Last quarter, a shop network spent over 200,000 SAR in traditional marketing with disappointing outcomes. After shifting just 30% of that spending to mobile marketing, they saw a 328% improvement in store visits.
Recently, a hotel owner discovered that their online presence was virtually invisible from voice search results. After executing the techniques I'm about to share, they're now showing up in 47% of applicable voice searches.
Assisting a healthcare provider, we rewrote their material to incorporate complete questions that users would naturally speak, such as "Where can I find a dermatologist in Riyadh?" This strategy increased their spoken question appearance by seventy-three percent.
- Use fonts purposely developed for Arabic digital display (like Dubai) rather than conventional print fonts
- Expand line leading by 150-175% for enhanced readability
- Set right-aligned text (never center-aligned for main content)
- Prevent compressed Arabic fonts that diminish the distinctive letter shapes
After my expensive education in what DOESN'T work, I've realized that finding the top marketing partner isn't about who has the most elegant office or the most polished presentation. It's about results, communication, and understanding the unique Saudi market.
For a luxury brand, we identified that Snapchat and Instagram substantially surpassed Facebook for connection and purchases, resulting in a strategic redistribution of attention that enhanced overall performance by one hundred sixty-seven percent.
Last year, my small business was barely surviving to attract new customers. Our website was nowhere to be found in Google search results. That's when I made the decision to invest in professional website ranking help.
For a retail client, we found that their voice search discovery was limited because they had prepared primarily for foreign language queries. After incorporating tailored local spoken question optimization, their findability improved by over two hundred percent.
Listen, I've been through the hellish experience of hiring the incorrect marketing agency TWICE before eventually finding one that provided results. Believe me, it's a error you don't want to make when building your brand in Saudi Arabia's demanding market.
- Redesigned the data entry sequence to align with right-to-left user expectations
- Developed a bilingual input mechanism with intelligent language switching
- Enhanced smartphone usability for one-handed Arabic input
As someone who has designed over 30 Arabic websites in the recent years, I can confirm that applying Western UX standards to Arabic interfaces simply doesn't work. The special features of Arabic text and Saudi user preferences require a completely different approach.
- Clearly specify which language should be used in each input field
- Dynamically change keyboard layout based on field expectations
- Place field labels to the right of their associated inputs
- Ensure that validation messages appear in the same language as the expected input
During a marketing workshop in Eastern Province last month, I was surprised when a business owner told me he was paying five thousand SAR monthly to his "digital expert" who turned out to be a university student running campaigns from his bedroom! No judgment on hardworking students, but industry qualifications and expertise matter enormously in this field.
When evaluating digital marketing competition research services, don't be afraid to ask challenging questions. I've learned to directly ask: "Can I speak to your least satisfied client?" The responses to this question tell you EVERYTHING about an agency's honesty.
The journey to finding the best digital advertising agency Riyadh marketing agency in Saudi Arabia isn't simple, but getting it right will transform your business results. Just make sure you learn from my mistakes rather than making your own!
Last month, I was advising a prominent e-commerce platform that had invested over 200,000 SAR on a stunning website that was failing miserably. The issue? They had merely transformed their English site without addressing the essential design distinctions needed for Arabic users.
I'm running a small business meetup in Riyadh next month where we'll be discussing more about finding and working with marketing partners. If you're having trouble with this too, drop me a message - always happy to share experiences over some good Saudi coffee!
- Transparent reporting systems - My biggest issue with my previous agency was the confusion around results. Now we get weekly reports that actually make sense, showing exactly what's working and what isn't.
- Developed a numerical presentation system that managed both Arabic and English numbers
- Reorganized data visualizations to progress from right to left
- Applied visual indicators that corresponded to Saudi cultural meanings
- Regional understanding - This is HUGE and often overlooked. Saudi consumers respond to completely different approaches than Western audiences. The best digital marketing agency will understand nuances like the importance of Ramadan campaigns, regional preferences across different Saudi cities, and how to communicate effectively with the Saudi demographic you're targeting.