.au Domain Names

It’s not fair to say that .au domains are the new official domain for Australia. After all, people and businesses have been happily using .com.au, .net.au and other distinctly Australian domains for years. But with the release of .au domain names, there’s a shorter web address for Aussies to use to get their business or idea online.

Real Aussies, that’s who. If you want a dot au domain for yourself or your business, you’ll need to provide a physical address to prove you call Australia home. This may seem strict or unnecessary, but it’s common practice for many countries. It protects Australians with a legitimate local business from getting their .au domain taken by a person or company who’s an ocean away and doesn’t have a real presence in Australia.

Well, sky’s the limit there. A .au domain name is perfect for just about any Australian business, industry or idea, especially if you want your fellow Aussies to know you’re local. Here are a few of the top businesses and industries:

• Restaurants
• Pubs, bars and breweries
• Retail stores
• Broadcasting and entertainment
• Travel and tourism
• Software development and sales
• Consultants
• And more

If you already own a .com.au, .net.au or other second-level .au domain, you’ll definitely want to get the matching .au domain to keep someone else from snagging it and taking a chunk of your traffic with it. That, and it gives your visitors an address that’s easier to type and remember.

Of course, if you don’t already have a second-level .au domain, you’ll want to grab one to make sure potential customers know that you’re a local business and that when they support you, they’re supporting homegrown businesses that are making Australia better every day.