The moment you see .com.au or .net.au attached to a website’s virtual address, you instantaneously know that it’s based out of Australia. While .com today has become a common choice amongst businesses that wish to create a global presence for themselves, the ones that specifically wish to target regional audiences go with a country code top-level domain with an abbreviated version of their country’s name included in their domain addresses.
And as we all know for Australia, it’s au, though it was never just .au but .org.au, .com.au, or even .net.au. But this picture has changed with the announcement of .au as an official domain name by the Australian Domain Administration (auDA) which will be in effect from March 2022.
Many of you would already be planning to create a new .au domain name for their business and many would be preparing to change their existing domain names to .au. While this choice will help you keep up with the latest developments, it is in no way a compulsion. What it means is that the coming of .au doesn’t mean the termination of the existing country-specific domain names but just offers a better domain name alternative to all users.
That being said, if that is the case, why should one bother to opt for this new .au domain name? To help you get a clear picture and make an informed choice, we will take you through the several benefits of the new .au direct domain name.
But before we process, to update you with all the necessary dates, here are some things that you need to know.
- – Registration for new domain names will begin from 24, March 2022.
24, March 2022 to 24, September 2022 is the priority claim period set for submitting applications for changing existing domain names to .au. - – To be eligible for the .au domain name, the organization or business must have an Australian presence.
1. Shorter The Better
The way short and crisp taglines are the best marketing tropes, a short URL can work in favor of your business as they are easy to memorize and are more visually appealing especially when it comes to print formats. According to one research conducted by Domain Registration.com, an ideal domain name is 12 characters long and is the most effective when it comes to attracting traffic.
- – Creating a 12 character domain name was always a bit difficult considering how few 12 characters are now as .com and .net can be done away with and you can simply use .au for Australian domains, which is straight away 4 characters shorter.
- – Also, while .com.au and .net.au often lead to confusion and make memorizing domain names difficult, there are no chances of one getting it wrong when it is just .au. So, an easy-to-find website is what you will achieve through this new domain name
So with the new .au direct domain name, creating short, effective, and memorable domain names are easier than ever.
2. Secure Your Website Against Brand Theft
When it comes to the internet, identity theft is one of the growing concerns. We hear so many cases of third parties tarnishing a brand’s identity by engaging in fraudulent or illegal activities under their name. But the moment you get your .au domain name registered with auDA, the chances of your domain being misused by scammers and hackers fall to the minimum. So, with a .au domain name, you can focus on extending your business among the target audience and take it to the desired heights without having to worry about security concerns.
3. No specific allocation requirements
.au is the one domain name for all Australian-based businesses. Unlike .com.au, .net.au, or .org.au which had specific allocation requirements and therefore restrictions, .au is open to every business enterprise in Australia. As per auDA, .com.au is reserved for commercial entities and .org.au for non-commercial ones, and .gov.au is specifically and only meant for government entities. But when it comes to the new .au domain name, there are no such reservations. So, without confirming the sector to which your business belongs, you can submit an application for a .au domain name.
4. A more reliable domain name
Like any other technology or software, google voice search also undergoes regular updates. To make sure your A more reliable domain name is definitely the one that doesn’t leave any space for doubts of any kind amongst the audience. Your target audience might not necessarily be versed with the distinctions between domains like .com.au and .net.au but therefore lead rise to some sort of confusion regarding its credibility. Whereas a simple .au domain name would deliver the point of it being an Australian-based business without creating any space for any unnecessary confusion. And you know how much reliability is important when it comes to the success of any business, so, opting for .au would be like choosing what’s better for your business.
From helping you build an online credible presence for your brand, aiding in enhancing your website’s ranking to attracting web traffic, the benefits of a .au direct domain name are numerous. So, in case you have made up your mind to get a .au direct domain name for your business or have any queries regarding the same, you can reach out to us at Make My Website and our experts would be happy to guide you through it all.
