If you’ve been browsing the internet in Australia recently, you might’ve noticed websites using .au have started to pop up. No, you aren’t imagining things as .au domain names are now real.
Since .au domains are now available, you’re probably wondering, are .au domains worth it? We certainly think they’re worth it, especially for people looking to buy a domain name for the first time as .au has fewer domain requirements than other options in Australia plus you’ll have a better chance at registering the domain you truly want.
In this article, we’ll aim to give you an in-depth answer regarding if .au domains are worth it, if you need one and also give you all the information you need to make your own decision. Let’s get into it.
A Quick .au Launch Recap
Back in 2021 and 2022, .au went through an extensive launch process. First, people and businesses with existing second-level Australian domain names, such as .com.au or .net.au, had a chance to pre-order their matching .au domain name.
After the existing domain owners had their chance, the wider public had their shot by pre-ordering the .au domains they wanted and then waiting for the ‘go live’ period, which was when all the pre-ordered domains could be submitted for registration. This was quite a messy period, since there were hundreds of thousands of .au domains trying to be registered at the same time.
In current times, .au domains operate just like most other domains. You do a domain search with your favorite domain company and if the domain is available then it should be able to register it instantly.
Are .au Domains Worth It For New Domain Owners?
It’s impossible to answer this question with anything other than a big YES. Let’s take a quick look at why .au domains are worth it for new domain owners:
- You don’t need to supply a special business number (ABN/ACN) in order to register one. Just as long as you have an Australian presence, such as being an Australian citizen, then you’ll be able to register one.
- At the time of publishing, there are 770,000 registered .au domains versus 3,100,000 .com.au domain names registered. This means you have a much better chance of registering the .au domain you want versus the .com.au variation, which might already be taken.
- They’re shorter, which means they’re easier to type and remember for website names or email addresses.
The first point is the big one. For close to thirty years, if you wanted to register a popular Australian domain extension, such as .com.au, you had to provide some type of business number, like an ABN (Australian Business Number) or an ACN (Australian Company Number). This meant that if someone was an individual, it would be very difficult to register an Australian domain name unless they were an accredited sole trader.
To register a .au, you only need to supply an Australian passport or driver’s license ID number as proof of your Australian presence. Based on the domain requirements alone, we can say .au domains are worth it.
Do I Need A .au Domain?
For existing domain owners, particularly those that own a .com.au domain, the question probably isn’t are .au domains worth it but rather, do I need a .au domain? After all, you already have a domain so why would you need another one?
The answer is quite simple. No, you don’t need a .au domain…but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy one.
As mentioned in the new domain name owner’s area, .au domains have fewer domain registration requirements than other Australian domain names. While this is a very big positive for new domain owners, it’s not exactly a positive for existing domain owners as it means there’s now a greater chance that someone may register a copycat domain.
Let’s say you’ve used your current domain name bobsplumbing.com.au for the past seven years and have used it as a way to make it simpler for clients to contact you online. With the launch of .au domains, it’s now much easier for a competitor to potentially steal your clients by registering bobsplumbing.au and picking up typo squatting traffic.
Technically this isn’t a new scenario for .com.au domain owners as .net.au domains have existed for the same amount of time as .com.au and have the exact same ABN/ACN requirements. The big difference though is that .net.au is far less likely to be incorrectly typed in than .au. You could safely get away with not registering the .net.au version of your .com.au. The same probably can’t be said for .au.
While you don’t need a .au domain, it is still worth registering one, just as a precaution against possible scams or nefarious uses.
So, Are .au Domains Worth It And Do You Need One?
We hope that answers all your questions regarding about if .au domains are worth it and if you need one. We here at OnlyDomains think .au domains are worth it, especially for new domain owners and if you’re an existing domain owner, you do need one to protect your valuable business.
So, what do you think? Are they worth it? If so, go and register your .au domain with confidence you’ve made the right choice.
