The World’s Most Inappropriate Domain Names

Take care when choosing your domain!

There are few things that have more impact on the success of your website than your domain name. They build your reputation, bring in traffic, and serve as the first impression of your brand, website or company.

In the early days of the web, when the competition for search optimised domain names was nowhere near as high as it is now, many individuals or companies were fortunate enough to purchase unclaimed domain names that were great for their SEO. For these companies, building search engine success and organic traffic was relatively easy.

These days, of course, the competition for domain names is higher than ever before. However, your domain name’s impact on your credibility as a company is just as high. In many cases, when someone is setting up a website their first choice for a website name is not available because it’s been claimed by another party who is not willing to give it up. When that situation arises, it’s unfortunately not uncommon for people to get quite desperate, and choose domain names that end up working counter to their goals.

It is absolutely vital to thoroughly investigate the viability of your website name and any potential misinterpretations it could have. There are so many examples of people who – through laziness, lack of research, or simple blind spots – have ended up building a website on the foundation of a domain name that will hurt them more than it will help them. Here’s a look at the most inappropriate domain names ever and some tips on how you can avoid falling into the same ill SEO fate.

penisland.com: The owners of the website called “Pen Island” probably had every intention of using their website to advertise their custom pen creation services. Unfortunately, they fell into one of the most common pitfalls of domain name creation by not considering what the words would look like without a space in between. Never forget that a seemingly innocuous grouping of words can look entirely different when mashed together without a space in between.

budget.co.ck: Another common pitfall of domain name creation is not paying attention to how the suffix of your URL will look when next to the prefix. Conventional wisdom states that a dot com address will put you in the strongest position to get discovered organically and for people to remember your site name. But if you absolutely have to create an alternative suffix, make sure that it doesn’t clash with the first part of your domain or lead you to say something you don’t mean.

nobjs.org: It’s a common choice to use an acronym for a website domain, such as the case for the website of “North of Boston Jewish Singles”. Just make sure your chosen acronym or abbreviation does not end up meaning something entirely different than what you intended. Always remember that in the absence of spacing and capitalisation, domain names can look entirely different. Show your intended domain to as many people as possible before you choose to go ahead with it. This will help you avoid blindspots that can often lead to embarrassing mistakes.

therapistinabox.com: Often, when stripped of context a phrase or sequence of words that make sense when presented differently, can sound downright strange. Therapist in a box—which sells a self-help kit in a box—is one example. The domain seems to suggest an actual therapist trapped in a box – or something much more sinister – which is more alarming than it is therapeutic. To avoid this kind of situation, make sure you think about potential double meanings or interpretations of your domain name before you purchase.

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