IT.COM

analysis Want a Hyphen with that Domain Name?

Spaceship Spaceship
Many domain investors have avoided domain names with hyphens. It is not rare to see in the NamePros Requests section the wording “no hyphens”. @Rob Monster of Epik recently started a thread arguing that hyphenated .com domain names are back in fashion. He also indicated a plan to increase holdings of hyphenated domain names.

Domain investors came down on both side of the question, with opinions fairly evenly split in an associated poll. About 30% plan to increase domain holdings with hyphens, while almost as many say they will be dumping most of the hyphenated domain names they currently hold.

In this post I look at whether statistics support the assertion that domain names with hyphens are selling more briskly lately. I look at some factors to consider if you do decide to add domain names with hyphens to your portfolio.


NameBio Sales Data
The NameBio database can be used to look at the number and average prices of .com extension domain name sales with and without hyphens. The data I used only includes sales at or above $100, and the statistics quoted below are updated to Oct 22, 2019.
  • Over the last five years there have been on average 1213 sales of hyphenated .com domain names per year, compared to about 70,200 overall .com sales per year. Therefore, sales including hyphens represent 1.7% of all .com sales. The average sales price of domains including at least one hyphen was $658, compared to more than double that, $1518, for all .com sales over the five year period.
  • If looking only at 2017, sales with hyphens represented almost 1.5% of all .com domain name sales. The average price was $783 compared to $1471 overall.
  • In 2018 1.8% of sales include hyphens, with an average price of $562 compared to the overall average of $1259.
  • So far in 2019 hyphenated domain names represent 2.5% of overall .com sales. The average price of sales including hyphens is just $480, compared to $1335 in the overall .com sales. However, it should be kept in mind that the sale of voice.com for $30 million strongly impacts the average for 2019. If that one sale is excluded, the average price would be about $944 instead of $1335.
The statistical data does seem to support the assertion that .com domain names with hyphens are selling more frequently recently, although they still represent less than 3% of all .com sales.

In terms of prices, domain names with hyphens on average sell for lower prices compared to overall sales in the extension.

I also looked at whether there may be more dramatic changes in recent months. If I look at just the last month, about 3.1% of .com sales include hyphens. While the average price of a hyphenated domain name is a bit higher in the last month ($570) compared to all of 2019, it is still significantly less than the average for all .com sales.

It should be kept in mind that NameBio combines both retail sales, by domain investors to final users, and wholesale sales to domain investors. It is possible that the lower prices and higher rates of sales are due to increased domain investor acquisitions of domain names that include hyphens. Also, remember that only certain venues report to NameBio, and that may introduce bias in the data.

If you want to do your own research with NameBio, remember that the ASCII representation of internationalized domain names using xn-- will show up if you simply search for domain names including a hyphen. The NameBio search exclusion feature, invoked with the !, will exclude a term that follows. Therefore a search with -!-- will show domain names with hyphens, but not those associated with internationalized characters.

Are Hyphenated Domains a Good Investment?
The sales percentages and average prices do not alone answer whether domain names including hyphens are a sound investment. We need the probability that a domain name in each category sells, to help answer that question. One could have the situation where hyphens represent only 1% of sales, but if almost no one was holding them, then they might still be selling at a good relative rate for those who hold them.

Fortunately, the advance search feature of Dofo makes it possible to easily find the number of domain names currently for sale with any set of characteristics. For example, with Dofo advanced search you can search for all .com domain names for sale with and without hyphens. On the date I checked, there were just over 15,240,000 .com domain names for sale, of which about 544,750 included hyphens.

Therefore 3.6% of the .com domain names listed for sale include hyphens. We saw earlier that for 2019 only about 2.5% of sales in .com in 2019 include hyphens, and prices are lower. The difference is shrinking, but unless for some reason domain names with hyphens are more likely to sell on venues not reporting to NameBio, data seems to suggest that domain names without hyphens are slightly better investments.

