Perfect Is Better than Done

Typos and other editing errors in your website copy could cost you brand trust—and sales.

The phrase “done is better than perfect” is commonly used in professional settings to prevent perfectionism—after all, an imperfect article or social media post can still contribute to sales. However, too much emphasis on this principle can lead businesses to cut editing out of their processes. This raises the question: Is speed more important than polished copy? Do typos and spelling errors really matter? And if they do, how much do they impact the business’s relationship with customers?

THE RESEARCH

In their research article “‘What a Pity, There Are So Many Errors!’ What Mistakes Really Matter to Consumers?,” researchers Brigitte Müller, Christelle Martin-Lacroux, and Alain Lacroux from the University of Toulon, the University of Grenoble Alpes, and the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France, respectively, investigate this very topic. Building on previous research that examines the impact of editorial errors in website copy and online reviews, they explore whether typos and other spelling errors in commercial business copy actually matter when it comes to consumer sentiment and brand trust—and the answer is, they do.

In constructing their study, Müller, Martin-Lacroux, and Lacroux created three separate versions of two different e-commerce websites: one that sold tote bags and one that sold kitchen utensils. For each, they created a website without errors, a website with spelling errors (defined as grammatical or lexical errors), and a website with typographic errors (defined as keyboard errors). Respondents were then surveyed on their opinions of the brand and website, and they also indicated what errors they noticed. 

What the research found was that both spelling and typographical errors not only negatively affected respondents’ trust in the website and brand but also negatively impacted their willingness to pay. Typographical errors (also known as typos) had a greater impact than spelling errors (misused words or incorrect grammar), and spelling errors had statistically significant influence when respondents noticed the errors. These findings support previous research done by others on the same subject and demonstrate that “errors count well when Internet users evaluate a website.… For those who are able to spot the mistakes, the impact is important” (Müller et. al 2019, 7).

THE IMPLICATIONS

For those bothered by typos and grammatical errors, this research can feel vindicating—editing is important, and it is important for professionals to take it seriously, particularly when it comes to business copy. The research indicates that strong writing and editing skills are critical for building healthy businesses. By hiring editors, businesses can invest in long-term consumer brand trust, which leads to greater success and profitability in the long run.

This research is also critical for helping editors identify new fields where their skills might be marketable. Freelancers can add another income stream by copyediting and proofreading for small businesses to boost profitability. Staff editors working for corporations can list how their work increased sales on their resumes and in yearly reviews. Regardless of the roles of editors, they can find security and confidence in the knowledge that their skills and abilities make a concrete difference for the businesses they work with.

To learn more about how editorial errors impact consumer attitudes toward brands, read the full article:

Müller, Brigitte, Christelle Martin-Lacroux, and Alain Lacroux Alain. 2019. “‘What a Pity There are So Many Errors!’ What Mistakes Really Matter to Consumers?” Proceedings of the European Marketing Academy 48. https://proceedings.emac-online.org/pdfs/A2019-9344.pdf

—Kira Christensen, Editing Research

FEATURE IMAGE BY MYRIAM JESSIER

Find more research

Take a look at Andrea Everard and Dennis F. Galletta’s (2005) article to learn more about how consumers value websites with errors less than websites that have no errors: “How Presentation Flaws Affect Perceived Site Quality, Trust, and Intention to Purchase from an Online Store.” Journal of Management Information Systems 22 (3): 56–95. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40398797

Check out Els Hilbrink’s (2017) Master’s Thesis to learn more about how errors on hotel websites can impact consumer willingness to book: “‘The Hotel Were Graet’: The Effects of Valence and Language Errors on the Attitude Towards the Hotel, Review Credibility, Booking Intention and eWOM Intention of Consumers.” University of Twente. https://essay.utwente.nl/fileshare/file/71647/Hilbrink_MA_BehaviouralSciences.pdf