How to choose an e-commerce agency in the UAE: 12 questions to ask

An e-commerce agency designs and builds online stores for businesses. Some agencies build on a ready-made platform, starting from a template (a design many stores share). Others build each store custom, from scratch. To choose an e-commerce agency in the UAE, ask each one the same 12 questions in writing, then compare the answers side by side.

Four answers matter most. You should own the store, the web address and the customer list. The price should be clear for every year, not just the first. And the agency should know UAE payments and delivery, and keep helping you after launch.

The same questions work whether you call them an e-commerce agency in Dubai, an e-commerce website developer, a web development company or a web design agency. Samay.ae builds custom online stores, so we are not neutral. We wrote these questions so you can test any agency, including us.

Why the agency you choose matters for years

Your store is not a one-off project. You will live with the agency's choices for years: how the store is built, how products are organised, who looks after it, and whose name is on each account.

Those choices decide what you pay every year, how easily you can make changes, and whether you can leave. A cheap build that needs many paid apps, or a fee for every small change, can cost more over two years than a careful build that costs more at the start.

Freelancer, agency or do it yourself?

Each option suits a different situation.

If you plan to build it yourself, start with our step-by-step guide to starting an online store in the UAE. Then compare ready-made platforms with a custom store, and check what an online store costs in the UAE. If you hire a freelancer or an agency, the 12 questions below apply just the same.

How to choose an e-commerce agency in the UAE: the 12 questions

Send these by WhatsApp or email, and ask for written answers. Each question comes with a good answer to look for and a red flag.

1. Who will own the store, the domain and the accounts?

Your store, your web address (domain) and your customer list are business assets. If they are in someone else's name, leaving can mean starting again. The same goes for your payment, courier, Google and Meta accounts.

For a custom store, also ask what you receive if you part ways later, and whether another developer could take over. Get the answer in writing before you sign.

• Good answer: Everything is in your name, and the agency works through its own login, which you can remove at any time.
• Red flag: The agency registers the store or the domain in its own name "to keep things simple", or will not say what happens if you leave.

2. What exactly is included in the price?

Two quotes with the same price can include very different work. Ask whether the design is made for you or starts from a template, how many products they add, which pages and features they build and how many rounds of changes you get.

For a custom build, get the scope in writing: a list, in plain words, of every page and feature they will build. Anything not on the list usually costs extra later.

• Good answer: A written list of what is included and what is not, covering design, features, payments, delivery, Arabic and training.
• Red flag: One number with no list, or "everything is included" with no detail.

3. What will I pay every year after launch?

The build is only part of the cost. Every online store pays yearly for its domain name, and pays its payment provider a fee on each online payment. On a ready-made platform, add the plan and any paid apps. A custom store needs hosting (the computers that keep it online), updates and support, so ask whether those are in the price.

Some platforms also take a fee on each sale. At the time of writing (October 2026), Shopify takes an extra 2% of each sale on its Basic plan when you use another company's payment service, on top of that company's own fee. On AED 10,000 of sales a month, that extra 2% is AED 200. A custom store has no platform fee on each sale.

• Good answer: A yearly list with the agency's own fees, the domain, hosting, any platform plan and paid apps, and the payment fees.
• Red flag: They only talk about the build price, or leave out hosting, updates or paid apps until after you sign.

4. Can I see stores you built for UAE businesses?

Screenshots can be polished. Live stores show the real work. Ask for links, ideally to stores like yours, then open them on your phone, switch to Arabic and go as far as the payment page. If they build custom, ask what they built for each one.

• Good answer: Several live UAE stores, and permission to ask one or two owners about their experience.
• Red flag: Only mockups, stores that are no longer online, or examples they can never show "for privacy reasons".

5. Will you set up UAE payments?

Your store needs a payment gateway (the service that takes card payments for you). Options in the UAE include Tap Payments, Checkout.com, Telr, Network International, Amazon Payment Services, PayTabs, Mamo and Ziina. Our guide to payment gateways in the UAE compares the options.

On a custom store, the developer connects the provider, usually through its API (a link that lets two systems pass orders and payments to each other). Ask whether they have connected that provider before.

• Good answer: They suggest a provider, explain its fees and Apple Pay support, and add Tabby, Tamara and cash on delivery if you want them.
• Red flag: "We'll sort payments out later", with no provider named and no fees explained.

6. Will you set up delivery for the UAE?

Delivery settings decide what shoppers pay at checkout and how orders reach your courier. Ask which courier the agency suggests and why, and whether orders go to the courier straight from your store, through the courier's API, or are typed in by hand. Our guide to delivery companies for UAE online stores compares the main ones.

• Good answer: They set delivery prices for all seven emirates, add cash on delivery if you need it, connect your courier and run a test order with you.
• Red flag: Delivery is left "for you to sort out after launch".

7. Can you build the store in Arabic and English?

An Arabic store is more than translated text. Arabic pages read right to left, so the layout must flip, and the checkout, emails and policies need Arabic too. On a template, check that it supports right-to-left pages. On a custom build, ask how the design works in both languages. Our guide to building an Arabic and English online store shows what a good bilingual store needs.

• Good answer: They show you a live Arabic store, explain who translates and checks the text, and test the checkout in Arabic.
• Red flag: "We'll auto-translate it", with no native speaker checking the result.

8. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?

Delays often come from missing photos, product details or a payment provider's approval, not from the build itself. More custom features also mean a longer build. A good agency plans for all of this from the start.

• Good answer: A written plan with dates, a list of what you must provide, and a final check before launch, like our online store launch checklist.
• Red flag: A fast promise with no plan, or a date that ignores approvals the agency does not control.

9. Who will I talk to, and how fast do you reply?

After you pay, you need a real person who answers. A slow reply during a sale or a payment problem costs you money.

• Good answer: A named contact, one channel such as WhatsApp, and a reply time in writing.
• Red flag: Fast replies before you sign, then silence after.

10. Will you train me to run the store?

You will add products, refund orders and create discount codes yourself. You should not have to pay someone for every small change. With a custom store, check that it has an easy admin, so these everyday jobs never need a developer.

• Good answer: A session on your own store covering orders, refunds, products, discount codes and reports, with notes or a recording.
• Red flag: "Just send us your changes", with every change billed.

11. What happens after launch, and what does support cost?

Questions come up after launch: a new product type, a new feature, a change from your payment provider. Know in advance who fixes what, and at what price. A custom store also needs hosting, updates and security checks, so ask who does them and whether they are in the yearly price.

• Good answer: A written list of what support covers, including hosting and updates, for how long, what it costs and how fast they respond.
• Red flag: "Support included" with no detail, or a monthly fee you cannot cancel.

12. Will you build it custom or on a ready-made platform, and why?

On a ready-made platform, such as Shopify or WooCommerce, the store starts from a template, and apps add features. A custom store is designed and built from scratch around how your business works.

Both can be right. A template store usually costs less to build and suits a simple shop that sells in the usual way. A custom store usually costs more to build, but it can meet needs a template or app cannot, has no platform fee on each sale and gives you full control. Someone must also host and look after it. Our guide to custom online stores in the UAE explains who needs one.

• Good answer: They ask how your business works first, then explain why their way suits you, what it costs to build and run each year, and what you could not do the other way.
• Red flag: They cannot explain why their way suits your business, or they sell a template with your logo on it as "custom".

Red flags: when to walk away

Some answers should end the conversation.

• The store or domain in their name: You would need their permission to leave.
• Vague prices: One number with no list, or extras that appear after you sign.
• Guaranteed Google rankings: No one can promise first place on Google. SEO (getting found on Google) takes time and depends on many things.
• No real examples: Only mockups, or stores that no longer work.
• Lots of paid apps: On a ready-made platform, each one adds a monthly cost, and too many can slow your store down.
• Asking for your password: A good agency asks for its own login instead, which you can remove later.
• Pressure to sign today: A discount that "ends tonight" is a sales tactic, not a reason to sign.

How we answer these questions at Samay.ae

Here are our answers, so you can compare us fairly with others.

Not sure you need an app as well as a website? Read when a shopping app is worth it.

If you already sell on another platform, we move your products, customers and past orders. Old links keep working, so people who find you on Google still reach you, and your old store stays open until the new one is ready. Our guide to moving your online store explains the steps.

Scholarships take 20% to 100% off a package for businesses that need help with the cost. You can see our packages and prices and what every store includes.

The 12 questions on one page

Copy this list into a WhatsApp message or print it. Send the same questions to every agency you talk to.

1. Who will own the store, the domain and the accounts, and what happens if we part ways?
2. What exactly is included in the price? Can I have the scope in writing?
3. What will I pay every year after launch, including the domain, hosting, apps and payment fees?
4. Can I see live stores you built for UAE businesses?
5. Will you set up UAE payments: a payment gateway, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara and cash on delivery?
6. Will you set up delivery for the UAE?
7. Can you build the store in Arabic and English?
8. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
9. Who will I talk to, and how fast do you reply?
10. Will you train me to run the store?
11. What happens after launch, who looks after hosting and updates, and what does support cost?
12. Will you build it custom or on a ready-made platform, and why?

Frequently asked questions

How much does an e-commerce website developer cost in Dubai?

Prices vary widely between freelancers and agencies, and with the size of the store, so compare written quotes for the same list of work. A custom store usually costs more to build than a do-it-yourself template store. Add the yearly costs too: the domain, hosting and support, or on a ready-made platform the plan and any paid apps. As one example, Samay.ae's Website package costs 7,870 AED a year for a custom store, with the domain name paid separately.

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency for my online store?

A freelancer can suit a small, clear job, such as setting up a template or adding products. An agency suits a full store with payments, delivery, Arabic and support, and you are not relying on one person. That matters even more for a custom store, which needs looking after for years. Either way, ask the same 12 questions and get the answers in writing.

How long does it take an agency to build an online store?

It depends on how many products and features you need, how ready your photos and product details are, and how quickly your payment provider approves you. A simple store is quick to build. A big store with more features takes longer. Ask for a written plan with dates, and check which steps depend on you. At Samay.ae, we tell you how long it will take before we start.

Can I switch to a different agency later?

Yes, if the store and accounts are in your name. Give the new agency its own login, remove the old agency's, and make sure you control your domain account. With a custom store, agree at the start, in writing, what you receive if you part ways. If the old agency owns the store or domain, ask in writing for it to be transferred to you before you leave.