860 new websites registered locally last year

Over 860 new .ie domains were registered in Westmeath in 2020 as local businesses, services, and community groups mobilised online in response to pandemic.

According to a new report by .IE, Ireland’s national registry for .ie domains, new .ie domain registrations in Westmeath increased by 30 per cent on 2019.

In total, 65,113 new .ie domains registered in total in 2020, the highest ever figure.

Domain registrations peaked in May, six weeks after the government ordered non-essential retail to close.

Westmeath businesses, services, and community groups registered 861 new .ie domains in 2020 as the county mobilised online in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There were 39,722 new .ie domain registrations in Leinster in 2020, a 28% increase on 2019. Every county on the island of Ireland recorded an increase in registrations.

“The nationwide increase in new .ie domain registrations is very encouraging,” said David Curtin, Chief Executive of .IE.

“It suggests that businesses and public services, regardless of county or whether they are in a city or a small town, were able to quickly and easily set up an online presence and meet local demand in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is evident in Westmeath and across the entire province of Leinster.”

The pandemic response

Peaks and troughs in total new .ie registrations generally followed the government’s restrictions on travel and business. The highest peak occurred in May, when 7,003 new .ie domains were registered.

This occurred approximately six weeks after the closure of non-essential retail. This peak began to drop off from June, as restrictions eased, but moved up sharply in October, peaking again in November corresponding to the announcement of the second national lockdown.

Mr Curtin said there had been a “mass mobilisation of digital in every part of the economy and society” in response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Businesses migrated online, many for the first time, in direct response to the lockdowns,” he said. “They realised that having an online presence, and in many cases e-commerce capabilities, would at the very least minimise the damage of reduced or non-existent footfall.

“Some businesses have fully embraced digital, using multiple platforms to communicate with and sell to their customers. For example, some restaurants are using their own websites to advertise special offers but redirect customers to third-party apps and platforms for food ordering. Delivery is then outsourced. Many who have pivoted their business model in this way have reaped the rewards and stayed afloat, even thrived, in an intensely challenging period.”

“A local .ie web address has therefore been a lifeline; a way to mitigate the worst effects of the physical lockdown, including permanent closure. It has also advantageously positioned many businesses and services in Westmeath for a more digitally integrated post-Covid-19 economy.”