Irish websites difficult to navigate and contact, study finds

A third of internet users find Irish websites difficult to navigate, according to new research from marketing communications group Core.

Among the other issues highlighted in its survey of 1,000 consumers’ digital habits is the fact that 26 per cent of internet users report difficulties making contact with companies online.

The study reveals that one in five consumers are currently dissatisfied with brands’ online ads with 31 per cent of survey respondents saying they would pay to turn off all online advertising.

Helpful

However, 56 per cent said ads can be helpful in finding new things while 48 per cent of Irish online users said they don’t mind advertising on websites or mobile apps, so long as they don’t cause a distraction.

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The research also shows that 15 per cent of Irish households now have a voice-activated digital assistant with Amazon’s Alexa by far and away the most popular smart speaker.

According to Core’s study, two-thirds of those surveyed said they have discovered brands online that they would not have otherwise discovered.

The survey also indicates that 41 per cent of Irish people now shop for groceries online each month, with 82 per cent also paying bills via the internet.

The Core study comes as the latest Deloitte Telechnology, Media and Tech Predictions report forecasts smart speakers to become the fastest-growing connected device category, with an installed base exceeding 250 million units worldwide by the end of 2019.

Smart devices

Deloitte predicts that the smart-speaker industry will be worth €6.2 billion in 2019. At an average selling price of €38 per unit, total industry revenues could eclipse €3.8 billion, a 63 per cent growth rate from 2018. However, to achieve this Richard Howard, of Deloitte Ireland said the industry will have to overcome looming obstacless. “Speech recognition technologies continue to improve, but wider language support will need to be developed for the technology to be inclusive and experience global adoption.”

In its 18th edition Deloitte also predicts radio will continue to be the hidden gem for advertisers due to its resilience, and fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks will arrive in scale by the end of this year, opening new possibilities and enabling new enterprise applications of mobile connectivity.