Pronounceable LLLL.com: Why VCVC, VCCV are underpriced vs. CVCV?

[Recons.Com]

Hi,

There are quite few irrational price deviations in the types of domains that are notable, one of the most obvious being the huge price gap between CVCV LLLL.coms vs VCVC, VCCV etc.

It is interesting to hear what NP members think about it. None of those categories is any rarer than another, so that won't explain it.

December-Jan sample from NameBio for CVCV:

Domain Price Date Venue
noja.com 6,500 USD 2016-01-11 NamesCon
feba.com 10,000 USD 2016-01-05 Sedo
qotu.com 1,107 USD 2016-01-05 Sedo
dovu.com 1,600 USD 2015-12-30 NameJet
tuwa.com 13,530 USD 2015-12-23 GoDaddy
weji.com 3,100 USD 2015-12-21 NameJet
foqe.com 1,550 USD 2015-12-18 NameJet
depe.com 5,600 USD 2015-12-17 NameJet
fitu.com 4,658 USD 2015-12-16 GoDaddy
cexo.com 3,158 USD 2015-12-16 Sedo
nodo.com 11,017 USD 2015-12-15 Sedo
qoke.com 2,588 USD 2015-12-15 Sedo
towu.com 15,000 USD 2015-12-14 Sedo
rasu.com 6,150 USD 2015-12-14 NameJet
koqe.com 3,783 USD 2015-12-14 Sedo
robe.com 37,000 USD 2015-12-11 NameJet
vohi.com 2,100 USD 2015-12-08 NameJet
mape.com 16,000 USD 2015-12-07 NameJet
wowa.com 10,000 USD 2015-12-07 Sedo
jafi.com 8,088 USD 2015-12-04 BuyDomains
ruca.com 7,000 USD 2015-12-03 NameJet
yeqe.com 809 USD 2015-12-03 NameJet

For VCVC:

igid.com 1,010 USD 2016-01-10 GoDaddy
ecuk.com 590 USD 2016-01-10 NameJet
uvul.com 510 USD 2016-01-06 GoDaddy
iyes.com 4,900 USD 2016-01-04 Sedo
uyaf.com 263 USD 2016-01-04 4.CN
ucaf.com 600 USD 2015-12-30 NameJet
afef.com 590 USD 2015-12-29 NameJet
uzuq.com 290 USD 2015-12-29 Flippa
oled.com 56,100 USD 2015-12-28 Flippa
oqow.com 270 USD 2015-12-28 NameJet
agad.com 2,588 USD 2015-12-25 NameJet
ebuf.com 599 USD 2015-12-24 NameJet
etim.com 2,105 USD 2015-12-22 NameJet
ebeh.com 610 USD 2015-12-22 NameJet
oqet.com 334 USD 2015-12-22 NameJet
elom.com 1,400 USD 2015-12-21 NameJet
ufoc.com 675 USD 2015-12-18 GoDaddy
emif.com 586 USD 2015-12-18 NameJet
ucox.com 350 USD 2015-12-18 NameJet
uboj.com 320 USD 2015-12-18 GoDaddy
exaf.com 407 USD 2015-12-17 NameJet
eyul.com 325 USD 2015-12-17 4.CN
ixov.com 303 USD 2015-12-17 GoDaddy
iset.com 12,299 USD 2015-12-15 NameJet
ukuf.com 346 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
uqaq.com 344 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
osuq.com 340 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
uyah.com 354 USD 2015-12-14 NameJet
ozuj.com 299 USD 2015-12-11 NameJet
ucaf.com 343 USD 2015-12-07 NameJet
ajag.com 405 USD 2015-12-06 NameJet
ajut.com 300 USD 2015-12-06 NameJet
apew.com 290 USD 2015-12-06 NameJet
ukax.com 419 USD 2015-12-04 NameJet
aqes.com 410 USD 2015-12-04 NameJet
utij.com 310 USD 2015-12-04 NameJet
ituv.com 251 USD 2015-12-04 NameJet
ibav.com 600 USD 2015-12-03 NameJet
ogod.com 3,700 USD 2015-12-02 Sedo
akub.com 360 USD 2015-12-01 NameJet

