At some point, most businesses engage external digital marketing expertise to provide inbound marketing, SEO, PPC, and social media services. In Dubai, that expertise comes in the form of either an agency or freelance talent. In a tough B2C and B2B environment, budgets are tight, and largess limited, so how can prospective clients come to grips with the cost of digital marketing in Dubai? Why Hiring A Digital Marketing Agency In Dubai Is Cheaper Than You Think! Up until now, establishing what the reasonable costs are for hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai have been murky and anything but transparent. Relying on gut instinct won’t get you very far and public data on rates and fee for services remains elusive.If you are considering tapping into external digital marketing expertise, gaining a clear line of sight on the average costs being asked for monthly retainers and hourly rates for digital marketing in Dubai can be challenging and time consuming to compile. Digital Marketing Pricing Survey Insights A recent survey by Credo, a company that matches prospective clients with marketing agencies or consultants released the results of its latest survey of digital marketing pricing. The survey was distributed to 184 respondents across 19 countries and produced some interesting insights on the present trends for the cost of digital marketing. Freelance consultants consistently price based on hourly or monthly base rates and project fees. Worldwide digital consultant rates continue to be based on years of experience. Consultants with 1-3 years of experience, charge around $88, while those with 10+ years of experience charge an average of $189.Agency pricing appears all over the map. Agencies with 2 to 5 employees and 6 to 10 employees actually charged more on average than agencies with 11 to 20 employees according to the survey SEO agencies appear unsure about pricing their services with pricing being all over the shop. The survey showed an hourly range of $145 to about $181 Agencies and consultants with a strong strategy focus charge higher rates compared to those with a broader portfolio of services Monthly retainers, project fees, and hourly rates are all higher for strategy related servicesImplications For ClientsWith so much variation in rate schedules and competition from freelance consultants, the cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be cheaper than you may expect.Assess precisely what digital marketing services you are after, overlay that with a monthly service fee from a pool of prospective agencies, and use that as the starting point in your negotiations. Most agencies are very clear about their cost base and what utilization rates they are targeting and so consequently, understand just how far they can comfortably negotiate. Agency Versus Freelancer As you would expect, there are some key differences in pricing between freelancers and agencies:Freelancers are mostly servicing clients through a blend of hourly rates and project based fees.Agency preference for monthly-retainer contracts is not surprising, after all, they usually have more overhead to coverThe average digital marketing industry monthly retainer contract starts at $1,000 and ranges up to $5,000.The larger the agency, generally, the more services they offer under one umbrella. If you are looking for a blend of digital marketing services, hiring an agency will reduce the amount of coordination you need to do as a client. The larger the agency, the more customized solutions it usually provides, and hence, the higher the average price point per customer required to cover that specialized expertise and talent. The Best Clients Often, small and medium-sized businesses feel they are at a disadvantage in negotiating with an agency due to their lack of scale compared to larger clients. However, frequently, small, and medium-sized businesses are the best clients from an agency perspective.The reality is, digital advertising as an industry in Dubai, is still a comparatively immature market, and the majority of agencies lack the corporate expertise and infrastructure to service enterprise scaled customers.Hence small to medium businesses provide an agency with reliable bread and butter revenue streams without the complexity and high servicing costs that come with large multinational clients. So, if you are a small or medium-sized business, don’t be embarrassed to negotiate with an agency. They need clients like you, another reason why the cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be lower than you may expect! High Demand Agency Services Despite the profusion of digital marketing services, SEO and PPC services remain most agencies primary sources of revenue. The top five services sought by clients are: SEO PPC management Social media Content marketing Analytics and UXAnalytics and user experience design (UX) are surging in popularity as their importance to attracting prospects and retaining customers becomes clear. This recognition is reflected in their growing footprint within the portfolio of digital marketing services clients are seeking from their agencies.While this is good news for the industry as a whole, as it indicates a more disciplined and structured approach to digital advertising in the Middle East. It also points to a continued lack of recognition by business owners and marketers of the need to put in place adequate analytic capability in-house.Similarly, ensuring an engaging user experience from the launch of a digital marketing initiative would go a long way towards supporting the consumer acceptance of online marketing particularly as regional Internet users have become more experienced and have higher expectations of the online UX.Identify growth opportunities for your business today! Our free 30-minute marketing assessment can help save you money and drive your business forward. Subscribe Now For A Free 30-Minute Marketing Assessment!Conclusion If you are in the process of hiring a marketing agency, the news is good. The cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be lower than you anticipate and there are different pricing structures and models available.Many agencies use a combination of pricing models such as monthly retainer for standard services, milestone pricing for projects they do frequently, or hourly pricing for new or more complex work. Discuss which pricing model works best for you with your prospective agency and you may be in for a delightful surprise!
