Why all Australian businesses should register an .au website domain

Earlier this year it was announced that .au domain names would be launched for Australian websites, shaking up the local domain name space as we know it. The change was introduced to help internet users identify Australian websites faster, and to complement the existing suite of Australian namespaces being .com.au, .net.au and .org.au. With over 3.5 million web addresses already registered for a .au domain, all Australian businesses are being encouraged to purchase their .au domain.

We have compiled the top 5 reasons why registering for a .au domain is an important move for your business.

1. Protecting your brand and IP

You may feel confident that your current web address is well established and recognisable to your engaged customers. While this may be the case, registering your current website with the complementary .au domain will protect you from competitor activity and cybercriminals imitating your website. It is worth considering that a rival business may seek to purchase your matching .au domain website with the intention to sell back to your business for a highly inflated price. Whether you are a small or large business, registering a .au domain name to complement your existing web address will ensure your customers are directed to your site efficiently and safely.

2. Improved visibility on devices

As internet traffic has continued to experience growth on mobile devices, it has become standard practice for businesses to ensure websites and communications are easily accessible and visible on smaller devices. The benefit of a .au domain in this case is that it is smaller in length than traditional domains. The shorter domain will provide a more memorable web address for customers to quickly refer to and improve visibility for your customers when searching for your brand and when on your website.

3. Building customer trust

A study by Roy Morgan, showed that 9 in 10 Australian customers prefer to transact with local businesses due to strict national quality and safety standards. The new .au domain requires that registrants have an Australian presence, providing your customers with peace of mind that your website is safe and trustworthy to interact with.

Further to this, it is predicted that .au domains are very likely to appear higher on search engine results than those with traditional domains (such as .com.au, .net.au and .org.au). The .au domain will assist search engines to validate the country that your business is based in and prioritise websites with local IP addresses and domains to land closer to the top spot of a search result.

4. Accessible to more Australian sites

With the current internet domain rules in place, domains ending with .com.au and .net.au were only available for use by businesses with an ABN or an ACN. When the new .au domain is released, anyone with an Australian presence can register for a .au domain including businesses and individuals with Australian citizenship or residency. Due to these new rules, there is an increased chance that businesses operating with a similar domain to your business that currently end in .com.au, .net.au or .org.au may wish to compete with you directly for a .au domain. Businesses with highly desirable domains are encouraged to apply for priority allocation access prior to September 21 to mitigate this risk.

5. Future-proofing your business

As Australian brands and stock continue to uphold a positive reputation within the international market, the .au domain is an opportunity for Australian businesses to enter and maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace. A clear domain will allow international consumers to efficiently recognise that a brand or product is Australian based, potentially increasing your business’s reach outside of Australia. Additionally, a .au domain is a step forward towards a more accessible global marketplace as it places Australia on par with our international peers. For example, other countries like the UK, New Zealand, Canada and China have all adopted a shortened domain already, ie. .uk, .nz, .ca and .cn.