Key takeaways
- Compare proposals on scope, ownership and support, not on the headline price.
- Ask for live projects similar to yours and a reference you can call.
- Make sure you own the domain, hosting accounts, source code and design files.
- Scope Arabic and English as two languages from day one.
- Agree in writing on post-launch support, response times and what counts as a change.
On this page
What is the short answer?
Shortlist two or three agencies whose live work resembles what you need, send all of them the same brief, and compare their answers to the twelve questions below. The cheapest proposal is often the one that leaves the most out; the right one is the one whose scope, ownership terms and support you understand completely before you sign.
Questions about experience
1. Can we see live projects similar to ours?
Mockups and screenshots prove design skill; live sites prove delivery. Ask for two or three working projects in a similar industry or of similar complexity (an e-commerce store, a booking platform, a government portal), and open them on your phone.
2. Can we speak to one of your clients?
A ten-minute call with a past client tells you more about deadlines, communication and post-launch behaviour than any presentation.
3. Have you built bilingual Arabic–English sites?
In Oman, Arabic is rarely optional. Ask to see the Arabic version of a previous project and check that it is mirrored correctly, uses a proper Arabic font and reads naturally, not like a translation. Our bilingual website checklist lists what to look for.
Questions about the team and process
4. Who will actually work on our project?
Know the names and roles: designer, developer, project lead. Ask whether any part is outsourced and to whom. Smaller, senior teams often move faster than large teams with many hand-offs.
5. What does your process look like, and when do we see work?
Expect discovery, design, build, testing and launch, with something you can review at every stage. Ask how many design revisions are included and how feedback is collected.
6. Who writes the content?
Content is the most common cause of delayed launches. Agree on who writes and translates the text, who supplies photos, and when everything is due.
Questions about technology and ownership
7. What will the site be built with, and why?
There is no single right technology, but the agency should explain its choice in terms of your needs: speed, security, how often you update content, integrations and future growth. Be wary of proprietary systems that only the agency can maintain.
8. Who owns the domain, hosting, code and designs?
Everything should be registered in your company's name or transferred to you at the end: domain, hosting and cloud accounts, analytics, source code repository and design files. This single question prevents most painful agency break-ups.
9. How do you handle security, privacy and performance?
Ask about HTTPS, backups, updates, form spam protection, how personal data from forms is stored, and how fast the site loads on a mobile connection. If you collect customer data, ask how the agency's approach supports your obligations under Oman's Personal Data Protection Law (issued by Royal Decree 6/2022).
Questions about launch and after
10. How will search engines and AI assistants find the new site?
A professional build includes clean URLs, metadata in both languages, a sitemap, structured data and redirects from your old pages. Without redirects, a redesign can wipe out years of search visibility overnight.
11. What support is included after launch, and for how long?
Clarify the warranty period for bugs, response times, who updates the software, and the monthly cost of ongoing support after the warranty ends.
12. What counts as a change request?
Every project changes. Agree up front on how new requests are estimated and approved, so the relationship stays good when the scope moves.
Red flags to watch for
- A fixed price before anyone has asked about your goals, content or integrations.
- No live examples, or examples that no longer work.
- Hosting, domain or code that stays in the agency's name.
- "SEO included" with no explanation of what that means.
- No written scope, or a scope that lists pages but not features.
A simple way to compare proposals
Score each proposal from 1 to 5 on the criteria that matter to you, and weight them. For example:
| Criterion | Weight | Agency A | Agency B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant live work and references | 25% | ||
| Clarity of scope and timeline | 20% | ||
| Bilingual Arabic–English quality | 15% | ||
| Ownership and handover terms | 15% | ||
| Support after launch | 15% | ||
| Price | 10% |
How AbuData can help
We are a studio in Muscat that designs and builds bilingual websites, apps and platforms, and we are happy to answer all twelve questions in writing for your project. Have a look at our portfolio and services, or send us your brief.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in Oman?
It depends far more on scope than on the agency: the number of templates, languages, integrations (payments, booking, CRM), content work and support. Ask every agency for an itemised quote against the same brief so you compare like with like.
Should I choose a fixed-price or a time-and-materials contract?
Fixed price suits a well-defined scope such as a marketing website. Time and materials suits products whose features will evolve, such as platforms and apps. Many projects combine both: a fixed-price first release, then a monthly budget for improvements.
How long does a website project usually take?
A small marketing site can take a few weeks, while platforms with accounts, payments or integrations take several months. Content readiness and how quickly feedback is given usually affect the timeline more than development speed.
Should the agency host my website?
It can manage hosting for you, but the hosting account should be in your company's name with your own access. That way you can change agency later without rebuilding or migrating under pressure.
What should a website contract include?
A written scope with features and languages, the timeline and milestones, payment terms, intellectual property and account ownership, the warranty and support terms, and how change requests are handled.
