You may have heard a few rumours about .au direct domains being released in Australian — we can confirm the rumours are true!
Shorter, simpler domain names are now available for Australian web and email addresses but will be released with businesses taking priority over the general public. But what does this mean for your brand? Given how invaluable your website (and domain) are to your business and your marketing strategy, we’ve answered some of the most asked questions to prepare you for the .au direct domain.
What Are .au Direct Domains?
They are a new type of domain available in Australia that includes “.au” but not “.com”. Essentially they look like this: www.samplesite.au (notice there is no .com).
Why Is This Happening?
auDA (the administrator of au domains) has started releasing .au domains in order to adapt to similar trends from the US, UK, Canada and Japan who have already rolled out their own versions (.com, .uk, .ca, .jp).
Okay... But What Do I Need To Do?
We’re glad you asked! We recommend that all Australian business secure their .au direct domain as soon as possible.
auDa has created a Priority Allocation period that allows businesses to secure the new .au version of their domain before they are released to the general public.
According to business.gov.au, if you have an existing eligible .au business domain name (such as .com.au and .net.au), you have until 20 September 2022 to notify them of your intent to apply for the exact match of your name in .au direct via the Priority Allocation Process.
We recommend you apply to secure this domain before the Priority Allocation period closes.
“If you choose not to apply for the exact match of a name it will become available to the general public. Your existing domain names will all continue to operate as normal.”
But Why Should I Secure This Extra Domain?
The main reason for securing your .au domain is for brand protection. If not secured within the Priority Allocation period, the .au domain then becomes available for someone else to buy. Securing this new domain is a must for brand protection to ensure you continue to own your brand name and prevent potential confusion if someone else was to buy it and build a site under your brand name.
“Cyber squatters” with ill intent, may use variations of your trademarked brand name to intentionally mislead your loyal customers and business partners. Versions of your domain name could be used in phishing scams or other fraudulent purposes. It is important to take precautions so that your company’s private data isn’t compromised when this happens.
Brandjacking is another activity that sees hackers acquire or otherwise assume the online identity of a legal entity for the purposes of leveraging that business’s brand equity for tier schemes. Hacker tactics like these cause a serious threat to your brand’s digital presence and can even impact your digital marketing strategies.
To protect your brand, we recommend securing the .au direct version of your domain during the Priority Allocation period.
What Should I Do Once I Secure My .au Domain?
We recommend setting up a redirect from the new .au direct domain to your primary domain (usually .com.au or .com). This will ensure that your business still operates on your main domain but you have removed the power from others to purchase a .au domain for your brand name. Remember to continually ensure that your domain names don’t lapse to avoid domain drop catching (the practice of registering a domain name once registration has lapsed, immediately after expiry).
Protect your brand's digital identity by securing your .au direct domain early.
Partnering with a digital marketing agency with their finger on the pulse can help ensure your business is always prepared for changing trends and updates across the digital industry. Get in touch with one of our specialists to see how we can partner with your business for digital marketing.
