Which Domain Name Extension for My Aussie Business?

When it comes to deciding which domain extension you should use for your business, it can often feel like you have too many choices.

Before we narrow down those choices, let’s look at a couple of definitions that will help.

A Domain Name – is the “mybusinessname” in www.mybusinessname.com.au

A Domain Extension – is the “com.au” in www.mybusinessname.com.au

Everyone’s familiar with .com and most people recognise that .com.au represents Australia. And while there are over 280 different domain extensions delegated globally, you’ll be glad to know that only a handful will be relative to your business.

What Type of Business Do You Have?

Here are some practical case examples:

Local Bakery (Commercial Business)

• Business Type: Small local bakery serving a community in Perth.
• Ideal Domain: sweettreats.com.au
• Reasoning: The .com.au extension signals to customers that the bakery is an established business located in Australia, important for local clientele.

Environmental Non-Profit Organisation

• Business Type: Non-profit focused on conservation efforts across Australia.
• Ideal Domain: greenfuture.org.au
• Reasoning: The .org.au extension is perfect for non-profits in Australia, meeting specific regulatory criteria and communicating the non-commercial nature of the site.

Mediation Lawyer (Service Business)

• Business Type: Individual offering legal mediation services primarily within a specific state or territory in Australia.
• Ideal Domain: mediationspecialist.com.au or mediationspecialist.com
• Reasoning: Using .com.au emphasizes the local nature of the service, appealing to clients seeking legal mediation within Australia. The .com extension could be used for broader visibility and potential future expansion beyond regional boundaries, maintaining professional credibility.

Online Retail Store (E-commerce)

• Business Type: E-commerce site selling skincare products domestically and internationally.
• Ideal Domain: skinessence.com or skinessence.au
• Reasoning: .au benefits local marketing, while .com offers international recognition.

Does Your Business Meet The Criteria?

Things to Consider for Australian Extensions:

• .com.au and .net.au: These extensions require you to have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or be registered as a business in Australia. You can only register a domain name that is an exact match, acronym, or abbreviation of your registered business or trading name. This helps ensure that your domain name is relevant to your actual business operations.
• .au: The newly released .au domain extension also requires an ABN, but it offers more flexibility in terms of the domain names you can choose, allowing for shorter and more memorable URLs. It’s a good choice if you want to establish a clear Australian identity online.

Things to Consider for Generic Extensions:

• .com, .org, .net, and .info: These are generic domains that don’t require specific Australian credentials, making them a versatile choice if you’re catering to both Australian and international audiences without any restrictions.

Does Your Domain Name Match The Paperwork?

Be aware of the potential legal implications when registering your domain. If another entity claims that they have a right to the name you’ve registered under Australian-specific extensions, they could challenge your registration. This is particularly relevant for .com.au and .net.au domains, where the name needs to directly relate to your business or brand.

Other Extensions

There are, of course, other domain extensions you could consider:

• .pro (professions like legal, medical)
• .travel 
• .biz
• .accountant

The full list of extensions can be found here.

You’ll find most of these are more expensive to purchase but if all the previous options are unavailable to you, they may suit your purpose. However these are not generic unrestricted extensions like .com, .info, .net, .org – they will have criteria you will need to meet, so make sure you do your research if you have a preference for one of these.

Using an uncommon domain extension, like .accountant, may lead to consumer confusion as many are accustomed to typing familiar extensions such as .com. This can potentially impact direct traffic where users manually enter the URL.

Role of Digital Marketing:

Effective digital marketing can mitigate concerns about domain extension familiarity. Since marketing efforts often guide potential customers directly to your website through clickable links in emails, ads, and social media, the specific domain extension becomes less critical. Users don’t need to remember or type the URL; they simply click on the provided link, avoiding the issue of typos or incorrect extensions.

Your marketing efforts should be driving all your traffic to your website where your call to action is (sales, bookings, lead acquisition, etc). If you do your marketing well, your marketing will be providing a direct link to your website. In which case prospective clients won’t get your web address wrong due to a typo or uncommon domain extension, all they need to do is click on the link you’ve provided.

There’s actually no right or wrong choice when choosing a domain extension. It’s based more on availability, whether or not you prefer an Aussie extension and whether you meet the criteria.

Now that you’ve decided on your domain extension, it’s time to purchase your domain name. I like buying local so I’ll always recommend an Aussie business! Check out VentraIP for great prices and customer service.