Thursday, September 26, 2024

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We are pleased to inform you that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of LK Domain Registry took place on 24th September 2024 at Sheraton Hotel Colombo.  The meeting provided an opportunity for registry members, subscribers, and invited guests to review the past year's performance.

LK Domain Registry’s Strong Financial Performance in 2024: Growth in Domain Registrations and Social Impact

As of March 31, 2024, the LK Domain Registry continues to play a pivotal role in supporting Sri Lanka’s digital ecosystem. With 53,645 domains registered by year-end, marking a 3.5% increase from last year, the registry has shown steady growth despite broader economic challenges. This is a positive sign of the country's gradual recovery, and much of the success can be attributed to strategic initiatives, including an increased focus on marketing, particularly on social media, and stronger relationships with corporate clients.

Growth in Operations and Services

A key highlight of the registry’s growth has been its expansion in both local and foreign domain registrations. Local domain registrations showed a significant 42% increase, while foreign registrations rose by 12%. Renewals remained steady, reflecting long-term commitment from customers. This growth was supported by improvements to the domain registration system, allowing new domains to be active within two hours during working hours. Furthermore, the registry introduced enhanced services like MicroSite aimed at attracting younger users and improved the performance of its reseller network through better API integration and the implementation of the EPP protocol.

Technological and Service Enhancements

The LK Domain Registry made significant strides in its technological infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Engineering and Software Divisions, the registry moved its primary services to the Dialog data center, enhancing security and reliability. Efforts to streamline the registration process and improve user experience included instant domain reservations and enhanced payment processing through card and QR code acceptance.

Cloud services also saw growth, particularly with the myMail.lk brand, which has over 500 active users. By outsourcing its mail service to improve customer support and security, the registry has been able to better meet the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Social Empowerment Initiatives

Beyond its core business, the LK Domain Registry continued its commitment to social impact. Several programs, such as the Hithawathi initiative, school website development in collaboration with Webcomms Global, and community training programs, provided significant value to local communities. The e-learning division introduced content aligned with the school curriculum and launched new educational platforms like gurugedara.lk for Grade 6 Mathematics.

The Nenasala program, originally launched in 2004, is now undergoing redevelopment, with a focus on empowering local communities. In addition, the registry successfully conducted its flagship BestWeb.lk competition, recognizing excellence in web development in Sri Lanka.

Trade Associations, Partnerships, and Product Development

The LK Domain Registry actively participated in several trade associations, including the Asia-Pacific Top-Level Domain Association (APTLD), the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM), and the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS). These collaborations have strengthened our industry presence and opened doors for new opportunities.

We have also continued to enhance our product offerings, such as our MicroSite platform aimed at younger users and the increasingly popular myMail.lk service, now serving over 500 customers. Our efforts to expand cloud services for SMEs have also progressed, contributing to the overall growth of our business.

Looking Ahead

In summary, the LK Domain Registry’s continued focus on innovation, community empowerment, and strong financial management sets a promising course for the future. As we look forward to another year of growth and impact, we remain committed to fostering Sri Lanka's digital transformation.

Contact Us : 

hostmaster@domains.lk

+94 (0)11 421-6061


Friday, September 6, 2024

BestWeb.lk 2024 Feed-Back Session

4th September 2024 - Feed back session held at RCU Skill Centre, 2 Rajakeeya Mawatha, Colombo 00700.

This blog post covers the key takeaways from feed-back session of  BestWeb.LK 2024 competition, a Sri Lankan only web design competition. 


Here's a breakdown of the speakers and their insights spoke at the above session.

Introduction and What innovations and addition's have been introduced this year -  by Prof. Gihan Dias 

  • BestWeb.LK is an annual competition for websites with the .lk domain.
  • It aims to recognize outstanding websites and promote web development standards in Sri Lanka.
  • TopWeb.LK is a monthly competition that helps participants improve their websites before the BestWeb.LK finals.

Judging Criteria  - what are the key cybersecurity insights and challenges highlights this year by Sampath Hennanayake - IT Manager LK Domain Registry.

  • Judges evaluate websites based on published criteria available on the BestWeb.LK website (transparency).
  • Website owners can assess their website from the target audience's perspective using these criteria.

Penalty Points

  • Copyright violations are strictly penalized.
  • Outdated or irrelevant content negatively impacts scores.
  • Using appropriate technology for the website's purpose is crucial.

Continuous Improvement

  • Websites that don't show progress from previous years are penalized.
  • Judges look for a clear purpose behind the website's design and content.
  • Upgrades should be purposeful and address the target audience's needs.

Key Access Points for Applicants - what factors leads to score deductions from the Judges perspective? by Mr. Ruwan Amarasekara - Past Chairman of BCS and Treasurer of APICTA.
  • First Impressions: Look and feel should be eye-catching and reflect the company's purpose.
  • Mobile Friendliness: Most users access websites on mobile devices.
  • Target Audience: Understand what customers want from the website, not just what the company wants to promote.
  • Focus Groups: Get feedback from external parties to identify improvement areas.
  • Psychological Impact: Design should consider user psychology and call to action elements.
  • Accessibility: Ensure the website is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
  • Navigation: Navigation should be clear and user-friendly.
  • Content Updates: Update content regularly in all languages (Sinhala, Tamil, English).
  • Latest Technologies: Utilize the latest technologies to enhance user experience.
  • Competitive Comparison: Websites should be designed to stand out from competitors.

Winning Strategies - What Key areas should applicants focus on when applying for BestWeb.lk and how can a website effectively represent a business as its digital front by Mr. K.V. Kuganathan - Chairman BCS, CIO Janashakthi Group

  • Simplicity: Keep things simple and understandable for the target audience.
  • Focus on User Needs: Design the website around user needs and provide easy access to information.
  • Content Quality: Create high-quality, valuable, and relevant content.
  • Mobile Optimization: Ensure the website is optimized for mobile devices.
  • SEO Optimization: Implement SEO best practices to improve search engine ranking.
  • Data Analysis: Analyze website data to understand user behavior and make improvements.

Conclusion - The Overall Winners to share strategies and best practices they employ to achieve success in the competition

  1. idb.gov.lk Overall Gold winner of BW 2024  –Represents Mr. Iresh Piyathilaka – Enterprise Promotion Officer of IDB, Industrial Development
  2. dfcc.lk – Overall Silver Winner of BW 2024 –Represents Mr. Denesh Gebamani – Vice President – Head of Digital Marketing
  3. 3cs.lk - 3cs –Overall Bronze Winner of BW 2024 –Mr. Sandaruwan Maduma Bandara – CEO 3Cs and Best Developer of BW2024

The BestWeb.LK competition offers valuable insights for website owners and developers in Sri Lanka. By following the judging criteria, focusing on user experience, and continuously improving their websites, participants can increase their chances of winning and achieving recognition for their online presence.

To view more details of the above session 


If you have any further inquiries Please contact:

LK Domain Registry, Bernard's Business Park, 106, Dutugemunu Street, Dehiwala.
Phone No. 94 (011) 446 2865
Email  : bestweb@domains.lk