It’s a true blue fact that us Aussies have a love of shortening our words.
We enjoy a good schnitty at the bowlo with a few bevys. It’s just the way we roll.
Well, did you know that our traditional Australian domain extension, the good ol’ “.com.au”, has finally got its dose of cultural abbreviation, with the “.com” taking the chop?
How good is that? Four less characters to type. Two less syllables to speak! It might not sound like much, but a shorter URL does have its advantages, both online and offline. It provides a cleaner brand URL, quicker and easier to type, with more chance of the full URL showing on mobile devices. But it will also look (and in many cases fit) better on traditional print collateral, and shave off some precious voice-over seconds from any audio commercials for your brand.
While you shouldn’t ditch any of the other Australian domain extensions you might already have registered (such as “.com.au” and “.net.au”), we highly recommend businesses secure their direct .au domain name to protect their online brand.
You’ve likely already received an email from your current domain registration provider, letting you know about this exciting new change. But we all know filtering through a stream of emails in the inbox can lead to the odd important one slipping through the cracks. So if you’ve not already taken steps to claim your direct .au domain, get on it!
From 24 March 2022, a 6 month window has opened for current holders of existing 3rd level .au domains (such as .com.au and .net.au) giving them a priority right to claim the corresponding name directly under .au.
Once this period expires, you’ll lose the right to claim the .au domain name and it will become available publicly for registration. Imagine how you’ll feel if another company starts to use your version of the .au domain – devo!
So this isn’t a “she’ll be right” moment. Jump on it and grab your new Straya domain before it’s too late.
Hot Tip!
Once you have your new .au domain registered, redirect it to your primary domain and start using it on your marketing collateral.
