What every small business owner needs to know about the new .au domains

What every small business owner needs to know about the new .au domains

Registrations for .au domains will open early next year, so we attempt to answer some of your questions about eligibility and the process ahead of the big change.

Great news for any Aussie business or organisation with an existing or upcoming website - you will soon be able to register a .au domain name. What this means is that you will be able to add .au to your domain name instead of .com.au or .net.au and you can have a much shorter domain name which customers are more likely to remember. It’s snappy, it’s proudly Australian and it’s oh so easy to pronounce!

WHAT IS A .AU DOMAIN NAME?

Currently most websites in Australia end in .com.au, .net.au, .gov.au or other distinctly Aussie domains. The introduction of .au domains simply means that you will now have a shorter, more specifically local domain that users can quickly identify as being within the country. If you already have an existing domain name, you will have the option to apply for the equivalent .au domain. Experts are advising website owners to make sure they do this to avoid other sites from using your business name on a .au domain extension.

WHEN IS IT COMING?

According to auDA, the governing body that oversees domain names in Australia, the application period for the new .au domains will officially open on March 24, 2022. So, now that you know, you’ve got sufficient time to wind down from the festive season happenings, get into gear for the new year and plan your brand new website!

HOW TO REGISTER A .AU DOMAIN

In order to register a .au domain, you must be able to produce proof that you reside in Australia to be eligible. This can be done with any of the following:

✔ Australian driver’s licence

✔ Australian Passport

✔ Australian Citizenship Certificate

✔ Australian Business Number (ABN)

✔ Australian Company Number (ACN)

✔ Australian Trademark Application or Registration

Existing .com.au owners will have 6 months to register a new .au domain from the date when applications open. To know more about the registration process and costs, speak to your local domain registrar. Your registrar will also let you know if there is any conflict with another business or individual requesting the same domain name, however, details as to how this will be resolved are not all that clear yet.

WHY SHOULD I GET A .AU DOMAIN NAME?

Whether you're an existing domain holder or plan to create a new website, this is an exciting opportunity with numerous benefits.

✔ Show that you’re a homegrown business

✔ Give your visitors a short name to remember

✔ Give your business added credibility and build trust

✔ Be more visible with a .au domain, since authentic Australian domain names show up higher in local online searches.

2Brownies is a proudly Australian website design and domain registration company that has been helping local businesses to build credible and beautiful websites that attract positive results. Call us if you’d like to know more about registering a new .au domain and how it can benefit your business. If you plan to create a new website or link your existing domain to the new one, our team can help you do this seamlessly. We’ll keep you updated closer to the launch date, so watch this space!

Call us at 1300 608 114 or email us at hello@2brownies.com.au for help on getting your .au domains!