Eligible Australian entrepreneurs and small businesses are being urged to enhance their brand and digital identity by registering for a new .au domain. The launch of .au is the biggest innovation in Australian domains for 20 years, and comes as internet traffic and online competition reach record highs.
From 24 March, Australian entrepreneurs with an existing .com.au domain name can apply for priority status to register its exact domain name match with a .au extension through GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain registrar with over 84 million domains under management. Eligible users have six months to complete this process before the .au domain name extension becomes available for the general population to purchase from 20 September. Domain customers can register a .au domain if the corresponding .com.au, .net.au or .org.au is not already taken.
According to GoDaddy’s ‘Entrepreneurial Pulse’ research, 27% of entrepreneurs and small business owners cited competition, second only to the global pandemic, as their biggest challenge for 2022. In an Australian market that proudly and passionately supports local, a local .au domain can be a crucial competitive advantage when standing out to the millions of consumers who engage with local businesses online. In addition to appealing to the millions of Australians who support local businesses, a .au domain is shorter and therefore easier for consumers to remember, and can also help to boost a business’ search engine ranking.
Commenting on the .au domain extension launch in Australia, Tamara Oppen, Managing Director of GoDaddy Australia, said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Australian businesses, entrepreneurs and side-hustlers. A domain name is the heart of a local business’ digital identity, and the new .au extension can be essential in helping Australian businesses feel inherently Aussie, and stand out in a market that is proud and passionate about supporting local.
“By registering your .au domain, entrepreneurs are not only enhancing their brand and local digital identity, they are also preventing a competitor from taking that domain name – and potentially some of their customers, too. To create a strong online presence, it’s incredibly valuable to have a diverse range of domain extensions, and few are more exciting, valuable and local than .au. We’re proud to be working with auDA (.au Domain Administration Limited) to make these local domains available to existing and aspiring Australian entrepreneurs, small businesses and side-hustlers.”
auDA CEO Rosemary Sinclair AM said: “We are thrilled to launch Australia’s newest namespace .au direct – the biggest innovation in .au in 20 years. Whether you are looking to register a new business domain name or are simply sending or receiving emails or using the web, we want Australia to know that .au is here. For Australian businesses, entrepreneurs and other internet users, .au direct will provide a greater choice of shorter, simpler and uniquely Australian domain names. We encourage you to contact your trusted accredited .au registrar today.”
For Melissa Wu – four-time Olympian and entrepreneur, having the opportunity to represent Australia in Diving has been a highlight of her sporting career. Equally, having founded three businesses, Melissa understands the importance and value of having a local Australian business identity.
Melissa added: “I’m incredibly proud to be an Australian Olympian and to have represented my country on the biggest stage. I’m equally proud to be an Aussie entrepreneur and know how important it is to promote my businesses both locally and globally. What you often don’t realise when starting a business is that your domain name becomes your brand identity. That’s why I will be registering .au domain names for my businesses HrdKAW Strength and Australian Diving Academy, with GoDaddy, as an additional way to show people I am a proud Australian business and equally important to protect my brands.
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