What a digital marketing quote should state

Use this as a checklist when a quote arrives. A missing item is not proof of a poor supplier, but it is a question to put before you sign. The examples are what suppliers say on their own pages. They are there to show that each point varies, not to suggest a standard.

The money

• Billing basis. Monthly, one-off, or both. Almirsa lists its website packages as one-time payments^[8]. Samco lists its social media packages per month^[2].
• VAT. Included or added. CubicSofts states its prices are exclusive of 5 percent UAE VAT^[7]. Where a quote is silent, ask.
• Setup fee. Media Search Group lists a one-time campaign setup of AED 349 on each of its PPC packages^[3]. Leads Dubai says a one-time setup fee is billed separately on its AED 6,000 and AED 9,000 plans but does not state the amount^[5].
• Advertising spend. Inside the fee or on top, and whether a minimum applies. Leads Dubai lists a minimum ad budget of AED 5,000 a month on its Google Ads package with the spend paid separately^[4]. Samco says ad spend is excluded from its paid social package^[2].

Term and payment

• Minimum term and exit. Digital Gravity lists 4 months for its Basic SEO plan and 6 months for the others^[1]. Ask how to stop and what notice is needed.
• When you pay. Almirsa says full advance payment is required before work starts^[8]. Ask what is paid when, and what you receive for each payment.

Scope and exclusions

• Quantities. Number of pages, posts, platforms, campaigns, reports. Samco states 12 to 20 posts a month in its organic management package^[2]. A figure with no quantity beside it cannot be compared.
• What is excluded. The same Samco page lists ad spend and influencer collaborations as excluded^[2]. Ask for exclusions in writing.
• Ownership and access. Who owns the advertising account, the website files and the reports after the work ends.

Introductory pricing

Some prices change after the first period. AdsDigital.agency lists a first-month price and a lower price for following months on each Google Ads package^[6]. CubicSofts shows a list price and a discounted price, with the discount said to run until 31 December 2026^[7]. Ask which figure applies for the whole term, and put that one in the service price guide.

For how these gaps lead to wrong comparisons, read mistakes when comparing agency prices, and for the wider picture start from what digital marketing costs in Dubai. If paid ads are the service, my PPC management services page describes what I offer, and you can hold me to this list too.