This is the highest number of new domain names registered since 2011. The figure, which represents some 96 new domains a day, represents an increase of 13 per cent when compared to 2014.
“This is a very encouraging number,” said IEDR chief executive David Curtin.
“Considering almost 75 per cent of all new .ie domain registrations in 2015 were by companies and sole traders, this rise correlates with positive trends in the wider economy and represents a positive leading indicator of business confidence,” he added.
Unsurprisingly, the IEDR reports that the highest amount of new domains registered took place in Leinster (64 per cent), while Munster (17 per cent), Connacht (9 per cent), Overseas (7 per cent) and Ulster (4 per cent) trailed.
In 2015, private and public limited companies made up nearly 50pc of all new .ie registrations, followed by sole traders at 25pc.
Despite the increase in registrations, David Curtin did stress the need for more to be done by both the Government and industry figures, citing the IEDR’s Optimize €150,000 fund which helps 15 Irish SMEs improve their digital presence as an example of the transformative work that can be done. Matrix Internet-delivered digital marketing work to some of the Optimize winners.
The IEDR’s revelation about the increase in domain registrations was bolstered by the results of an eCommerce study in 2015.
The study found that online revenue at Irish eCommerce websites increased by 45 per cent in 2015, while traffic to these sites grew by 27 per cent. In addition, the number of transactions jumped by 30 per cent while the average order value rose by 10 per cent.
The biggest surprise of the study was the revelation that in the last quarter of 2015, mobile overtook desktop as the most popular device for eCommerce traffic. This could be a particularly concerning statistic for those SMEs still operating without a website optimized for mobile.
Interested in setting your website up for ecommerce and mobile? Get in touch.
By Jeff Sheridan
By Matrix Internet
By Irene Hislop
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