Irish consumers are eager to spend on the internet. According to the Central Statistics Office, over eight in ten (81%) internet users purchased goods and /or services online in 2022, an increase of two percentage points year-on-year.
When it comes to browsing and shopping online consumer trust is vitally important. We asked 1,000 Irish consumers what makes them trust businesses when shopping online. The results are conclusive.
Consumers are more trusting of businesses that have a website
- 69% trust businesses that have their own website
- Just 24% trust businesses that are only on social media
- Only 18% trust businesses that do not have a website
Q: If you were looking to buy products or service, please rate the level of trust you would put in a business that…?
Base: 1,000 consumers
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Websites are essential to get the most out of e-commerce, however social media platforms can and should be used to build customer engagement with your business and also to drive traffic to your website.
Trust is higher in businesses that use a professional email address
- 60% trust businesses that use professional email addresses, such as a .ie address.
- Only 24% trust businesses that use a free email address, such as a Gmail or Hotmail.
A branded email which matches the website adds a level of professionalism and legitimacy to communications. It gives the right first impression of an established, trustworthy business and helps to develop brand consistency.
Q: If you were looking to buy products or service, please rate the level of trust you would put in a business that…?
Base: 1,000 consumers
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The Covid-19 crisis has encouraged consumers to look closer to home for goods and services. Our .IE Tipping Point research revealed that 55% of consumers’ online purchases has been with Irish businesses since the Covid-19 crisis. This is an important shift away from the dominant international retailers. 67% of consumers who have done most of their online shopping with Irish businesses say they have done so out of a sense of solidarity.
Consumers associate Irish businesses with a .ie website
It’s important that when a consumer is shopping online they can identify an Irish website so that they can click local and buy local.
When asked ‘Which of the following website domains (.ie or .com/other) are you most likely to associate with Irish businesses?’ the vast majority of consumers said they associate .ie websites with Irish businesses.
Base: 1,000 consumers
Consumers prefer to shop on a .ie website
Our .IE Tipping Report also showed that those consumers who shopped primarily with Irish businesses since Covid-19 did so because they thought Irish businesses were more trustworthy than international retailers.
Consumers can have confidence in .ie websites as .ie is a well-established and trusted domain because every applicant’s identity is checked and validated at the point of registration.
Our .IE Consumer Trust research reveals there is an overwhelming consumer preference (79%) to shop on .ie websites over a .com or other domains.
Q: If you were looking to buy a product or service online would you prefer to click on a website ending in… (.ie or .com/other)?
Base: 1,000 consumers
Why consumers prefer to shop on a .ie website
Our consumer research found that wanting to shop Irish / local is the main reason consumers prefer to shop on a .ie website.
Over one third of consumers believe a .ie is more trustworthy than a .com / other website.
Other driving factors include that .ie websites are considered faster and more reliable than the alternatives and that delivery and return services are often better on .ie websites.
Q: Why would you prefer a .ie website over a .com/other?
Base: 792 consumers, all that prefer a .ie domain
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Our .IE Consumer Trust research was undertaken by Core Research and took place in June 2023. Sample size was 1,000 adults aged 18+.
Further .IE Insights
We have developed other research and insight reports below:
- .IE Tipping Point Report: Explores SME and consumer attitudes to the Covid-19 crisis
- .IE Digital Health Index: Provides an analysis of usage and attitudes towards digital assets by SMEs
- .IE Domain Profile Report: Examines the makeup of the .ie domain database