diff --git a/R/coev_helpers.R b/R/coev_helpers.R
index dea437c..d778ef6 100644
--- a/R/coev_helpers.R
+++ b/R/coev_helpers.R
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ run_checks <- function(data, variables, id, tree, effects_mat,
       stop2(
         paste0(
           "Variables following the 'bernoulli_logit' response distribution ",
-          "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data."
+          "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data. Try using the ",
+          "as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
           )
         )
     }
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ run_checks <- function(data, variables, id, tree, effects_mat,
       stop2(
         paste0(
           "Variables following the 'ordered_logistic' response distribution ",
-          "must be ordered factors in the data."
+          "must be ordered factors in the data. Try using the as.ordered() ",
+          "function to convert variables to ordered factors."
           )
         )
     }
@@ -72,7 +74,8 @@ run_checks <- function(data, variables, id, tree, effects_mat,
       stop2(
         paste0(
           "Variables following the 'poisson_softplus' response distribution ",
-          "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data."
+          "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data. Try ",
+          "using the as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
           )
         )
     }
@@ -84,7 +87,8 @@ run_checks <- function(data, variables, id, tree, effects_mat,
         paste0(
           "Variables following the 'negative_binomial_softplus' response ",
           "distribution must be integers greater than or equal to zero in ",
-          "the data."
+          "the data. Try using the as.integer() function to convert variables ",
+          "to integers."
         )
       )
     }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-coev_fit.R b/tests/testthat/test-coev_fit.R
index 0d0c2f5..b997679 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-coev_fit.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-coev_fit.R
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ test_that("coev_fit() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'bernoulli_logit' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data. Try using the ",
+      "as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_fit(
@@ -114,8 +116,10 @@ test_that("coev_fit() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'ordered_logistic' response distribution ",
-      "must be ordered factors in the data."
-      )
+      "must be ordered factors in the data. Try using the as.ordered() ",
+      "function to convert variables to ordered factors."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_fit(
@@ -129,8 +133,10 @@ test_that("coev_fit() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'poisson_softplus' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data. Try ",
+      "using the as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_fit(
@@ -145,8 +151,10 @@ test_that("coev_fit() produces expected errors", {
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'negative_binomial_softplus' response ",
       "distribution must be integers greater than or equal to zero in ",
-      "the data."
-    )
+      "the data. Try using the as.integer() function to convert variables ",
+      "to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_stancode.R b/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_stancode.R
index 04a767f..5317dc9 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_stancode.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_stancode.R
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_stancode() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'bernoulli_logit' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data. Try using the ",
+      "as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(
@@ -114,8 +116,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_stancode() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'ordered_logistic' response distribution ",
-      "must be ordered factors in the data."
-      )
+      "must be ordered factors in the data. Try using the as.ordered() ",
+      "function to convert variables to ordered factors."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(
@@ -129,8 +133,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_stancode() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'poisson_softplus' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data. Try ",
+      "using the as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(
@@ -145,8 +151,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_stancode() produces expected errors", {
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'negative_binomial_softplus' response ",
       "distribution must be integers greater than or equal to zero in ",
-      "the data."
-    )
+      "the data. Try using the as.integer() function to convert variables ",
+      "to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_standata.R b/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_standata.R
index ade789c..14c6e83 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_standata.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-coev_make_standata.R
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_standata() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'bernoulli_logit' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers with values of 0/1 in the data. Try using the ",
+      "as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_standata(
@@ -114,8 +116,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_standata() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'ordered_logistic' response distribution ",
-      "must be ordered factors in the data."
-      )
+      "must be ordered factors in the data. Try using the as.ordered() ",
+      "function to convert variables to ordered factors."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_standata(
@@ -129,8 +133,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_standata() produces expected errors", {
     ),
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'poisson_softplus' response distribution ",
-      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data."
-      )
+      "must be integers greater than or equal to zero in the data. Try ",
+      "using the as.integer() function to convert variables to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_standata(
@@ -145,8 +151,10 @@ test_that("coev_make_standata() produces expected errors", {
     paste0(
       "Variables following the 'negative_binomial_softplus' response ",
       "distribution must be integers greater than or equal to zero in ",
-      "the data."
-    )
+      "the data. Try using the as.integer() function to convert variables ",
+      "to integers."
+    ),
+    fixed = TRUE
   )
   expect_error(
     coev_make_stancode(