What a domain name is
Your domain is your web address — the thing customers type, and the foundation of your professional email. It is separate from your website itself and from hosting: the domain is the address, the hosting is the land, the website is the building. You register (effectively rent) a domain for a set period and renew it to keep it.
.com.au, .au or .com — which should you pick?
For an Australian business, the main options are:
.com.au — the long-standing choice for Australian businesses; signals you are local and established. Requires an Australian presence (an ABN or ACN).
.au — the shorter namespace introduced more recently; also requires an Australian presence. Many businesses register it to protect their brand.
.com — global and familiar, with no local-presence requirement, but less obviously Australian.
Many businesses register more than one (for example the .com.au and the .au) to protect their brand and redirect visitors to their main site.
The eligibility rule for .au domains
To register a .com.au or .au domain you must have a verifiable Australian presence — most commonly an ABN or ACN. This is set by auDA, the administrator of the .au namespace, and is checked at registration. If you have registered your business and have an ABN, you will generally qualify.
Step-by-step: registering your domain
Choose an auDA-accredited registrar. Only accredited registrars can register .au domains. Pick one with clear pricing and good support.
Search for your name. Try your business name and sensible variations. Keep it short, memorable and easy to spell aloud.
Check eligibility. For .com.au / .au, have your ABN or ACN ready.
Choose your term. Domains are typically registered for one to five years. Longer terms reduce the risk of forgetting to renew.
Register and secure it. Complete the registration and enable auto-renew so you do not lose the name.
Costs and renewals
Domain prices vary by registrar and extension, and they change over time [VERIFY current fee]. The bigger risk is not the price but forgetting to renew — a lapsed domain can be picked up by someone else, and getting it back can be difficult or costly. Set auto-renew and keep your billing details current.
Who should own the domain — a crucial point
Register the domain in your business’s name, with your own account and contact details. We have seen businesses lose control of their domain because a former web designer or contractor registered it under their own account. The domain is a core business asset — own it directly.
