IE Domain Registry Annual Report 2019

IE Domain Registry  Annual Report & Review  2019 26 Business and Market Review We are committed to providing ongoing research to guide policymakers and government agencies in framing appropriate supports for indigenous SMEs to digitise their sales and logistics process. „ SME attitudes to digital ƒ IE Domain Registry, SME Digital Health Index 2019 87% of SMEs have at least one digital asset 53% of Irish consumers want their local high street shops to offer a full online ordering service ONLY 32% of SMEs with a website can take sales orders or process transactions through it 63% of Irish consumers think a business looks outdated if it doesn’t have a website „ The benefits of an online presence ƒ 69% of SMEs believe that their website is more important than, or equally important to, their social media profiles 72% of SMEs say being online and digitally savvy has helped increase awareness of their business 73% of SMEs say their website contributes to their offline or ‘face-to-face’ sales 86% of SMEs stay in touch with their customers using digital tools, like email newsletters and SMS messages IE Domain Registry, SME Digital Health Index 2019 Supporting the business community Throughout 2019, we continued to support the internet community in Ireland with a range of initiatives and sponsorships. Our objective is to help them celebrate excellence in digital processes, e-commerce and digital marketing. Indirectly, this helps to promote the .ie domain name and to encourage internet usage. We sponsored the Small Firms Association (SFA) Awards. These awards celebrate the achievements of small business in Ireland and recognise the vital contribution of the small business community to the Irish economy.