Domain Name

What is the difference between a .com (or .co.uk or .net etc) and a .com.au?
A .com is quite simply any name you like that is registered in the US (we handle this), you do not have to have any particular affiliation with the name, for example I know nothing about speed boats, but I could register the domain name www.speedboatsrus.com (which incidentally at the time of writing this, it is currently available!!) and run my own speed boat company online. So now the second part of the question. What is a .com.au – now this is a little different. In Australia to register a .com.au you must have an affiliation to the name you are registering, for example I could not register www.speedboatsrus.com.au here in Australia without first registering a business name associated with Speed boats.

What domain name should I use?
Well this is of course personal choice, but let me give you some guidelines. One good tip is to keep your domain name simple, easy to spell words, and whilst it is not quite true that EVERY SINGLE possible domain name has been already registered, the obvious ones are already gone, for example business.com or plants.com or swimming.com, but all you would have to do is personalise it. Let's say you really wanted plants.com, well then you could just add your first name to create billysplants.com (which incidentally at the time of writing this is also currently available!!) you can add hyphens – or underscores _ . This is something that we would not generally recommend, but if you really, REALLY want a taken domain name it is a way to get into the market.

You could also look at getting any of the following a .net | .org |.info | .us | .biz | .ws | .name.   So as you can see there are plenty of variations to choose from. We personally advise the path of .com, because; the internet is a world wide platform, by having a .com.au or a .co.uk you do limit your market somewhat, a .com is a quicker and less involved process. A .com turnaround is real time – this means we find it and register it in the one step (versus about a one week turnaround with a .com.au), and finally a .com is cheaper!

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should not ride the coat tails of others and try for a spin on their name for example Disney.com is a hugely popular site and it would be very misleading to create a domain of dosneyland.com on the off chance of just grabbing some traffic. You’d do better (and will always in the long term do better) by creating your own brand.

Where do I get my domain name from?
Us! We can handle the entire process and even help you out with choosing an appropriate name.

Do I have to have a registered business?
If you want to have a .com.au domain name, then Yes. However if you are happy to use a .com name then you do not have to have a registered business. In Australia there are some very strict rules around who is allowed to use a .com.au domain name:

The domain name must exactly match:

the registrant's company, business, trading, association or statutory body name; or the words comprising the registrant’s Australian Registered Trade Mark or application for an Australian Registered Trade Mark; or be an acronym or abbreviation of (1) or (2) above ; or be otherwise closely and substantially connected to the registrant, because the domain name refers to: a product that the registrant manufactures or sells; or a service that the registrant provides; or an event that the registrant organises or sponsors; or an activity that the registrant facilitates, teaches or trains; or a venue that the registrant operates; or a profession that the registrant's employees practise.

Someone else has the domain name I want, what do I do?
Unfortunately there is not much you can do. It is possible that the people that own the domain name will sell it to you, however this typically costs a lot of money. More information on choosing a name is here.

How much does a domain name cost?
If you buy a domain name through B’webbed, the purchase of the .com domain name is included in the package price.  If you'd like to purchase a .com.au an additional $165 for the .com.au domain name is charged. Visit our packages page for more information.

Your prices seem really good, are they in Australian dollars?
All prices quoted on the B'webbed site are in Australian dollars.