Pandemic sees big websites upsurge

Galway registered 2,792 new .ie domains in 2021 – a growth of 31.5% on pre-pandemic 2019 – to underline the upsurge in websites and online stores in direct response to locked-down economy.

That’s according to .IE, Ireland’s country domain manager, which also revealed that one of the most frequently used .ie domain keywords in Galway in 2021 was ‘design’!

The upsurge in website for Galway businesses, organisations, clubs, and individuals saw the county account for almost half of the 6,051 new .ie domains registered in Connacht in 2021.

Overall, there were 57,530 new registration across the island of Ireland, making 2021 the second-best year on record for new .ie domain registrations. As of 31 December 2021, there was a total of 330,108 .ie domains in the database.

According to the 2021 .IE Domain Profile Report, for most of last year, the rate of new .ie domain registrations largely reflected Government lockdown policy.

“In the months of 2021 when Ireland was in strict lockdown and non-essential retail was closed, new .ie domain registrations surged,” said David Curtin, Chief Executive of .IE.

However, the pandemic’s link to new .ie domain registrations appeared to ‘decouple’ in August as .ie domain registrations once again increased despite the Government’s accelerated reopening plans.

“We believe this decoupling occurred when it did because the Irish economy has, for the most part, exited the ‘acute response’ phase of the pandemic. Businesses have factored-in the uncertainty of restrictions and reduced trading ability to their commercial operations and planning,” he said.

“SMEs are also no longer simply reacting to the pandemic. Instead, consumer behaviours are changing, and SMEs are changing with them.

“Businesses in Galway and across Ireland are investing in new websites, integrating e-commerce technology, and making use of productivity-enhancing tools all year round because they now recognise the huge role they play in profitability and customer acquisition,” he added.