The New Normal
In the past, Australian businesses wanting to obtain a .com.au domain needed to have a business ABN, and to obtain a .org.au domain you need to be a not-for-profit or charity organisation. However, with recent changes made by AuDA (Australian Domain Registration), all businesses, associations and individuals who are able to show a local connection to Australia will be able to obtain a simple .au domain (also known as “the .au namespace”).
All businesses with an existing .com.au, .net.au, .org.au, .gov.au or .edu.au domain will have until the 20th of September 2022 to reserve their equivalent .au domain before it becomes open to the public.
The change comes as an attempt to bring Australia up to speed with other countries like United Kingdom (.uk), Canada (.ca), USA (.us) and NZ (.nz) who have already made their relevant namespaces available. With it, the change brings a wider choice of available names, and allows for shorter and more memorable names that are easier to type and display on mobile devices.
Why Change To A .au Direct Namespace?
In the current business environment, businesses need to leverage all available tools to remain competitive and gain advantage. Many are treating the .au namespace as a kind of stamp of authenticity.
Businesses need to meet the criteria of AuDA to prove their local connection with Australia and obtain the domain, so the new namespace builds recognition, legitimacy and is fundamental in building a strong digital strategy.
When offering a shorter, more memorable name for your online identity could mean the difference between gaining customers and not – why not register?
Apart from anything else, it is important to register your domain name during the priority period so no other businesses can take it come September. From 20th September, the .au applications are open to the general public, meaning that anyone can register their business under your name.
How to Register
Priority allocation for businesses with an existing .au website (.com.au, .net.au etc.) is available until 20th September 2022, so existing businesses can obtain their exact match in .au direct.
You can apply for Priority Registration via the Rhythm Digital team or your existing registrar before September 20th. There will be a fee for registering, and the application will be assessed to determine your eligibility. You will also need a priority token, which you will find on the auDa website. The Rhythm team can help you locate this.
Complete our .au domain registration request form and let our team take care of your .au domain registration for you.
