Laois records 10% rise in new websites

Laois recorded a 10% growth in new .ie domain registrations last year compared to registration levels in 2023. According to new figures from the  latest .ie Domain Profile Report 2024 a total of 618 .ie domains were registered in Laois in 2024.

 New domain registrations may be taken as a proxy for levels of digital development and new economic activity in a given area.

Digital divide appears to lessen in commuter areas such as Kildare and Meath where new .ie domain registrations continue to rise, however Connacht and Ulster largely record decline in new registrations in 2024.

The report reveals that .ie continues to hold majority share of Ireland’s hosted domains (54.2%) followed by .com (29.43%) and .uk (7.33%) with a 16% increase in the total .ie database over the past five years, despite marginal decrease in total database vs. 2023 (0.5%).

Both nationally and globally, changes in the way consumers engage with eCommerce (for instance via social media platforms) highlights the importance of establishing a stable digital presence via a controlled and secure website.

Now in its tenth year, the report is an annual exploration of the .ie database and is published by .ie, the national registry for .ie domain names. It also highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by internet users, businesses and government within Ireland’s online ecosystem.

CEO of .ie David Curtin, emphasizing the importance of driving digital growth has said, ‘Since SMEs account for 99.8% of the number of companies in the Irish economy, supporting their growth and scaling efforts is crucial for a modern future-proofed Ireland.  The .ie Domain Profile Report shows that while there has been a lot of progress made in digital intent in Ireland, there is still a long way to go to convert this to real digital growth. The government must invest more in infrastructure and supports for SMEs to take them onto the next step of digitalisation.’

"When it comes to building a credible, trustworthy digital presence, websites should be seen as ‘prime real estate’ for any business online. While social media is an excellent tool for increasing visibility and capturing audience interest, these platforms are limited in their ability to build lasting relationships with customers and, more importantly, convert them to sales. An "omni-channel" approach that offers customers more than one way to engage with business is best - where social media is used as a tool to drive traffic to a secure website. It is crucial that SMEs have control over their own eCommerce channels and are not solely reliant on third party selling platforms such as TikTok Shop which has been proven to be extremely volatile over the past few weeks."

A .ie website also provides reassurance for business owners that their main point of contact with consumers is safe from cyber threats as .ie websites boast significantly lower levels of spam and cyber threats, when compared to other top-level domains like .com.  .ie continuously works to reduce the impact of security threats to the .ie namespace. This includes manually reviewing .ie applications; continuous security scanning the .ie database; and ensuring consumer protection protocols are in line with national regulators and agencies.