For VCCV:

ocpe.com 421 USD 2016-01-06 GoDaddy
otqe.com 348 USD 2016-01-06 NameJet
uxmo.com 460 USD 2016-01-05 GoDaddy
eqru.com 310 USD 2016-01-05 GoDaddy
agji.com 305 USD 2016-01-04 GoDaddy
orre.com 2,278 USD 2015-12-31 GoDaddy
atwi.com 710 USD 2015-12-30 NameJet
uxma.com 627 USD 2015-12-30 NameJet
erha.com 2,600 USD 2015-12-28 NameJet
ebfe.com 580 USD 2015-12-25 NameJet
idtu.com 506 USD 2015-12-24 GoDaddy
oqdo.com 335 USD 2015-12-23 GoDaddy
uymu.com 488 USD 2015-12-21 Flippa
ebdo.com 850 USD 2015-12-17 NameJet
oxca.com 328 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
ixre.com 325 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
utpo.com 320 USD 2015-12-15 NameJet
uvru.com 312 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
uqko.com 312 USD 2015-12-15 4.CN
eyhe.com 599 USD 2015-12-10 NameJet
okbu.com 399 USD 2015-12-10 NameJet
epnu.com 290 USD 2015-12-10 NameJet
uhbu.com 269 USD 2015-12-07 NameJet
oqqo.com 2,050 USD 2015-12-05 DropCatch
uqze.com 265 USD 2015-12-03 NameJet
uqlo.com 343 USD 2015-12-02 NameJet
uqji.com 315 USD 2015-12-02 NameJet
iwmu.com 310 USD 2015-12-02 NameJet

 

[Recons.Com]

No opinions on this?

 

[Raindrops]

I would say CVCV tends to be more pronounceable is one reason for Western purposes - coupled with the Chinese market that prefers consonant beginning domains, since it works with their languages better. Obviously that market prefers no vowels at all - but if they're present it's best they follow a consonant.

As to pronounceable as well look at your own 4L in your sig - those starting with a vowel are double syllable or more, whereas those with a consonant can be single syllable.

QOLD compared to ANEM
TOKS compared to OFTU

 

[Asfas1000]

I believe CVCV are way easier to pronounce.

 

[Recons.Com]

Thanks, Raindrops )

Why a buyer would care if, if general, there are more possibilities if LLLL starts with vowel for creating huge price differential for VCVC vs CVCV?

If you look at at end users, there are probably as many VCCV or VCVC, as CVCV. For example, Netgear went with Arlo for its wireless webcams, I bought for my son Anki Overdrive racing minicars, and Avon is doing great with its cosmetics stuff...

Now compare prices, even cheapest CVCVs like yeqe.com ($801), foqe.com ($1,500+) sold for much more than names like emif.com 586$ or ebdo.com 860$.

Fantastic name igid.com sold 30% cheaper than mediocre foqe.com.

 

[Recons.Com]

I believe CVCV are way easier to pronounce.

Are you saying foqe.com is easier to pronounce than igid.com or ebdo.com?

 

[Raindrops]

I think you're talking in specific domain situations now, and we were talking about generalities. You asked why CVCV domains price better than VCVC in general - and my opinion is typically being easier to pronounce for western purposes, sometimes being single syllable (not always), and typically being more sought by the Asian market than those that are vowel starting.

There is no hard and fast rule that covers every domain - just generality. If you're wanting to know why XXXX domain sells high than XXXX domain that's a different question

 

[Asfas1000]

Are you saying foqe.com is easier to pronounce than igid.com or ebdo.com?

Obviously not. I'm talking about the same premium letters.
ie. VITA vs ITAV or AVIT

 

[Recons.Com]

Asfas, if you have a minute to spare, have a look at the lists in the first post. They have not been doctored with, just the latest as reported by NB. People are not comparing the same letters. They are comparing foqe.com with ebdo.com and decide that foqe.com must be more valuable because it is CVCV.com

They are so blinded by this generic guidance issued by some web guru many years ago on a Friday night after too many beers, that they act clueless when bidding. The only exception they hold is CVCV should not have "y" for vowel, but in reality fynu.com or fycu.com are better pronounceables than foqe.com or yeqe.com

 

[Dominic Belley]

Just my opinion.

I think the difference in price is mainly within the domainers circle. Most of these names pass from domainer to domainer hands and it has been decided by domainers that CVCV is the best. But that is not a true fact for end-users.

I think for a business owner looking for a name, BORO or ORBO has the same value if that is the name they want for the company. CVCV or VCCV .. they don't care about that domainer speculation stuff.

But I might be wrong.
Maybe somewhere, studies have been made that IN GENERAL, a short term of pattern CVCV is more easy to remember to human brain , making them value more for a business that want to be remembered.

 

[Recons.Com]

DoumB21, I have MBA in Marketing (and Finance) from a top 20 US Business School and I assure you that there have been no study like that. I don't think Depe somehow increases your sales by xx% vs Ebdo or Orbo or Elom (which sold for for quarter of Depe, although it also nicely rhymes with .com. Just pronounce it out together Elom.com)

 

[Recons.Com]

Actually, Depe is probably pronounced with consonant sound in English, similar to deep ) And so are many from the list of sold...

 

[Dominic Belley]

A difference I see is that CVCV has only 2 sounds (CV + CV)
While VCVC has 3 sounds. (V + CV + C)

Making CVCV easier to pronounce.