Remember that past sales are just that - how well something sold in the past. It is certainly possible that the increasing sales rate of domain names including hyphens in 2019 is an indication of a brighter future for domains with hyphens.

Note that the Dofo advanced search interface requires you to access it with a computer as many forms of mobile do not support the interface. Also, you will need to open the More Filters option, and then select hyphens.

Biggest Sales Including Hyphens
I used NameBio to look at the 2019 highest-value sales for domain names including hyphens.
  1. blog-city.com $30,500
  2. education-world.com $20,022
  3. SEO-browser.com $16,750
  4. art-invest.com $9934
  5. KPMG-institutes.com $8601
  6. norse-corp.com $8600
  7. body-fit.com $6591
  8. webcreator-fr.com $6426
  9. be-u.com $6047
  10. BMI-calculator.com $5885
I also looked at the highest-value sales of all time.
  1. hotel-reservation.com $200,916 (2009)
  2. 18-wheeler.com $82,390 (2007)
  3. faire-part.com $59,056 (2008)
  4. sci-fi.com $50,000 (2017)
  5. black-jack.com $49,657 (2017)
  6. online-games.com $48,000 (2012)
  7. assurance-vie.com $43,500 (2009)
  8. bike-components.com $42,577 (2012)
  9. all-in.com $40,000 (2008)
  10. web-design.com $38,498 (2013)
What About Other TLDs?
It is well known among domain investors that hyphens are more popular in Germany and a few other countries. While I did not do an exhaustive study of hyphen use in other top level domains (TLDs), in the .de extension 17.4% of sales include hyphens while 8.6% of .fr domain names include hyphens and 4.6% of .ch extension names. The rate of hyphens in .es extension sales at 1.9% is not much different than .com.

Compared to .com, hyphens seem more popular in the .org domain extension, with 5.5% of sales including hyphens. On the other hand, hyphens are very rare in .co sales with only 0.3%.

The Good and Bad of Hyphens
Apart from how well they are selling, are hyphens good or bad in terms of effectiveness as domain names?

Because most domain names do not include hyphens, one argument made against hyphens is that they therefore fail the radio test, since someone hearing the term will assume no hyphen. That of course would change should hyphens become more commonplace in the future.

In the early days of search, hyphens helped in breaking phrases so that search engines would correctly interpret the meaning. With modern search algorithms that is no longer important.

Our world is, in my opinion, becoming more visual. Many times we first see a domain name on a sign, vehicle, tweet or some other visual format rather than hearing someone mention it. In this case it might be argued that since the hyphen makes a multiple word domain name more instantly interpreted, it may improve memorability.

In looking at the lists of top sales, it seems to me that domain names including acronyms may be clearer when there is a hyphen.

Also, it would seem logical that words that are normally written with a hyphen would also have a hyphen in the corresponding domain name. For example all-in.com, one of the top sales, is normally written with a hyphen.

The Grammarly Blog has a helpful section on when hyphens should be used. Language is of course fluid, and over time many compound words that were originally written with hyphens, like e-mail and teen-ager, have now become closed compound words written now normally as email and teenager.

Another use of a hyphen with a domain name may be in showing the intended split when more than one interpretation is possible. This is particularly the case when one split possibility is negative or rude.

Have Your Say!
So what do you think about domain names with hyphens?
  • Have you sold domain names with hyphens?
  • Do you have any in your portfolio now?
  • Are you increasing your holdings of hyphenated domain names?
  • What types of domain names with hyphens do you think are best?
If you have a domain name that you think works particularly effectively with a hyphen, feel free to share it in the replies.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
I have only Auction-Site.com. I listed it on marketplaces = no inbound; I put it on NamePros auction twice = no interest.
 
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I have only Auction-Site.com. I listed it on marketplaces = no inbound; I put it on NamePros auction twice = no interest.
Be patient
upload_2019-10-25_22-13-17.png
upload_2019-10-25_22-13-18.jpeg
 
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The German word for "hyphen" is "minus". On the radio as an example for auto-deutschland.de they would say... "auto-minus-deutschland-punkt-dee-ee" and there would be no confusion...

