trading name - .com or .com.au ?

[lizzie]

i'm well into finishing the business plan and gathering information to start the plunge into the business - including production in china, trade shows etc - all scary but a huge learning curve at the same time.

my question is that the trading name i would prefer to use, as it describes my product perfectly and is short and kinda funky at the same time, is already used as a .com domain (completely different market and product).

it is still available as a .com.au domain name, but as i am hoping that eventually sales will go worldwide, am i better to trying to brainstorm another name or will .com.au be acceptable?

the availability of short and snappy .com names seems to becoming ever increasingly reduced.

also, has anyone undertaken the process of setting up production in china and can give any pointers. i was going to use one of the "all in one" services based in australia so recommendations or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shaneelastic]

Hi,
Snap the australian .com.au up now!!!!

Then when you build the website, your site should pop up in the first say 10 in gogle searches so your .com.au name is truly a global name.

You may also wish to register say a worldwide .com name, and then register the same .com.au name. You can feed all these through to your original website.

When i buy a domain name, i always get every possibility i can or would want!!

Good Luck

 

[pete_w]

it's less important than you may think. What do the words Amazon, Google, Apple, Coles, Stockland, etc etc etc have to do with what the companies do?

domain name trading is a multi million dollar industry

 

[pennyk]

my preference would be a name where you can buy a number of the key domain names, (.com, .com.au etc) so no-one gets confused.

With production in China, it is a potential minefield, particularly for the first 6-12months. In my experience. you need to have very detailed instructions and expectations of quality.... what you get as a sample is often much higher quality than what is supplied. The emphasis is often on reducing costs, and if your focus is quality, then there can be a disconnect in what you actually receive.

I mainly have contact with our company factory there, but even they find the same issues with their suppliers.

A friend of mine has started a business, and he had an agent involved in the purchase of the product - who was also responsible for ensuring the quality..... sounded like a good arrangement to me. I'll try to get the details for you.

Pen

 

[steveadl]

Yeah, definitely get the .com.au name - especially if it is short and snappy as you say. No point in trying to think of a new name if you like the existing one, and certainly not just for the sake of a .com domain address. Then just register for now a .com name that is similar and redirects to the .com.au domain.

So if your product is a redbrush, register redbrush.com.au and something like red-brush.com or theredbrush.com etc. You can always register other domains down the track, but if it's a product I want, buying through a foreign domain (eg. .co.uk, .de etc) doesn't bother me.

(obviously this is just aesthetic advice, don't know how a .com.au would effect global searches from Kazakhstan - which would be a huge market for red brushes no doubt! )

 

[mja]

At, what, $30/year for a domain - register them both and visiting either one will take you to the same website.

Cake + eat it too.

-- MJ.

 

[lizzie]

A friend of mine has started a business, and he had an agent involved in the purchase of the product - who was also responsible for ensuring the quality..... sounded like a good arrangement to me. I'll try to get the details for you.

that would be fantastic ... i was talking to a friend last night who does some production in china and his advice was to go to the massive manufacturing shanghai trade show and source a maker myself ... the thought of which instantly filled me with overwhelming fear and concern as, having never done anything like this before, i have no idea.

i know - gotta grasp the fear - but i think an agent might be the way to go, even a higher cost.

i'll spend some more time on monday doddling with domain names. hyphens etc.

apparently i "have" to go sailing today - the rain gods didn't rescue me .... the things we do for our partners!

 

[dcarr]

Don't stress too much about identical domain names. Grab the .com.au one that you really want. If you have the right google juice, your customers will find you. Google now gives you the best hits for your location, so the URL means very little these days. Even if you want a .com later, it doesn't have to be the same name. Just look at kca.com.au and kimberley-clark.com.

 

[paul2299]

Would get the .com.au. The .com would be nice to have but I think it would only be really important if export orders were a very substantial part of your business. If you do try and get a matching pair the quality of the term is going to be substantially lower than if you just get a .com.au. (because .com domains have perhaps 50 times the level of registrations compared to .com.au).

For selling here though .com.au is the main one to get by a mile.

 

[ianvestor]

For selling here though .com.au is the main one to get by a mile.

Definitely. Because any Joe can get .com for a few dollars, but you have to be a registered Australian business with ABN and pay 4 or 5 times the price to get .com.au.

 

[Shaneelastic]

Definitely. Because any Joe can get .com for a few dollars, but you have to be a registered Australian business with ABN and pay 4 or 5 times the price to get .com.au.

Its not as hard as you suggested to get a .com.au or ,net.au

Its very easy to get an ABN, or you have to do is show intent for a business, get an ABN, buy the domain names. By buying a domain name you are showing intent right?

Also, its not that expensive either, yes cheaper than .com but not expensive at all,

 

[lizzie]

and now i can't remember the best place to buy them from - help ... brain fog today.

no version of the .com is available, even with hyphens and dots and whatever, so will grab the .com.au

can't wait until school goes back tomorrow, although love her dearly my picking up the phone or turning on the computer is currently a signal to "nag mum"!

 

[steveadl]

They're a dime a dozen Lizzie, but I use www.webcity.com.au - $22.50 for 2yrs.

 

[paul2299]

and now i can't remember the best place to buy them from - help ... brain fog today.

Best I know of hostess.com.au $20.95/2 years. It is run but netregistry which is a big registrar (probably 2nd biggest).

no version of the .com is available, even with hyphens and dots and whatever, so will grab the .com.au

Wouldn't worry about hyphens etc, it is confusing for people to use/remember. Ditto for stuff like .net.au, .org.au which the registrars will try and sell to you when you get a .com.au, leave 'em on the shelf.

 

[Pushka]

We always buy both .com and .com.au The dotcom costs all of what, $20 for 2 years!

And one address will 'point' to the other so only 1 website is needed.