The latest Index shows that Irish businesses are still not engaging in e-commerce, despite the majority of Irish consumers buying and transacting online. Almost a quarter (22 percent) of Irish SMEs are still have no online presence whatsoever, that is no website, social media account or any other digital asset. Only 30 percent can take sales orders or process payments, while just 29 percent can accept bookings or reservations online.

83 percent of consumers think SMEs should have at least a basic website that lists contact details, while 68 percent believe a business is ‘outdated’ if it doesn’t have an online presence. 71 percent are more likely to buy from a business that has a website.

The research, commissioned by IEDR and undertaken by Ignite Research in March 2017, measured the health of 500 Irish SMEs’ digital presence by analysing the number of digital assets (like websites, apps and social media accounts) owned by them, and their perceived quality. You can view and download the complete Q1 2017 dot ie Digital Health Index here.