Choosing a good domain name isn’t a simple task. You have to find something catchy and easy to remember that still describes your company, all while avoiding accidentally naming yourself something ridiculous or inappropriate. Whatever you do, you’d be hard-pressed to choose head-scratchers like these. The jury’s still out on whether these eight companies were totally oblivious or in on the joke—you decide.
penisland.net
When it comes to bad domain names, it’s hard to beat penisland.net. A custom pen shop, Pen Island either didn’t read their domain name out loud before purchasing it, or they just didn’t care. To their credit, they seem to have embraced it, with front page copy like “We specialize in wood” and a suggestive logo to boot.
Should read: Pen Island
oh.no
The jury’s out on whether or not this one is intentional. A tiny tourism site for cabin rentals in a tiny town in Norway, oh.no is either a cute, tongue-in-cheek use of Norway’s domain name suffix or a chilling warning from those who’ve stayed in those cabins before. In any case, “oh no” isn’t exactly the expression you want your vacationing guests coming away with.
Should read: Osnes Hyttepark, Norway
americanscrapmetal.com
You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. In fact, American Scrap Metal is a metal-buying service that will help you recycle your extra copper and zinc, and they probably aren’t qualified to be making broad scatological claims.
Should read: American Scrap Metal
masterbaitonline.com
The Florida-based fishing shop seems to at least have some idea of the double entendre in their name, billing themselves as “provocative” and “cutting edge” on their site’s front page. In any case, they likely receive more than their fair share of traffic from bad spellers looking for a different kind of site altogether.
Should read: Master Bait Online
mammotherection.com
Unlike most of the others on this list, this site is exactly what it sounds like: mammoth erection. Of course, they’re referring to erecting scaffolding for buildings—why, what were you thinking of?
Should/Does read: Mammoth Erection
hireatease.com
If you’re hoping to pay someone for their services at a bachelor party or in the bedroom, you’ll need to find a different website. Hire At Ease is a service for those looking to recruit IT professionals for startups and big companies. While their testimonials seem positive, their foresight with domain name registration leaves something to be desired.
Should read: Hire At Ease
www.anker.com
This founders of this mobile power company used to work at Google, so you’d think they’d have known better. Or maybe they did? Anker‘s range of portable chargers and related electronics mean you can bring a power source literally anywhere. You know, in case you wanted to, watch a movie in private. Or something.
Should read: Anker
mofo.com
Morrison & Foerster is a well-known law firm based out of San Francisco. They seem like a pretty cool company, with a reputation for pro bono legal services for those who can’t afford legal help otherwise. Too bad their domain name makes their website sounds like Samuel L. Jackson’s personal blog.
Should read: Morrison & Foerster
Find the perfect domain name for you – there are hundreds to choose from. Get searching now.
Want to avoid making the same mistakes as these companies? Check out our list of Tips for Finding a Domain Name That’s Not Already Taken.*
Photos: Anna Baburkina / shutterstock.com, gemini-dragon-gifs.tumblr.com, lovetherisk, imgur
