Specialist wig business Wigs by Rapunzel's is to receive a leg-up in the online world after becoming the fourth winner of Eircom's digital boost initiative.

The Co Meath-based company supplies wigs to people who have experienced hair loss due to alopecia or the after-effects of cancer treatment.

Wigs by Rapunzel's director Anne Emanuel Murphy said having an online presence was becoming increasingly important for businesses with the growing popularity of internet shopping and e-commerce: "Nobody looks in phonebooks anymore. When I ask people how they heard about my shop, they nearly always say the internet."

As winner of the competition, Wigs by Rapunzel's will benefit from a brand new state-of-the-art website; digital and marketing advice from an Eircom expert panel, who will provide consultation specific to the business; a telecoms package for one year; and a place on the SureSkills diploma in digital marketing.

“We did have a website but it was very old-fashioned. It hadn’t really been updated in the last eight years as I’m only a tiny business, so I’m glad to be getting a new one,” Ms Murphy said.

Launched last year, Eircom’s digital boost initiative is aimed at helping small and medium-sized business owners increase their digital presence and maximise their online potential. The initiative offers advice to small companies about how to get online and protect their business.

"No matter what line of business or industry you're in, a strong digital presence is an essential ingredient for any small and medium-sized business," Eircom business marketing director Gary Disley said.