Scrolling Facebook the other day, a “professional” website development advert popped up. Big, bold, confident, full of promises.

And then I saw it.

They’d spelt instalments wrong.

Now, I’ll be honest: I’ve made spelling mistakes too. We all have. You hit “post,” and five minutes later someone messages you, “Hey, you might want to fix that.” It happens.

But this was different. This was a paid advert — the digital equivalent of putting up a billboard on the highway. Money was spent to make it look professional. And yet one tiny word, spelt wrong, was all it took for me to stop and think:

If they can’t even spell their own advert right, why on earth would I trust them with my brand? With my website? With my baby?

A bit dramatic? Maybe. But let’s be real: if your business is selling professionalism, you don’t get to cut corners on the details.

Why Small Mistakes = Big Problems

Your brand is fragile. People judge credibility in seconds. Sometimes it’s conscious (“that’s spelt wrong”), other times it’s subconscious — just an uneasy sense that something feels off.

And if a company can’t proofread their own ad, what corners are they cutting in the actual work?

5 Red Flags in “Too Good to Be True” Website Deals

Looking closer at this particular offer, the spelling was just the start. Here are five other red flags to watch out for when you see these all-in-one website packages:

1. Unrealistic Pricing
   Around R2000 for a five-page site plus SEO, plus adverts, plus ebooks, plus a logo? That’s not a bargain — that’s a shortcut waiting to happen.

2. Fluffy Extras
   “Three email addresses” sounds generous until you realise most entry-level hosting packages give you dozens by default.

3. Vague Buzzwords
   “Google SEO setup” is the classic one. Proper SEO is strategy + ongoing effort, not a one-line checkbox.

4. Quantity Over Quality
   These packages are padded to look full: ebooks, “free listings,” Canva-style adverts. It’s not about what you get — it’s about how little it’s worth.

5. Sloppy Presentation
   A misspelt advert. Inconsistent wording / bad grammar (“advert” vs “adverts”). Stock graphics with logos slapped on. If this is the “shop window,” imagine what’s happening behind the curtain.

Bonus Tip: Check Their Own Website

If you’re ever in doubt, here’s one quick test: look at their own site.

• Is it easy to navigate?

• Does it load quickly?

• Is it mobile-friendly, or does text overlap and menus disappear into the background?

• Does it actually look like the work of a “professional web company”?

Their website is their portfolio. If they can’t get their own right, what are the chances yours will be any better?

How to Safeguard Against Slips (Because We All Make Them)

To be fair, I can’t throw stones entirely. I’ve made typos in my own posts — and I’ll probably make more. But when it comes to paid advertising (where you’re literally paying for eyeballs), here are a few quick safeguards:

• Get a second opinion → A friend, colleague, spouse. Fresh eyes catch things you don’t.

• Use tools → Grammarly, spell-check, even ChatGPT — two minutes could save your ad.

• Read it out loud → Your ears pick up mistakes your eyes skim past.

• Triple-check paid content → Because mistakes here cost the most.

The Takeaway

At the end of the day, it wasn’t the cheap pricing or the filler features that made me scroll past this company. It was one small spelling mistake — a crack in the façade that revealed what was underneath.

Because if you can’t trust someone to spell-check their own advert, can you really trust them to handle your brand with care?

Of course, if you’d rather skip the red flags altogether and work with someone who can actually spell “instalments” — well, you know where to find me. Or if you don’t… click here to get in touch.