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The Value Behind Capturing Your .au Domain Name

By Ella Paine

Content Specialist

October 2024

If you’re wondering what the fuss is about domain names, we conducted an experiment and shared our findings. Turns out, domain names have a big impact on your digital presence – read more here.

 

 

Early in 2022, the Australian digital landscape changed with the introduction of .au domain names. 

Australian businesses were from then on able to register their website under a domain ending in ‘au’ rather than the more generic ‘com’.

We’ve put together some of the key information around .au domain names for online business owners, digital marketers, and other professionals in the industry to explore.

If you’ve been meaning to look into it, have a scroll – we did the research for you. We’ll cover the basics of .au domain names and help you understand what they mean for Australian website owners.

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Secure An Existing Brand With Your .au Domain

Purchasing your .au domain can ensure your business maintains its singularity in a crowded marketplace.

Consider the impact your brand currently has – you have most likely invested time, effort, and coin into growing your brand’s image, reputation, and recognition with customers.

If someone decides to buy the .au domain name of your business they will own the name as long as they continue paying for it. This could mean they set up a rival brand with similar or identical products, offers, and marketing strategies.

It’s very difficult to stop someone from using a domain name that’s not restricted for a certain use (government departments, national events, official institutions).

Buying a domain name does not mean you have to set up a website – if you’d just like the peace of mind that you have sole ownership of the name, it’s a simple process to buy the .au version.

For example: If you are currently registered as ‘greenshoeshop.com.au’, you would then purchase the domain name ‘greenshoeshop.au’. At a grand total of $9.30 per year (wholesale price), it’s a purchase well within reach of most Australian business owners.

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Verify Your Business Credibility and Avoid Scammers

Obtaining your .au domain will help authenticate your business to customers and reduce the risk of cybercrime.

Let’s provide some context – this new naming function has been initiated by the .au Domain Administration, an industry body that regulates the use and administration of the .au domain code. 

Their governance has made it possible to trust that .au domains safe and secure. Part of the registration process requires you to hold a valid ABN number, proving that you are an active Australian entity.

Whether or not you use the .au version of your website, owning the name can reduce the risk of cybercrime in association with your business. There’s multiple ways that cybercriminals can scam unsuspecting customers:

  1. Copycat Sites – they might use the .au version of your domain to imitate everything you have available online, and try to sell lower-quality or nonexistent dupes of your products. 
  2. Email Scams – They might set up a directory of fake email addresses and start invoicing your client for services rendered. It’s quite likely that the difference between ‘accounts@_ greenshoeshop.au’ and ‘accounts@_greenshoeshop.com.au’ would go unnoticed in our busy digital world.
  3. Phone Scams – Similarly to email phishing, criminals can set up fake numbers to contact customers while posing as your business. They may be prompted to make fraudulent payments, update their financial details, or participate in a survey that reveals personal information. 

If you are caught unawares by cybercrime, it can take a long time to track down the perpetrators, recoup losses, and rebuild the trust of your customers.

Optimising your levels of business cybersecurity through domain name ownership is one way to reduce your risk of becoming a cybercrime victim.

 

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Simplify The Search Process For Your Website

Upgrading your business domain to .au can make it easier for online users to remember and search for your brand name.

In a crowded digital marketplace, the easier it is for someone to search for your business name, the more likely they will be able to find you.

Developing a cohesive, brand-consistent marketing strategy already encompasses lots of moving parts, so it makes sense to keep your web address as close as possible to your brand name as possible. 

With many of your potential or existing customers using their mobile devices to search for products, brands, or services, you also want to keep your name short and sweet for easier typing on a small screen.  

Perhaps you’re already coordinating a swathe of social media channels, a website, an e-newsletter, a digital catalogue, and other assorted marketing platforms. 

With a busy marketing schedule already in motion, owning a simple domain name to tie in with all your branding assets and promotional materials is a 1-percenter that can pay off in spades.

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So…What’s Really In A [Domain] Name?

In case we haven’t used the phrase enough, let’s review what a .au domain name means for your business. The top three takeaways:

  • Brand Ownership – keep your business name and all its associated value under your ownership, to maintain your customer base and reduce the chance of rivals operating under the same name.

  • Cyber Security – owning your .au domain can save you the massive headache of dealing with a cybercrime such as fraud, impersonation, or theft from your customers or other connected entities.

  • Business Visibility – by keeping your brand tied to a simple, easy to communicate and remember name, you increase the chances of being found and remembered by customers online.

It may seem like a drop in the ocean, but there’s plenty of value when it comes to this new format of Australian internet addresses. 

Time will only tell how much online businesses stand to benefit from this development, so don’t be the last to the table – secure your .au domain today.

Choosing a name is just one part of the puzzle - successful marketing requires an in-depth understanding of not just your business, but the tools and strategies best suited to telling your story and growing your brand.

CoBright has a talented, experienced team of marketing specialists ready to help you reach your goals. Whether it’s a new website, a fresh advertising strategy, or a social media campaign, we offer a range of services to help put your business on the map!

Need an experienced digital marketing partner to upgrade your brand?

Talk to our team.

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