 

[Asfas1000]

Recons, I get what you're talking about. From a brandability POV , foqe is weak, I am not sure how you would pronounce it. Ebdo is better, with a clear way to pronounce it. Not great though, because this "bd" is rarely found in real words.

Regarding the "y" I don't quite agree. I think it depends. ie. "hype", "type", even "fyre" are great
Same for an ending "y", like "many" "maty" "caky"

CVCV may in general fetch highers prices but one would need to look into each individual domain rather than the general rule.

Also, a domain's sale price may be influenced by other factors (initials, traffic, emotional bidding, reseller vs end user etc).

 

[Recons.Com]

A difference I see is that CVCV has only 2 sounds (CV + CV)
While VCVC has 3 sounds. (V + CV + C)

Making CVCV easier to pronounce.

CVCV is not 2 sounds. Do you mean syllables? If yes, VCVC is still 2 syllables as it would be V+CVC.

If you mean sounds, most of CVCVs are still 4 sounds, as are VCVCs, with some exceptions like Depe where it is 3 sounds in English.

If sounds would be the difference, EAUB.com that I own should be $xx,xxx name as it is only 2 sounds ) "O"+"B".

 

[Recons.Com]

Recons, I get what you're talking about. From a brandability POV , foqe is weak, I am not sure how you would pronounce it. Ebdo is better, with a clear way to pronounce it. Not great though, because this "bd" is rarely found in real words.

Regarding the "y" I don't quite agree. I think it depends. ie. "hype", "type", even "fyre" are great
Same for an ending "y", like "many" "maty" "caky"

CVCV may in general fetch highers prices but one would need to look into each individual domain rather than the general rule.

Also, a domain's sale price may be influenced by other factors (initials, traffic, emotional bidding, reseller vs end user etc).

Asfas, very good points.

But see, people start appreciating "y" only if a) it is instead of i in a dictionary word, like Lyft; b) it is in the end. Even with that look at NP's wanted section, people post that they would buy CVCV for mid xxxx, but they don't want any Y in them.

Regarding "real words", many brands don't want any real word associations to have a clean start and to shape brand the way they want. For example, AXOT does not mean anything in any language and that is fantastic, because there are horror stories when a brand starts in another country and it has awful meaning there. So that is big plus. You know why Coke went with Dasani for its water? Because it does not mean anything in any language in addition to being easy to pronounce.

 

[Raindrops]

@Recons.Com , what specifically are you asking for? Your question in your first post said "interesting to hear" why it appears that in general CVCV outsells VCVC. We have given "opinions" about it ranging from typically more pronounceable, to typically less syllables, to the influence of the Asian market demands....yet you seem to be more confrontational about the answers versus curious on what we think.

Are you actually asking "Why are my domains not selling at higher prices than I see other domains sell for"? In a veiled question?

 

[Embrand]

I like all combinations if I feel they are good.

Let's not forget that not everyone is English-speaking (including myself). For example, Aldi is a huge German supermarket chain. I am not sure "aldi" sounds that good to English-speaking people.

I agree it is mostly a domainer thing. Most end-user don't really care about the combination.

 

[Recons.Com]

@Recons.Com , what specifically are you asking for? Your question in your first post said "interesting to hear" why it appears that in general CVCV outsells VCVC. We have given "opinions" about it ranging from typically more pronounceable, to typically less syllables, to the influence of the Asian market demands....yet you seem to be more confrontational about the answers versus curious on what we think.

Are you actually asking "Why are my domains not selling at higher prices than I see other domains sell for"? In a veiled question?

Raindrops, I assume any scientific/logical argumentation back and forth would seem to you as "confrontational" )

No, I am not trying to do a sale pitch. On the contrary, I have benefited from this because I was able to get great bargains for the names. I don't see NP as a place to sell those kinds of names. Tuth.com for example would be viewed here as "not chip, not western premium, so let's offer $300", while it will be sold eventually to an end user, a dentist or a tech company doing Bluetooth products for $xx,xxx.

I am actually contributing to the community by advising to keep an open mind about it and seeing opportunities for arbitrage, when the difference is not justified by fundamentals.

 

[Dominic Belley]

CVCV is not 2 sounds. Do you mean syllables? If yes, VCVC is still 2 syllables as it would be V+CVC.

If you mean sounds, most of CVCVs are still 4 sounds, as are VCVCs, with some exceptions like Depe where it is 3 sounds in English.

If sounds would be the difference, EAUB.com that I own should be $xx,xxx name as it is only 2 sounds ) "O"+"B".

What I try to say is that CVCV are 2 parts (ex: BO+RO .... RO+NA)
While VCVC are 3 parts (ex: O + LAF ..(LA + F) ... you still have to pronounce and insist on the sound of the 4th letter alone .. which always makes 3 parts to pronounce.