Ben Richardson - August 2005
Over the years we've had plenty of clients asking us a variety of questions about domain names, so I thought I might put together the answers to a few of the more common questions people ask.
Basically, a domain name is just the address or your web site. The format of your web site address is a little different to your postal address, and usually looks something like www.yourcompanyname.com.au. Domain names are unique, and once you have registered a domain name no-one else can register the same domain name.
By far the main question we've had about domain names is "what's the difference between .com and .com.au"? Well, from a technical standpoint, absolutely nothing. They are both perfectly valid domain extensions (that's the extra bit after your company name) that can point to your web site.
Their allocation is slightly different however, with the major difference being that only Australian businesses can register .com.au domain names. I think this was a good idea by the organizations responsible for .com.au domains, and is something that hasn't been replicated throughout the rest of the world, with most other countries not caring who registers their country specific domain names.
So we know that they are technically the same, and only Australian businesses can register the .com.au version, but I still haven't really told you which one is right for your business. The answer to that depends on your customers. If the majority of your customers are in Australia, then you're better off going for the .com.au. The main reason for this is that many users think that if a company is Australian, then they must have a .com.au web address.
If however the majority of your customers are overseas, they wouldn't have been exposed to the .com.au domain name so it would be a wise move to look for an address without the .au.
What about the other domain extensions like .net.au that you see pop up every now and then? Originally these were an attempt to create more domain names, and separate different businesses into different categories.
Again, these are just like any other address, but they haven't been adopted all that well, and therefore we would highly recommend looking for a .com.au or .com address before you start looking at the new extensions that are on offer.
If you're purchasing a .com.au domain name, or any domain with the .au extension, we recommend that you use Melbourne IT. They currently charge about $140 for a domain name, which will allow you to use the address for 2 years. After this time is up, you have the option to re-register it for about the same price for another 2 years.
For any international domains, like a .com, we recommend that you use a company called Go Daddy. I know, shocking name, and your bank manger will give you strange looks when you start to get a few charges on your credit card from GoDaddy.com, but their prices are worth it - $8.95 USD for a year.