1,738 new websites with .ie addresses were registered by businesses, clubs and individuals in Limerick last year, according to country domain manager .IE.
The number represents a growth of almost a third in new .ie domain registrations in Limerick compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Of the new .ie registrations with an active website in Limerick in 2021, two of the most frequently used keywords were ‘beauty’ and ‘home’.
.IE chief executive David Curtin said the latest figures indicated that small businesses are no longer simply reacting to the pandemic but that consumer behaviours are changing, and SMEs are changing with them.
“Businesses in Limerick 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,”
The 2021 .IE Domain Profile Report shows that 11,859 new .ie domains were registered in Munster and 57,530 on the island of Ireland, making 2021 the second-best year on record for new .ie domain registrations.
At the end of the year, there were 330,108 .ie domains in the database.
“When Ireland was in strict lockdown and non-essential retail was closed, new .ie domain registrations surged,” Mr Curtin explained.
“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”.
