.IE Domain Profile Report 2020

Timeline of new .ie registrations in 2020 Peaks and troughs in new .ie registrations in 2020 were broadly linked to changes in the Government’s pandemic restrictions. Some businesses reacted quickly to premises closures and travel restrictions. Thousands moved online soon after the first lockdown was announced in order to secure lines of communication with their customers. Many invested in an e-commerce presence, such as a shop on their website or a third-party platform, for the first time. Encouragingly, new .ie registration growth was strong across the entire country, not just in urban centres. 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2020 New .ie registrations 2019 New .ie registrations LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED First pandemic restrictions in effect from 13 March . At this point, new .ie registrations are 6% higher YoY . PEAK LOCKDOWN By May , non-essential retailers have been closed for 6 weeks. Over 7,000 register a .ie web address. The majority are businesses seeking to continue selling to and communicating with their customers online. SECOND LOCKDOWN In November , new .ie registrations peak again as a second national lockdown takes hold. This smaller peak suggests that those businesses who weren’t online now saw the necessity of having a web presence. Registrations are 56% higher YoY . LOWEST POINT Traditionally, domain registrations taper off at year end. The drop-off from November is steep, which suggests that many retailers took action in November in anticipation of online Christmas shopping. RESTRICTIONS EASE New .ie registrations dip from May’s peak to August’s trough as pandemic restrictions ease in most counties. However, registrations are still 20% higher YoY . JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 4,778 4,676 4,720 5,536 7,003 6,538 5,856 4,677 5,480 5,537 6,247 4,065 .IE Domain Profile Report 2020 | 1