When google changed to country specific search a couple of years ago. ccTLD's came into there own.
For example, in Australia, on Google "search just about anything" and Aussie domains will have 50-80% of the top ten, Not becasue there great at SEO, but because they bought the right domain extention. and are rewarded with a local push. Its Target Marketing 101.
The UK would be exactly the same im sure. dot.com.uk. uk.co etc would be in every top ten search.
dot.Net domains are not my favorite by miles of course, but they are used and do offer trust. abc.net.au
bigpond.net.au
are 2 prime examples.
And, i will NEVER get to own a LL domain again in my lifetime regardless of extention. and now i have 3. and i know they are valuable, because i have seen obscure tlds dot.wtf etc, taking in thousands, just because they ARE so Rare.
ABN is free to any Australian with a TAX File Number
Just register your ABN Business type as Sole Trader quoting the TFN
at http://www.abr.gov.au/ABR_BC/
and I agree
xx.net.au <<< is not good investment, but only from the point that so many good Keyword .net.au's (& .com.au's) still are available
But you dont have to be a registered business to register an ABN, all you have to have is a tax file number which almost everyone already? Seems a lot easier then I expected.
.com.au .net.au
For commercial purposes, including commercial entities, currently registered and trading in Australia, as well as commercial products and services.
.org.au
For non-commercial organisations, including associations incorporated in any Australian State or Territory, political parties, trade unions, sporting or special interest clubs, charities or non-profit organisations.
.asn.au
For incorporated associations, political parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs.
.id.au
For Australian individuals (citizens and residents).
We have about 1800 .au domains, the vast majority produce enough traffic to at least pay for themselves.
They are very varied - generics, 3-letter, 4-letter, geos etc.
For me, it will be a whole new ball game learning to sell them rather than park and/or develop them. For so many years I've been concentrating so hard on acquisitions, it's going to be hard to learn to let go of them unless the offers are really top dollar!
I don't think they will ever allow registration directly under .au and currently I'm not sure whether I'd want them to although I did support this previously in a letter to auDA last year -
You're telling me! We had an 'audit' a couple of years ago and about 40 were purged from our portfolio. Admittedly some were a bit risque (have since become a little more conservative).
The worst thing is proving that something isn't a misspelling. Proving a negative so to speak.
The worst one I had taken was acc.net.au - it was an expired IT domain that I rego'd then put up a mini site, also in the IT area. It was deemed to be a typo of abc.net.au. I was given 7 days to prove that it wasn't a typo... how on earth can you do that!
Anyway rant over - they certainly mean well at auDA & they are approachable for discussion.
Promise me one thing - you'll push to scrap the impossible-to-manage misspelling policy.
Anyway, auDA have made a big step forward with their change in transfer policy by lifting the prohibition so they are certainly heading in the right direction IMHO
Great advice netfleet. thanks, and awesome letter to them, too.
I didnt realise they where so strict on typos, I have about 800+ typos... oops,,
i will stay right away from them over here.
Also, I listed what i think was the first com.au to go on sale in Australia this week, its on ebay.com.au and was listed 9 seconds after the hour,
Current Aussie Typo Prohibited name List http://www.auda.org.au/pdf/auda-misspellings-list.csv
But be aware these names can/do/will appear in any available check at registrars/resellers sites. It is the BUYERS that need to check and be certain any selected name is NOT on the prohibited list.
Yes and the other thing they are HARSH about is residents of Stockport Drive,
Plano, TX 75025 US owning Australian Domains.
I have contacted auDA about your ownership and other Users also owning Australian names illegally.
I know several members of auDA that regularly check Forums & Auctions checking for NON compliant Owners of Australian Domains.
Plus general warning to all AUSSIE Domainers discussing buying names for resale.
Aussie names are still primarily for usage, not resale so all focus of discussion should be about parking,developing and then reselling based on the potential or realised value of the name.
i hate to laugh at the auDA, nice typo List by the way
nice to see who the auda support too, watch a lot of channel 8 do you..
bank and fly qantas, Business class all the way. the whole list contained about 20 business entities.
the only 3 coms available. out of 1500+. and about 5 infos....
COLONIALFIRSTESTATE.COM
UNCLAIMEDSUPERFUNDS.COM
WANTAS.COM
how do they suppose to stop those sort of shenanigans.
and what about the international buy up right here under there noses,....
where is the auda when you need them..
Im glad im allowed to sell the websites "i own".
Remember Eureka?
when you didnt own the gold. and they charged you every single year for your little patch of "internet" dirt. same day, different stuff.
Shucks, too bad I have an ABN. Your complaint probably got trashed the moment it saw it was a valid ABN. I am surprised a vigilante enforcer like you wouldn't bother to read your own auDA rules.
Unfortunately, it seems like your domains don't follow this rule:
I don't see your "variety of names" being connected to the registrant. I have reported you to the auDA domain police.
Good on you mate! Curious to know what name you sold and where you sold it (ie how you found the buyer). Understand if you don't want to reveal this in public, but you can always PM me with the info
Cheers and have a nice long weekend (or maybe that's only here in Vic)
name was namedrive.com.au. I've had it parked at Namedrive for about 18 mths when they finally spotted it...
Luckily I have about 1500 names parked there so they couldn't be too upset!
Sold another more conventional domain this week. Floranet dot com.au to a florist in Melbourne- for $400. He approached me via whois. Interesting domain as I think it was first registered in early 90's.
Have a great long weekend yourself - it's the Queens Birthday so of course it's in NSW too. Although interestingly NZ have it on a different weekend, neither of these dates are her real birthday and UK don't celebrate a public holiday for it at all!