US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent
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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.
Source: Comex
Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers
Source: Nasdaq
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.
San Jose Costa Rica Travel and Highlights
San Jose, capital and largest city, has the best Costa Rica tours for most travelers and tourists. This city offers numerous spectacular museums, first class restaurants, and amazing night life venues. Some may think less of this city because of its urban sprawl but nevertheless, they soon found out how this city can be very entertaining especially once you’ve visited Plaza dela Cultura and Paseo Colon.Some of the fun things to do in Costa Rica can be done at the Plaza de la Cultura. It is also known as the Culture Square, is usually the place to go to shop for souvenirs, sun bathe or enjoy a night out while watching marimba bands and other entertainers including comedians or clowns, jugglers and colorfully dressed artists playing Andean music. The Paseo Colon; however, is one of the best hotels in San Jose with really accommodating and helpful staff as well as luxurious and comfortable rooms.The Jade Museum is one the most visited attractions according to Costa Rica vacation reviews, highlighting the country’s century-old artifacts and the world’s largest and renowned collection of Pre-Columbian Jade. The Costa Rican Art Museum also known as Museo de Arte Costarricense by the locals, showcases a collection of works by the country’s most celebrated artists back in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its presentation is highly impressive because of its rotating shows and sculpture collection. Most of the works are exhibited in all forms of media. The National Museum, also called the Museo Nacional, was founded in 1887 and is situated in the old fort used by the military during the civil war back in 1948. This museum displays the natural history, Pre-Columbian culture as well as history of Costa Rica.Other exciting Costa Rica tours involve the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum near downtown San Jose. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum which is part of the Central Bank Museums is an underground cultural center that exhibits the marvelous collection of gold objects that reflect the techniques of the Pre-Columbian people in Costa Rica. The exhibition is divided into two levels: an introductory and area for orientation at the 2nd level of the structure that interprets the evolution of Pre-Columbian cultures. The metallurgy development in Costa Rica, the styles and stages are also featured in this level. The second level which is located at the 3rd level of the structure showcases the diverse uses and meanings of the gold objects. An introductory video is presented in this level before people can view the collection.The Mercado Central also the Central Market in Costa Rica is another destination where tourists go strolling about to purchase the exotic spices, fruits, vegetables and even t-shirts. There’s also a bakery and even wood and leather handicraft sold in stalls. This market consists of three blocks and is located near a train station.Most tourists check out travel agencies in Costa Rica to get the best travel packages only to visit San Jose. The best thing about this city is that most of the tourist destinations are really accessible. Many realized it’s best to explore the city on foot. But if travelers decide to travel around outside the city they can opt to go visit the Monterverde National Park considered the most visited national park in the country.An overseas travel adventure to the Monteverde National Park is only 3 to 4 hours from the capital by car; however, air travel is offered through Sansa Airlines which only takes 20 minutes. It contains the most beautiful beaches and coral reefs coupled with a superb combination of lush rain forests. The rain forest houses a diverse collection of species including monkeys, iguanas, sloths, squirrels and crabs.