Domain Registration

Domain name - your website's online address

The first step with creating a website is to decide on a domain name. The domain name is how people can access your website. A website is usually accessed by an address which looks something like www.companyname.com or www.companyname.com.au.

Most businesses choose a domain which ends in .com or .com.au. The difference is that .au shows that the business is located in Australia, where .com is global. There are also other special types of domain names, some examples are:

Type	Description
.net & .net.au	internet providers
.org & .org.au	non profit orginisations,
.gov & .gov.au	government bodies

We can help you select a domain for your website. Sometimes you need to be creative with domain names

.au domain names are regulated, you need to choose a domain which is derived for a registered business name.

Sometimes some creativity is needed as a lot of common names are already taken. Domains are issued on a first in first serve basis. Once someone registers a domain it is theirs to use even if it is close to your business names. If you believe you are going to have a website in the future it's recommended to reserve your domain now, it may not be available when you want to use it.

Use this form to see if your domain is available.

Domain Search Form

When registered, domains need to be renewed before they expire. Depending on the domain chosen, you may be able to register it for different periods. The most common registration period is two or three years.