The most commonly misspelled domains
| Rank | Brand | Incorrect spellings* | Correct spellings | % of spellings incorrect |
| 1 | Canva | 3,580,800 | 12,180,000 | 22.7% |
| 2 | 1,263,400 | 7,120,000 | 15.1% | |
| 3 | Adobe | 80,000 | 837,000 | 8.7% |
| 4 | Capital One | 40,000 | 428,000 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Patreon | 73,000 | 819,000 | 8.2% |
| =6 | 401,000 | 6,040,000 | 6.2% | |
| =6 | Tiktok | 356,000 | 5,430,000 | 6.2% |
| 8 | Spotify | 584,000 | 10,400,000 | 5.3% |
| 9 | Etsy | 548,900 | 10,840,000 | 4.8% |
| 10 | Quora | 26,000 | 527,000 | 4.7% |
More than one in five (22.7%) of searches for graphic design tool Canva are incorrect, the experts can reveal. The site is most commonly misspelled as “www.canvas.com”, with this blunder garnering the site over 2,000 visits a month. Other common misspellings are Camva, cnava and canca – all of which will lead users to an error message.
Pinterest is the second most commonly misspelled domain, at 15.1%. The term ‘pintrest’ makes up the vast majority of these mistakes: 872,000 flawed searches are made for the term every month, more than one in ten (12.1%) of Pinterest’s correct searches (7,120,000) alone. In fact, the misspelling is so common, that pinterest have purchased the domain to redirect to their own page, and avoid any lost traffic.
The third most commonly misspelled domain is Adobe, with 8.7% containing a typo. Capital One and Patreon follow narrowly behind, with 8.5% and 8.2% of attempted brand spellings being incorrect respectively.
Reddit and Tiktok tie for sixth place, and the leading position for the most misspelled social media platforms. Both sites potentially lose up to 6.2% of their traffic to users being unfamiliar with their brands’ name.
The domain experts at Wix.com, advises on picking a brand name that is simple and memorable:
“When you’re building your business, deciding what to call it can feel inconsequential – but an inappropriate brand name can have repercussions further down the line. So, make sure when naming your business you consider the following::
DOs:
- Research your market. While terms like ‘Uber’ and ‘Tiktok’ appeal to a youthful demographic, these unusual terms are less likely to resonate if your target audience is older. Look at what companies have resonated with the audiences in your market, and what their brand names have in common.
- Check if your domain is available. A strong online presence is invaluable for your business, and you’ll want customers to figure out where you are with little trouble. If your brand’s domain is not available online, consider changing it so you can buy a different URL.
- Test it out. If you have access to other professionals in your field, invite them to a presentation where you can explain your business and get feedback. This is a great time to also get a response for your brand name. Present your favorite name, and once the presentation is over, request feedback on it. It’s a good idea to come with some back-ups if your favorite doesn’t resonate, and you need more responses.
DON’Ts:
- Make it hard to spell. As well as making it more likely that customers won’t remember your brand, a difficult name to spell means customers will have difficulty finding your site online. Having a simple, unconfusing name can avoid the possibility of unnecessary revenue loss down the line.
- Base it on a trend. Just because something is popular now, doesn’t mean it will be in a month. Your business needs to have a long-term plan, and your name should reflect that.
- Copy another company. Inspiration is fine, but if you use a trademarked name you will be opening yourself up to legal issues, as well as scrutiny from consumers. Make sure that your brand name is original, even if it’s based on some ideas in the market.”
You can find more on creating your domain at Wix.com.
