A new consumer survey shows that three in four people prefer buying through websites rather than social media platforms.
Almost three in five people also say they are more likely to buy from a retailer with a .ie domain.
The research was carried out on 1,000 adults last month by Core Research on behalf of .ie, which manages the country domain registrations for Ireland.
Around 11% of the database of .ie domain names are international registrants, but the vast majority are Irish businesses, individuals, communities and towns.
Despite the research showing the majority of people prefer to shop on websites, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok shop are all increasing in popularity.
The CEO of .ie, David Curtin, warns that identity is not verified on social media platforms.
"You need to be careful that you know who you're dealing with online and that you have done your own due diligence", said Mr Curtin.
The survey results indicate that consumers believe the responsibility of online safety is spread among sellers and buyers.
"23% say that it's the shopper who's responsible, about 20% say the regulators have a role and just under 20% say that the banks and the payment platforms have a role as well," explained Mr Curtin.
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Over one in five Irish people have been a victim of an online scam when shopping, while one in four mentioned that they are very concerned about online scams.
Mr Curtin warned the old advice is the best advice saying if the offer seems like it's too good to be true, then it generally is.
While the survey found over nine in ten consumers put price as the most important factor in decision-making, a third said they would use friends and family product recommendations, with 64% citing online reviews.
The report also found that one in five Irish people say AI recommendations influence their shopping decisions.
"AI is new for everybody and what's interesting is that you see the search platforms merging with AI advice," said Mr Curtin.
"But what the survey says is that the purchasers do not trust influencers, only 1% said they trust influencers, and they don't necessarily trust the recommendations of the AI platforms yet," he added.
