au Domain Names
In 2022 .au domain names were introduced into Australia.
Up until then, domain names in Australia mostly ended in “.com.au”. Occasionally you’ll see “.org.au” or “.gov.au”, but most Australian web addresses and emails are “.com.au”.
The authorities saw fit to remove the “com” and offer just “.au”.
Let’s look at an example.
This website is https://diydigital.com.au
The email associated with the business is info@diydigital.com.au
The domain is diydigital.com.au
In 2022, for the first time, it was possible to purchase diydigital.au domain.
Here’s the comparison
- diydigital.com.au
- diydigital.au
In other words, it’s the same domain with the “.com” removed.
Should You Purchase a .au Domain?
The reason to purchase the domain is to stop your immediate competitors, or your competitors in the future, getting it. It would be confusing for one business to have the .com.au and another to have the .au. To avoid this confusion, purchase the .au and own both.
In the same vein, if you are an Australian business and have the .com domain name, but not the .com.au or .au, purchase these additional domain names.
Domains cost between $15 – $30/year, so this is a low cost insurance policy.
What to do with the Domain Once its Purchased
Nothing.
Or in most cases nothing.
In most cases the reason to purchase it, is to stop someone else getting it. But if you want to start using it you can.
You can either re-direct the .au to your current .com.au site or you can replace your .com.au site with the new .au. However we recommend you just purchase it for now and sit on it. If and when the .au becomes a popular and well liked domain address, it could be worthwhile making this your primary web and email address.
Starting Fresh
If you’ve started a business since 2023 you may wish to start fresh with the .au domain name (i.e. not .com.au).
In this case you’d purchase the .au as the main domain name and use it for your website and email address. You’d purchase the .com.au as an insurance policy and just sit on it.
Further Reading
Check out our article What’s the difference between a web address, a URL and a Domain Name?
