Mobile web is the hot trend right now and if you’re not on board, your business is suffering.  Designers should dedicate time to understanding users of the mobile web and how to win them over. However, the wrong way to do it is through dark patterns regarding color and deceits. 

Many mistakes are made when starting out on the mobile web by attracting users and keeping them. The number one thing when it comes to making money is to keep profits increasing. This sounds easy but many companies lie or trick consumers into a sale to boost revenue for that month. What happens after that? Trickery never wins over organic sales. 

Dark Patterns are tricks used in websites and apps that make you buy or sign up for things that you didn't mean to.

Bait and Switch

Pop-ups are culprits of utilizing the bait and switch tactic we all have been victims of.  This tactic allows the user to assume a reaction or expectation to happen after they engage with the website. However, with this strategy usually the desires are never met and an undesired response is a result. 

Sometimes these actions don’t result in consequences but clearly disrupt the user experience on mobile. 

Choice Shaming

A term in the tech world known as confirmshaming explains the experience with pop-ups that would allow you to click a positive option to encourage them to move forward or a negative option that would shame them for making a seemingly bad choice by not doing so. 

Websites to this day still use this tactic and some of their phrases aren’t too bad. However, some companies go to the extreme with their negative choices that throw you for a loop. 

Stay away from shaming altogether and switch to ghost buttons. Design the button you want them to click extravagantly and in their face, but have the option to opt out with a lackluster button. This exclaims that you want them to click to continue but you’re okay with them ignoring this opportunity. 

Forced Continuity

Let’s be real, when we see something with the words ‘Free’, we want it to be free. This type of dark pattern refers to when someone signs up for something that Is ‘free’ but is required to share a credit card for when their trial expires. Therefore, the consumer is charged without warning. 

Some consumers will not pay attention to these kinds of trickeries and will assume the company isn’t trying to take advantage of them. Unfortunately, this form of deception will not go over well. 

There are many trickeries and deceits that take place when it comes to mobile design and conversions. Believe us when we say these profit margins won’t last long if you choose this path. Make organic and unique approaches to building your clientele.

Blue Archer can assist you with web and app design for your new site.