From the 24th of March 2022 and for the following six months (until the 20th of September 2022), Australian domain owners will be eligible to apply for a “.au” country code domain without any third level descriptors (such as .net – etcetera). That means your site can have a much shorter and more straightforward domain name.

There are categories of eligibility you’ll need to meet first, though. To start with, you’ll need to be an Australian citizen or at least have a registered Australian trademark.

The application process works on a priority basis. For example, if your existing domain name was registered between 4 February 2018 and 24 March 2022, you’ll have slightly less priority over an applicant who had registered their domain name sooner. But don’t let that discourage you, as all existing Australian domain names will be reserved for registration until the priority applications close on 20 September 2022.

So, why should you want the .au domain?

You might be wondering why this is necessary, especially as the owner of an existing .com.au domain. What’s the big difference?

Well, we’re obliged to let you know that having multiple domains is a great way of protecting your brand! What if someone were to snatch up a similar domain to steal your business traffic or use it to hurt your brand? You’re better off being safe than sorry, and the more, the merrier, right?

A location-based domain name is also a great way to direct traffic to your business and build authority for your website, especially if you’re a local business or catering to a specific audience. Many generic domains (such as .info) have trouble gaining a reputation on Google and prove a challenge for attracting a more local audience.

So you want to apply for that new domain, but you’re unsure of the next step.

Our team here at Canty Digital is always in-the-know and focused on helping you get the best results for you and your business. We’re ready to guide you in applying for the .au domain and help migrate your website to a new domain. Make sure not to miss the priority applications until 20 September 2022. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

Spend less, grow more. Just let the #digitalmarketingnerds do the work.