.IE Tipping Point Report 2020

About .IE .IE is the national registry for .ie domain names and is the trusted and progressive guardian of Ireland’s unique online .ie address. We operate the domain name system (DNS) for the .ie namespace, facilitate an independent dispute resolution service , and operate a public WHOIS lookup service for .ie domains. Our purpose is to enable and empower people, communities and businesses across Ireland to thrive online. In cooperation with our Registrars, technical partners and stakeholders we help advance Ireland’s internet ecosystem. Good governance is evidenced in our policy development process for the .ie namespace which follows a bottom-up, consensus-driven approach through a multi-stakeholder Policy Advisory Committee. .IE is committed to digital advocacy for the SME community. Through stakeholder engagement initiatives such as .IE Digital Town , we work with and support SMEs organisations to improve their members’ online presence and e-commerce capabilities so they can unlock the power of the internet. We also produce fact-based research for the business community and policymakers, such as the .IE Tipping Point Report , charting the attitudes of Irish SMEs and consumers to digital during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are focused on providing excellence in customer service through our ongoing customer experience (CX) innovation and improvement programmes. Since March 2018, it is easier and faster to register a .ie domain. There are over 295,000 domains in the database. www.weare.ie Methodology The .IE Tipping Point report was commissioned by .IE, in partnership with Digital Business Ireland, and carried out by Core Research. A total of 1,000 consumers aged 18+ were surveyed via online questionnaire. A total of 500 SMEs in the retail and customer-facing professional services sectors were interviewed via telephone. Research was carried out between 4 June and 2 July 2020. SME sample size breakdown „ Company size 1-5 = 69% 16-20 = 2% 6-10 = 18% 21-30 = 4% 11-15 = 5% 31+ = 2% „ Business type • Retail (pharmacy, clothes, computer/IT, hardware, off-licence, books) = 135 • Coffee shop/restaurant/pub = 76 • Convenience store/newsagent/grocer = 37 • Beauty salon/hairdresser/barber = 47 • Medical (doctor, dentist, physio, optician, vet) = 101 • Horticulture (farm shop, florist, garden centre) = 22 • Other = 82 „ Region • Dublin = 24% • Rest of Leinster = 28% • Munster = 27% • Connacht-Ulster = 21% 12 About DBI ‘Digital Business Ireland (DBI) is the voice of the Irish digital commerce sector. Set up in 2019, DBI counts over 3,400 businesses in its community with Health Stores Ireland, the Association of Fine Jewellers, County Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Inspire Network, and IPAV among its affiliate members. It continues to grow its membership footprint across a wide range of online and digital businesses including technology, retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, education, leisure, agri-business, and property. DBI provides a range of services to its membership including training and events, networking opportunities, general advisory, insights, advocacy, and public policy influence, all of which facilitate digital businesses to grow, thrive, and achieve their ambitions.’ About Core Research Core Research is part of Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company. ‘We analyse the data from every source to truly understand people and brands. Our insights lead to smarter, more accurate and successful decisions.’