Why should I register
.au for my business?

There are several reasons:

  1. To protect your brand identity. Any new business could try to piggyback off your recognised brand by operating under the .au direct of your business name. 
  2. Cyber security. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has warned that cybercriminals can register the .au versions of websites and use them to attempt financial fraud. 
  3. Price. Domain investors may purchase your business name’s .au domain and try to sell it to you at a much higher price. 
  4. It’s shorter! People are more likely to remember a shorter website address. Plus, it looks slicker on your marketing collateral.  
  5. For search engine optimisation. Google is more likely to recognise you are a local business with a .au direct. 

Australian businesses and organisations can now localise their website domain to .au. In March 2022 the .au direct was launched and businesses were granted priority access to secure theirs. But the September 20 cut-off date is just around the corner, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to decide if you will purchase your business’ .au direct domain. 

What is the .au domain?

Basically, if you are an Australian business with a website that ends in a domain such as example.com.au, you have the option of streamlining it to example.au. This applies to all website domains that currently end in .au including net.au, org.au, asn.au, id.au, gov.au, and edu.au.

What happens after September 20th?

Until September 20, Australian businesses have priority status to register their .au direct. After that, it’s open to the general public. Anyone who can prove they have a connection to Australia will be able to purchase the .au version of your website address.

How do I secure my business’ .au?

You can reserve your .au direct domain name by visiting an auDA accredited registrar. Or you can contact Elite Design Industries and we can secure your domain name in out wholesale account. Unfortunately, there is a cost and it varies from registrar to registrar, however it’s probably a small price to pay compared to the potential price rise after September 20 when domain investors can purchase domain names.

What will happen to my current website?

Purchasing your .au domain doesn’t mean you have to change anything about your current website. You can choose to simply secure your .au direct from being purchased by someone else. Then, you can redirect your current your .au domain to your current website, this way it will help bring you leads.

For more information, visit .au Domain Administration, or if you’re an existing client and would like some support from us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.