting papers |
| Slow on mobile | Feels like an outdated house | Optimised images, load under 2.5 seconds |
Redesign budget in Dubai in 2026
Local AED amounts converted to USD at the pegged rate of roughly AED 3.67 per USD, 2026 ballpark based on typical local agency quotes.
| Provider | Local price (AED) | Approximate equivalent (USD) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 10,000 to 30,000 | 2,700 to 8,200 | Arabic and right-to-left rarely mastered |
| Mid-sized agency | 40,000 to 120,000 | 10,900 to 32,700 | 2 to 4 month timelines |
| Luxury specialist agency | 150,000 to 400,000 | 40,900 to 109,000 | Art direction, shoots |
| Kolonell Starter | Not applicable | 2,900 | Credible, focused presence |
| Kolonell Growth | Not applicable | 4,900 | Brand pages, services, editorial journal, SEO structure |
| Kolonell Premium | Not applicable | 8,900 | Multilingual tier, languages and right-to-left scope set in the quote |
Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable on Gulf time, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. An online shop, a private client area or an integration with your stock software are on quote, all the more since some brands restrict online sales of their pieces. Details on the international offer.
Timeline and risks, phase by phase
Once content is ready, Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks, and 4 to 6 weeks for Premium. The bottleneck is often brand approval, which can take 1 to 3 weeks.
| Phase | Indicative timing | Main risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping and URL inventory | Week 1 | Forgetting pages that bring visits | Export of all indexed URLs and pages receiving traffic |
| Design and brand guidelines | Weeks 1 and 2 | Visual rejected by a brand | Early submission of mock-ups to brand managers |
| Build and content migration | Weeks 2 to 4 | Lost product pages or articles | Page-by-page migration sheet |
| Compliance review | In parallel | Unauthorised brand mention or claim | Review by legal and the brands before go-live |
| Go-live | End of week 3 or 4 (6 for Premium) | Visibility drop, downtime | 301 redirect map, off-peak switch, Search Console monitored |
| After launch | 3 months of support | 404 errors, silent forms | Weekly check of errors and enquiries received |
On the rules: the federal personal data protection law (Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021) governs forms and client databases, while DIFC and ADGM apply their own regimes. Use of brand names and logos depends strictly on what each brand has granted you. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask, and when to prefer a local agency
Before signing, ask: who writes the Arabic version and who proofreads it? How is the redirect map built and checked? Will mock-ups be submitted to the brands before development? Do you own the accounts, the domain and the content? What does maintenance cost after the first 3 months, given that it is on quote at Kolonell?
A Dubai agency is the better choice if a brand requires a provider it has approved, if you want regular in-store shoots directed by the same team, or if the site must connect from day one to your point of sale and stock. For a fast, restrained redesign that is flawless on substance, the fixed grid avoids funding a local overhead.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Creekside Horology House, two boutiques in Dubai, receives a local quote of AED 180,000, about USD 49,000. It picks Kolonell Premium at USD 8,900. It adds 6,000 words of Arabic copywriting at USD 0.18 a word, so USD 1,080, and two days of product photography at USD 2,500 a day, so USD 5,000. Total: USD 14,980, about USD 34,000 less than the local quote. The current site has 1,200 indexed URLs: the redirect map is the first scoping task.
FAQ
Can we display the logos of the brands we sell?
Only as allowed by each brand's distribution agreement and digital guidelines, which often set logos, visuals and wording. Allow 1 to 3 weeks of approval per brand in the timeline.
Will the redesign hurt our search rankings?
A temporary dip is common, but a complete 301 redirect map and Search Console monitoring for 8 to 12 weeks markedly reduce the risk. The danger comes mostly from forgotten URLs.
Should we sell online?
Not necessarily: many houses favour private appointment requests, and some brands limit online sales. An online shop remains possible on quote, on top of a tier from USD 4,900.
Which tier for a site in Arabic and English?
Premium at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier; languages and right-to-left scope are set in the quote. Proofreading by a native speaker remains essential.
How much time should we plan overall?
Plan 4 to 6 weeks of production for Premium, plus content preparation and brand approval. A realistic schedule often runs 6 to 10 weeks from scoping to launch.
Let's scope your project. A redesign on the multilingual Premium tier at USD 8,900, redirect map and brand approval built in, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks once content is 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.
