Australians seek .au online as a marker of trust
A new report from .au Domain Administration (auDA) reveals that .au domain names are the preferred choice for Australian consumers, with half of those surveyed saying they will only purchase from a business online if it has a website ending in .au.
auDA’s Why .au? Trusted by Australians online report, released today, highlights that Australian consumers and small businesses overwhelmingly choose to interact with people and organisations that have a .au domain name, identifying .au websites as Australian, recognisable and trustworthy.
Other key findings from the report include:
- Local advantage: Two in five consumers will check a .au website first when shopping online. They do this to support Australian businesses, to be covered by Australian law and consumer protection, and to use Australian currency.
- Marker of trust: Three in four Australians are more likely to trust an Australian business if its website ends in .au.
- For Aussie businesses: .au is the preferred choice for Australian small businesses, with seven in 10 businesses with a domain name choosing .au for their website or business email address.
The report also features industry data and highlights .au as one of the most popular domains across the globe. According to global registry provider Verisign, .au is the 7th largest country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) and 10th largest Top Level Domain (TLD) globally.
auDA CEO Dr Bruce Tonkin said, “auDA’s Why .au? report shows that .au helps Australian small businesses build a digital presence trusted by consumers.
“auDA research finds consumers turn to .au when shopping online. A simple .au website with your product or service offering, location and contact details goes a long way to building trust with shoppers. Whether they’re purchasing from an online store, looking up the menu for a café or deciding whether to request a quote for home improvements, a .au website can be a make or break factor in a consumer’s purchasing decision.
“I encourage Australian small business owners to consider how a .au website or email address can help them get ahead online.”
Why .au? Trusted by Australians online is informed by auDA and industry data, and a survey of more than 2,100 Australian consumers and small businesses with an online presence or interest in developing one.
auDA will launch the report today via a webinar with an expert industry panel. You can register to attend the webinar or read the full report on the auDA website.
Three in four Australian consumers are more likely to trust an Australian business if its website ends in .au. Half of Australian consumers will only purchase from a business online if it has an Australian website ending in .au.
The top attributes Australian consumers associate with .au domain names are: Australian, recognisable, and trustworthy.
ENDS
Note to media:
auDA’s market research was conducted by Sagacity Research in March 2024. The research was carried out via an online survey of more than 2,100 respondents, comprising:
- 862 Australian small businesses with a registered domain name for business use, considering registering a domain name or with an existing online presence
- 840 Australian consumers with a registered domain name for personal use or considering registering a domain name for personal use
- 460 consumers intending to establish a business in the three years from the time of the survey.
Qualitative research was conducted by Sagacity Research and Ground Truth in May-June 2024.
.au is the seventh largest country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) and the tenth largest Top Level Domain (TLD) globally according to Verisign’s Domain Name Industry Brief Q4 2024.