I looked up the translation for "hyphen" and it shows me; "Bindestrich".
So the trick is to simply mention what to include! Surely this can be done in other countries. For example: hotel-reservation.com you will hear...
"hotel-hyphen-reservation-dot-com" or also: "hotel-minus-reservation-dot-com"

Glad to have also registered; 2minus1.uno

Thanks @Bob for answering my questions!
 
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Fascinating stats and dizzy sales
block-chain.com sold 1.000.000.-$
in this thread.

I never really understood why Americans (the world?) dislike hyphens and Germans like them. It must be deeper than SEO or aesthetics. Is it based on language? Call it minus, call it Bindestrich or Strich, it is just the break when speaking it out taken to the written word.

And sometimes it makes sense:
forum-recht.de ($6,068, 14 October 2019)
This name tells us that there is a forum for law.
forumrecht.de would more probably announce a source with law for forums. So hyphen yes or no can be based on the deeper sense of a specific language.

Are there differences in the use of hyphens within the same language? If you listen to Spanish people, the more from the south of Spain they come the more they talk like machine guns. No breaks (for me not hearable), not even after a completed sentence. If you listen to Latinos, their speech sounds like singing and is more slowly and better to understand IMO.
Do you have any in your portfolio now?
Being German I own a lot of hyphened .de domains in German language, of course. Sometimes it is annoying because you will reg both kinds of domain if they are available.
I have a few coms in English, where
  • I understand it as the logical/original writing like e-wheeler.com, 802-11p.com and mpeg-5.com,
  • it just was the available version of a 2-word domain like progressive-web.com, bit-go.com and usd-digital.com,
  • I just like it though I know some will feel sick now with names like 1-pro.com and 24-plus.com,
  • I am speculating in a long-term developing value between LLL and LLLL: p-ic.om, po-d.com, to-p.com.
 
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During a research, noticed a site called murk-esports.com, while normal one still avail to reg now.(anyone want grab it?)

btw murk is quit "cool" word, but seems no much people pay attention on it...
 
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i have this
J-E-W.com
&
C-R-Y.com

all C-C com are reg.
all C-C-C .com real words are reg.
 
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I know I can take things too far, but while researching I found the following:

www. minus-minus-deutschland.de which would have to be said on the radio as follows:

www. minus minus minus minus deutschland punkt dee ee

I-thought-it-was-funny...l-o-l
 
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Just keep in mind that some of the highest sales are due to the fact that the domains had strong backlink profiles(like blog-city.com and education-world.com)

Some decent ones currently available:
wellbeing-solutions.com
plating-solutions.com
big-solutions.com
leather-solutions.com
forest-solutions.com
demand-solutions.com
color-solutions.com
fun-solutions.com
beta-works.com
book-show.com
daily-show.com
ad-show.com
blue-services.com
childrens-world.com
bnb-world.com
company-network.com
company-world.com
fiber-works.com
easy-show.com
info-show.com
international-watch.com
new-watch.com
master-show.com
shop-works.com
software-world.com
urban-network.com
underwater-world.com
travel-works.com
barn-house.com
capital-estate.com
buy-apartments.com
digital-careers.com
dev-academy.com
find-flights.com
property-fund.com
online-management.com
youth-academy.com
education-city.com
blog-media.com
base-media.com
name-media.com
sweet-media.com
alive-media.com
store-media.com
work-media.com
water-media.com
mighty-media.com
 
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thanks for sharing. Now I think I will go for some hyphenated domain names when I read this.
 
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I have Technology-World.com ;)

And this thread made me test the Namepros market for hyphenated domains, so here pushed this domain for quick auction ;)
 
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The ultimate platform for selling hyphenated domains.

Hyp-Hen.com
 
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bmi-rechner24.de

sold 2011 for 3.000 EUR
 
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My rule is if word+word.com version would be priced by me at 10,000$+, then word dash word.com might be worth investing and pricing at about 10%-20% of non-dash.

