Why the first website matters more for a new company
An established business gets the benefit of the doubt. A new one does not. When a potential client, a supplier, a bank or a landlord googles your company and finds nothing, or finds a half-finished template, the conversation gets harder. A credible first website is not marketing; it is part of looking like a real company. It also needs to exist before you print business cards, open LinkedIn, or apply for anything that asks for a web address.
Step 1: the domain
- Buy the .com if you can, and the .ae as well if your name is available. Buyers across the Gulf trust both; the .ae signals you are here to stay.
- Register it in the company's name, with an email address you control, not an agency's. If a supplier offers to "handle the domain", say no and buy it yourself; it takes ten minutes.
- Keep it short and spellable over the phone. If people have to ask how to spell it, pick another.
Step 2: email on your own domain
Nothing says "new and small" like a Gmail address on a proposal. Set up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 on your domain before the website goes live. One address for you, one general address like hello@ or info@ for the site, both reaching your phone.
Step 3: hosting
For a company site, you do not need a server, a control panel, or a monthly maintenance plan. A modern site is a set of files served from a global network, which costs almost nothing and does not need patching. Avoid anything that bundles hosting, domain and email into one account you do not control; separate them so you can change any one later.
Step 4: what goes on the first version
Five pages, no more, done well:
- Home. One sentence that says what you do and for whom. Your two or three services. A reason to trust you. A clear way to get in touch.
- About. Who is behind the company, with a face and a short track record. For a new company, the people are the credibility.
- Services. One section or page per service, in the buyer's words, each ending with a next step.
- Work or proof. If you have no projects yet, use the founders' previous work, certifications, partnerships or a clear description of how you work. Do not invent testimonials; people check.
- Contact. A short form, a WhatsApp number, an email on your domain, and the UAE address from your licence.
Everything else, a blog, Arabic pages, a careers page, a portal, can come later. Launch small and correct, then grow.
Step 5: the legal footer
At minimum, every UAE company site should show the legal company name as it appears on the licence (for example "Al Jindi Advisory FZ-LLC" rather than a brand name alone), the emirate or free zone it is registered in, and a privacy note explaining what you do with enquiry data. If you take payments or handle personal data at scale, you will need more; for a service company starting out, this covers it. Your free zone may also require its name in the footer; check your licence conditions.
Step 6: WhatsApp
In the UAE, WhatsApp is the front door. Get a business number, set up WhatsApp Business with your logo, hours and a greeting, and put a WhatsApp button on every page of the site. Most enquiries from a new company's website arrive this way, not through the form.
Step 7: Google, on launch day
- Google Search Console. Free. Verify the domain, submit the sitemap, request indexing of each page. Without this, Google may take weeks to find a new site.
- Google Business Profile. Free. Even for a company with no walk-in office, a service-area profile puts you on the map results, which is where a lot of local clicks go. Ask your first clients for reviews.
- Analytics. Free. So you know in a month whether anyone is visiting and which pages they read.
- Basics in the code. A proper page title and description for every page, the company marked up for Google as a local business, and a sitemap. A good agency does this as part of the build; a cheap one does not, and you find out six months later.
Step 8: LinkedIn
Create the company page the same day the website launches, with the same logo, the same one-sentence description and the web address. Then post from your personal profile, not the company page; for a new business the founder's profile reaches far more people.
What it should cost and how long it should take
A five-page launch site for a new company should be a matter of weeks, not months, and the price should be fixed before work starts. If an agency cannot show you the homepage design before you pay, or cannot give you a launch date, that is a signal.
Our process for new companies is simple: send us your licence name, what you do and who for, and we design your homepage free. You see it, we agree a fixed price and a launch date, and you are live within a week of approval, with the domain, email and Google setup handled or handed over.
Quick answers
Do I need a website before my company bank account is open?
Not legally, but many banks ask for one during onboarding and it helps your application look established. A simple five-page site is enough.
Should a free zone company use .ae or .com?
Both if you can. Use .com as the main address for international reach and point .ae at it. If you only buy one, .com is the safer default for most businesses.
Can I build the first site myself on a free builder?
You can, and for a side project it is fine. For a company that will be googled by clients, banks and partners, a free builder with its branding and slow loading usually costs more in lost credibility than it saves.
How soon after launch will my site appear on Google?
With Search Console set up and indexing requested on launch day, the homepage typically appears within days. Ranking for competitive searches takes months of content and links; appearing for your own company name happens quickly.
Send us your brief or your current site. We design the homepage free, show it to you on desktop and mobile, and quote a fixed price only if you like it. Request a free design preview or WhatsApp us.