International eCommerce Domain Strategy

To market an e-commerce website both locally (in our case, Australia) and internationally, there are a few approaches you could consider. Whether to have both a .com and a .com.au pointing to the same website depends on your goals for SEO, branding, and customer experience. Here are some factors to consider:

1. Single Domain with Subdomains or Subdirectories

• Use a single .com domain and create subdomains or subdirectories for different markets:
  • Example: au.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com/au
  • Advantages:
  • Simplifies SEO efforts (you can focus on building authority for one domain).
  • Easier to manage one website instead of separate sites.
  • Consistent branding internationally.
  • Drawbacks:
  • Potentially less “local feel” for customers in specific markets.
  • Could be seen as less locally relevant by Australian customers (for .com use only).

2. Separate Domains for Local and International Markets

• Have both a .com and a .com.au domain:
  • The .com could be the main global site, while the .com.au targets Australian customers.
  • Both domains can point to the same site or to region-specific versions with slight modifications.
  • Advantages:
  • Improved local SEO performance in Australia with the .com.au domain.
  • Helps build trust and credibility with Australian customers who expect a local presence.
  • Ability to customize pricing, language, and other market-specific aspects (such as taxes and shipping options).
  • Drawbacks:
  • Managing multiple domains can complicate SEO and add maintenance overhead.
  • Potential content duplication issues if both sites point to the same content without adjustments.
  • Brand consistency can be harder to maintain across multiple domains.

3. Geolocation and Automatic Redirects

• You could use geolocation tools to automatically redirect users based on their location to the appropriate domain (e.g., .com.au for Australian visitors, .com for international).
• Advantages:
  • Seamless experience for users.
  • Helps maintain SEO by directing users to the most relevant content.
• Drawbacks:
  • Some users may not appreciate automatic redirection, and this can impact user experience.
  • Can be challenging to implement properly, and there are privacy considerations (depending on location tracking).

Best Practice Suggestions:

• Domain Strategy: If you want to emphasize local relevance and trust in Australia, having both .com and .com.au domains makes sense. You can either:

1. Redirect the .com.au domain to the .com version for Australians, while displaying local pricing and content, or
2. Host slightly different content on each site, with tailored product offerings, pricing, and promotions for each market.

• SEO Considerations: Using a .com.au domain can significantly boost your ranking in Australian search results, while the .com domain can be more effective internationally. However, ensure you have unique content or proper hreflang tags to avoid SEO issues.
• Customer Experience: If your Australian customers are particularly sensitive to local branding or prefer dealing with businesses that appear more “local,” a .com.au domain could be beneficial. For international customers, a .com domain conveys global reach and professionalism.

Final Recommendation:

If you have the resources to manage two domains effectively, having both .com and .com.au domains can be beneficial for both local and international marketing efforts. However, if simplicity is key, you could opt for a .com domain with localised content for different markets, using subdomains or subdirectories.