IE Domain Registry t/a .IE

It is imperative that government policy makers and stakeholder representative bodies have access to accurate data upon which to base their decisions. 2020 saw the publication of two key reports – the .IE Domain Profile Report and the .IE Tipping Point Report, along with new Consumer Trust research. .IE Domain Profile Report The bi-annual .IE Domain Profile Report analyses the key trends and statistics in .ie domain registrations over time. It examines the entire database of .ie domains while also measuring the growth in registrations at regional and county levels. The 2020 edition assessed the first year of the new decade. It revealed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on new .ie registrations and analysed the counties and countries of registered domain holders. These reports provide insights into digital adoption at a county level, and have been widely used by media outlets across the country. .IE Tipping Point Report The Covid-19 crisis has been a tipping point for Ireland for many reasons. The .IE Tipping Point Report 2020: How e-commerce can reignite Ireland’s post-Covid-19 economy , in partnership with Digital Business Ireland, assessed the attitudes and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic of 1,000 Irish consumers and 500 retail and consumer-facing professional services SMEs. This insightful research, published so early in the pandemic, was extremely useful for policymakers. In the report, we highlighted an important swing in online retail sales to Irish SMEs, away from their historically dominant international competitors. Since the Covid-19 crisis Irish consumers estimated that they have done most of their online shopping with Irish SMEs (53%) versus international retailers (47%). Those figures were the opposite before the crisis (52% international vs 48% Irish). Online usage and digital engagement soared as the pandemic encouraged consumers to look closer to home for goods and services. While perceptions of quality and trust played important roles in this, a large proportion of the consumers surveyed said that they simply wanted to support Irish businesses through a challenging period. The research showed that those SMEs who invested in online services reaped the rewards. Almost half (46%) who said they invested since the Covid-19 crisis said they were busier than or as busy as before. In the report, we also cautioned that Irish consumers may return to buying from international retailers, which they still regard as cheaper and better stocked, with superior online storefronts and services, once Covid-19 is more controlled. SMEs that embrace omni-channel, facilitating both an online and in-store experience, while promoting their trustworthiness and reliability will be better able to compete with international online retailers. Research – Consumer Trust We commissioned our Consumer Trust research which asked 1,000 Irish consumers what makes them trust businesses when shopping online and the results were conclusive. ▶ Consumers are more trusting of businesses that have a website and those that have a branded email address. ▶ Consumers associate Irish businesses with a .ie website and prefer to shop on a .ie website. These insights are also useful for our Registrar community when communicating with their customers. When it comes to browsing and shopping online consumer trust is vitally important. Business and Market Review IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2020 27 Insights – research and reports We are committed to providing ongoing research and insights to guide government policymakers and stakeholder representative bodies in framing appropriate supports for Irish SMEs to digitise their sales and business processes.