Introduction
If you’re an Australian business, you may be aware that the new domain “.au” became available to companies in March of this year. However, from October, anyone can purchase .au domains, regardless of citizenship or residency in Australia. Although this update from the domain space might sound like a good one (and it is), it also comes along with more concerning factors to consider.
In this blog article, we are going to walk you through just how important it is to purchase a .au domain for your business to protect yourself from marketing tactics and cyber security threats and of course, we’ll discuss the advantages it comes with too, in terms of trust and stability.
Cyber Security
As we mentioned earlier, purchasing domains as a marketing tactic by businesses that feel threatened by competitors is more common than you may realise. It’s important to protect your business from this type of activity, otherwise, you could have a big problem on your hands.
For example, let’s say you own an Australian clothing company that is known for being ethical and locally made. If your website is .com, a competitor can now come along and purchase a .au domain with your brand name. This means that they have full control over what they post on the website that has your name in the URL, perhaps making false claims, for example. This can confuse customers if they type in your brand name with .au and find themselves on a website that looks nothing like yours, or worse yet, does look like yours and they get scammed. This impacts trust, credibility and ultimately, sales.
Even if the person who purchased the domain does nothing with it, it does mean that you can’t have the .au version of your website ever since it is already taken. So, the message here is that you’ve got to be fast to avoid someone else purchasing your domain name before you, and by doing so, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary hassle and continue to satisfy customers.
Customers Trust .au Domains
So, you want to market your business online. You know the importance of an internet presence and how it can help your company grow. But there’s one thing that might be holding you back: trust.
This may sound counterintuitive at first—after all, if someone doesn’t know about you before they come across your site, then why should they trust you? The answer is that people are much more likely to trust companies with a domain name ending in .au than those ending in .com or another country-specific top-level domain (TLD). This is because people have been conditioned over time to believe that companies using TLDs such as com, net and org are American-based businesses while those using .au are Australian ones, despite many American companies actually having Australian subsidiaries or partners!
Having an Australian domain is a great way to build trust with customers because they have an idea of where you’re located. It’s also very easy for their browser to find out where the company is registered and who owns it. When looking at your website, customers will feel more comfortable giving personal information if they know that you’re located in Australia and not somewhere else around the world.
Focus on Target Market
If you have a .au domain, you can focus on the local market first and then expand to other markets later. A .au domain means you can use your web address to create a brand that is known in Australia. You don’t need to worry about creating two different brands just because you want a presence in two different markets; it’s much easier to do with one brand name that can work anywhere.
Australia’s .au Domain is Stable
The .au domain is owned and managed by auDA (Australian Domain Name Authority), a body created by the Australian government to oversee and regulate the use of .au domains.
Nowadays, auDA makes sure that only reputable businesses can register a .au domain name—and once you get one, you don’t want to lose it! They also make sure that all registered domains are used in accordance with their stated purpose. That way there’s less risk of someone registering an inappropriate site under your brand’s name and confusing people who may be looking for yours.
Conclusion
A .au domain name is a great way to show customers that you’re going to be around for the long haul. It’s a good way to build trust with them, and it’s easy to remember, pronounce, and type—which means your website will be easier for them to find too! Purchasing the .au version of your website also means you are safe from any cyber security threats. We’re confident that you’ll be delighted with the benefits of a .au domain name. If you have any questions or concerns about purchasing the .au version of your website, feel free to contact us at any time.