I probably have only around 5 dash names and sold one in 2019 for $2,500.

As a dash is made in English by combining two hyphens, and a dash is used to set apart a word or words that follow—rather than a hyphen, which is used to combine two words—the English instructor in me thinks that a dash could not “legally” be used in a domain name (because it consists of two characters rather than one character). l would love to see a legitimate domain name with a dash in it, as it would be the first time l have. Such a domain name would seem to me to violate the principles of English grammar and punctuation.
 
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Bob, what an amazing writer and researcher you are! And for free, l presume. You have so many informative and interesting sources to research—which l’m guessing the majority of domainers have not even heard of, never mind use.

I would think many of us who don’t know NameBio.com from Dofo to the Grammarly Blog (and l’m sure l’m just scratching the surface) would gladly pay for a guide to all the sources you consult.

I’m sure we in-the-darkers would profit literally and figuratively from a Bob Hawkes-written document on sites that would exponentially help
all serious domainers!
 
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As a dash is made in English by combining two hyphens, and a dash is used to set apart a word or words that follow—rather than a hyphen, which is used to combine two words—the English instructor in me thinks that a dash could not “legally” be used in a domain name (because it consists of two characters rather than one character). l would love to see a legitimate domain name with a dash in it, as it would be the first time l have. Such a domain name would seem to me to violate the principles of English grammar and punctuation.

Yet, for domains, when orally communicating it, often dash is said. And, yes, there are double consecutive hyphen names. They just don't have much value and might not be allowed for new regs anymore (if not mistaken).
 
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I never really understood why Americans (the world?) dislike hyphens and Germans like them. It must be deeper than SEO or aesthetics.
It is a good question and I am pretty sure it is not SEO related. I think the aesthetics of names is somewhat different in different regions, and in a way splitting words with hyphens for better clarity is I think something liked in some regions but not others. I have not gone way back but wonder if the US disdain for hyphenated domain names was less in the distant past (I note that Rob's title said that hyphenated .com domains are back in fashion).

Want 3 Hyphen with that Domain Name?
I must admit I did not realize until your post that 3 hyphens in a row, with letters on either side, are actually allowed. My search would have excluded them but I think there are very few or no such sales in NameBio.

I did realize from my own search that you are not allowed two hyphens at end. For example as an analogy to C++ programming I wanted C-- (saw it as a carbon capture and sequestration name) but it was not allowed.

would gladly pay for a guide to all the sources you consult.
Thanks for your kind comments and suggestion @Lewstar. While from time to time I have toyed with idea of a different kind of domain ebook, one that was more a ToDo manual on how to do various things from comparator sales analysis to listing on the main marketplaces, etc., I doubt I will actually ever do it. If I did my plan was to use a platform such as LeanPub so that it could be frequently updated and that any purchasers would have lifetime the newest edition.

Related, I do have an introductory guide to Dofo on NameTalent and will be following up with one on the Advanced Search. I also published some time ago an introductory NameBio guide on NameTalent and it will some day soon be followed by 3 more in a 4 part series. I plan to eventually have a full set of guides to various domain techniques and tools at NameTalent. But when I write posts for the NamePros blog I always try to include enough links and information to allow someone to replicate or expand what I have done.

I love the great tools like NameBio and Dofo. In my writing I like to share so people will use them even more frequently to make their own analyses and decisions.

I feel very fortunate that NamePros gave me the opportunity to write regularly in the Blog and also for the opportunity to write at NameTalent (although I have neglected it too much of late). Thank you again for your very kind remarks.

Bob
 
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battlefield-basis.de

2010 for 3.000 EUR
 
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Sold on Monday
text-link-ads.com
for $4,494 at GoDaddy
 
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find-casinos.com just dropped if anyone wants it
 
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One thing to consider before getting too many hyphenated .coms is that how long are you willing to keep them, unless you have two very popular and valuable keywords or a combination of characters that makes sense that are separated by the hyphen then most people are probably not going to keep renewing them as long as their non hyphenated .coms

IMO
 
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