24Oct
by Malek Al-Ahdab
How to Compare Quotes for Your First Arabic–English Website
To compare quotes for your first Arabic–English website, ask every supplier to price the same pages, language work and launch checks. A lower total is not necessarily better value if translation, Arabic layout testing or ongoing fees sit outside the quote.
This guide is for business owners commissioning a company website that explains services and receives enquiries. The checklist below is an editorial recommendation, not a statement that every item is included in a Byteable package.
Start with the action your website must support
Write one sentence describing what a visitor should do: understand a service and send an enquiry, for example. Then list the pages needed to support that action in both languages.
If customers must pay, reserve a confirmed appointment or access private records, ask for those workflows to be scoped separately. An enquiry form is not a booking system. A simple company-website brief is unsuitable when the main requirement is a transaction or an internal business process.
Ask each supplier to complete the same scope checklist
| Scope item | What the quotation should clarify |
|---|---|
| Pages and languages | Which pages exist in Arabic and English? Does the page count include both versions? |
| Writing and translation | Who writes, translates and approves the text? Are menus, form messages and page descriptions included? |
| Arabic layouts | Does the quote include right-to-left layouts and review using the actual Arabic content on mobile? |
| Enquiries | Where do submissions go? What confirmation and error messages will visitors see in each language? |
| Editing access | Which content can your team change in each language? Is training included? |
| Search setup | Are language-specific URLs, page titles and links between equivalent language versions included? |
| Launch and support | What checks, revision rounds and post-launch fixes are included? What is charged separately? |
| Ownership and recurring costs | Who controls the domain and hosting accounts? What code, licences and documentation are handed over? Which fees renew? |
Define what bilingual delivery means
Translation and interface direction are separate tasks. RTL means right-to-left, the reading direction used for Arabic. W3C guidance explains that HTML needs an explicit direction setting; declaring the language alone does not set that direction.
For your quotation, ask for acceptance checks rather than the vague promise of Arabic support. Review navigation, forms and mixed Arabic/English text, including phone numbers and email addresses. Check the actual approved text in the working layouts, not only an English design with sample Arabic added later.
For search setup, Google recommends separate URLs for each language version and links that let visitors choose their language. It also recommends hreflang annotations to identify corresponding language versions. Hreflang is a way to tell Google which pages are language or regional alternatives; it is not a ranking guarantee.
Ask who will keep the two versions consistent after launch. A content management system (CMS) lets authorised staff edit website content, but the quote must specify which fields are editable and how translations are managed.
Compare cost drivers before comparing totals
Ask suppliers to separate the initial build from recurring costs and optional work. Relevant cost drivers include the number of distinct layouts, content preparation, translation review, editable content and external integrations. Two pages using one layout are a different scope from two pages with different functions.
Hypothetical example: two suppliers both quote for five pages in two languages. One includes client-supplied text only; the other includes writing and translation review. The totals do not describe equivalent work. Request a revised breakdown before choosing.
To reduce scope, consider postponing a news section if nobody can maintain it. Keep the pages needed to explain your services and make contact, with complete content in both agreed languages. Do not remove Arabic review merely to preserve optional features.
Tie the schedule to approvals
Ask for milestones linked to content approval, design review and acceptance of the working site. Name a decision-maker for each language and agree how long your team has to respond. If translation or photographs are not ready, ask the supplier to show the effect on the proposed schedule rather than accepting an unconditional launch date.
Use relevant project evidence carefully
Byteable’s published Jadarat project describes the company’s first website, developed in Arabic and English with sections for services, training courses, company information, updates and the team. That is relevant bilingual website experience; the case study does not establish a standard price or delivery time for another business.
Review Byteable’s website development service to understand the related offering, then use the checklist to clarify your own scope.
Before requesting a final quote
- Prepare a page list with the language versions required.
- Mark each content item as ready, needs writing or needs translation.
- Name the content approvers and enquiry recipient.
- Separate launch requirements from later additions.
- Request written inclusions, exclusions, recurring fees and handover terms.
Send Byteable your page list, content readiness and budget constraints to discuss the scope of your first bilingual website. Do not send passwords or customer records through the enquiry form.
