Domains & DNS
Everything you need to know about domains
Your domain is your digital address — the foundation of your website, your email, and your brand online. Here's how they work, what DNS records are, which registrar to choose, and everything a custom domain unlocks for your business.
User types yourbusiness.com.au
Browser asks DNS for the address
DNS resolves A record
@ → 185.199.108.153
Browser connects to server
Website loads in milliseconds
The Basics
What is a domain and how does it work?
A domain name is your address on the internet. When someone types it in, a system called DNS finds your website and delivers it to their screen.
Step 1
You type a domain
A visitor enters yourbusiness.com.au into their browser. The browser needs to find the server that hosts your website.
Step 2
DNS looks it up
The Domain Name System acts like a phone book — it searches for the DNS records associated with your domain name.
Step 3
Server is found
DNS returns the IP address (A record) of the server where your website lives. The browser now knows where to go.
Step 4
Website loads
The browser connects to your server, downloads your website, and displays it. All of this happens in milliseconds.
Think of it like a street address. Your domain name (yourbusiness.com.au) is the street address. DNS is the GPS that finds it. The server is the building. And your website is what's inside. Without the address, nobody can find you.
Why It Matters
Why your business needs a custom domain
A free Gmail address says 'just starting out'. A custom domain says 'established, credible, and here to stay'. Here's everything a custom domain gives you.
Instant credibility
A custom domain signals you're a real, established business — not a hobby or a scam. Customers trust businesses with their own domain.
Professional email
name@yourbusiness.com.au on every email, business card, and invoice. No more Gmail addresses that undermine your brand.
Brand ownership
Your domain is yours permanently. Social platforms can change their rules, but your domain is digital real estate you control.
SEO foundation
Search engines prioritise custom domains over free subdomains. Your own domain is step one to ranking in Google.
Email aliases
Create sales@, support@, info@ — all on one domain. Route them to different people or one inbox. Looks professional, works simply.
Future-proofing
Your domain stays the same even if you change hosting, platforms, or email providers. It's the one constant in your digital presence.
DNS Records
DNS records, explained simply
DNS records are instructions stored at your domain registrar. They tell the internet where your website lives, where your email goes, and how to verify your domain. Here are the six types every business owner should know.
Address Record
Points your domain to a specific server IP address. This is the primary record that connects your domain to your website.
Example
@ → 185.199.108.153
Connecting your domain to a web server or hosting provider.
Canonical Name
Aliases one domain name to another. Commonly used to point www to your main domain, or to connect third-party services.
Example
www → yourbusiness.com.au
Pointing www to your root domain, or connecting services like Google Workspace.
Mail Exchange
Directs email sent to your domain to the correct mail server. Without MX records, email to @yourdomain won't arrive.
Example
@ → aspmx.l.google.com (priority 1)
Setting up custom email with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or any mail provider.
Text Record
Stores text data used for domain verification, email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and other service verifications.
Example
@ → v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
Verifying domain ownership, preventing email spoofing, setting up Google Search Console.
Nameserver
Delegates DNS management for your domain to a specific provider. Changing nameservers hands DNS control to that provider.
Example
ns1.ventraip.com.au
Pointing your domain's DNS to your hosting provider so they manage all records.
IPv6 Address
Same as an A record but for IPv6 addresses. The modern successor to IPv4, increasingly required for new infrastructure.
Example
@ → 2606:50c0:8003::153
Modern IPv6 connectivity — often added alongside A records for future-proofing.
In Practice
What DNS management looks like
Every registrar has a DNS management area. Here's what the interface looks like and how records are entered — so you know exactly what to expect.
Value
185.199.108.153
Value
yourbusiness.com.au
Value
aspmx.l.google.com (1)
Value
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
Log in to your registrar (e.g. VentraIP) and find your domain
Open DNS Management or Zone Editor
Click 'Add Record' and choose the record type (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)
Enter the Name/Host, Value/Target, and TTL as provided
Save — changes propagate within minutes to 48 hours
We handle this for you
When you build your website with us, we manage the entire DNS process — we'll tell you exactly which records to add, or set them up together on a quick screen-share. You don't need to become a DNS expert.
Custom Email
Everything you can do with @yourbusiness.com.au
A custom domain doesn't just give you a website address — it unlocks professional email, branded signatures, calendar booking, and a whole ecosystem of tools. Here's everything it enables.
Professional email address
Send and receive from name@yourbusiness.com.au instead of a personal Gmail or Hotmail address.
Google Workspace integration
Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Meet — all on your custom domain. The full Google suite, branded as your business.
Microsoft 365 / Outlook
Outlook email, Teams, OneDrive, Word and Excel — the Microsoft ecosystem on your custom domain.
Wisestamp email signatures
Professional branded email signatures with your logo, social links, booking buttons and banners on every email.
Custom email aliases
Set up sales@, info@, support@, hello@, accounts@ — all on one domain, routing to whoever you choose.
Email forwarding
Forward info@yourbusiness.com.au to your personal inbox so you never miss a customer message.
Email on your phone
Use the Gmail or Outlook app on your phone to send and receive from your custom address, anywhere.
Calendar booking links
Share your availability so customers can book appointments directly from your email signature or website.
Here's what a branded email signature looks like:
John Smith
Managing Director · Smith Plumbing Co.
Registrars
Domain registrars compared
A registrar is where you buy and manage your domain. Here are the main options for Australian businesses — we've highlighted our preferred pick.
VentraIP
$9.95/yr (was $22.95) · specials vary
Australian-owned domain registrar and web host. Competitive pricing, local support, free DNS management, and a clean control panel.
CrazyDomains
$12/yr
Budget-friendly Australian registrar with frequent specials on .com.au domains.
GoDaddy
$11.99/yr
The world's largest domain registrar. Massive range of TLDs but aggressive upselling and renewal price hikes.
Namecheap
$8.88/yr
Popular international registrar with transparent pricing and free WHOIS privacy on most domains.
Google Domains
$12.00/yr
Google's domain service — clean interface and transparent pricing. Now transitioned to Squarespace.
Cloudflare
$9.15/yr
Known for CDN and security, Cloudflare also offers at-cost domain registration with no markup.
Not sure which registrar to choose?
We recommend VentraIP for Australian businesses — they're locally owned, fairly priced, and include free DNS management. But if you're working with us, we'll guide you through the whole process regardless of who you choose.
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