Ever left a website or app with a sense of being cheated? Maybe you didn't mean to give them your email address or opt in for a service or part with your credit card info for a trial, but felt coerced into giving in. You're not imagining things. There are companies out there (not just in India, by the way) who are hiring designers to manipulate you into doing things you didn't intend to do. Here are some examples of the ways companies may be intentionally controlling your actions with their text and design.
1. ConfirmShaming
This happens when you're trying to close a pop-up asking you to whitelist their ads or subscribe to a mailing list. Such websites prey on your sense of guilt or downright insult you when you opt out.
2. Useless countdown clocks
This is a trick that most people have caught on to but there are still sites that run such clocks and manage to fool unsuspecting users. When websites and apps create a sense of urgency, it pushes customers to make a faster decision on a purchase they are considering. Amazon does this (see below image). So does Snapdeal with its clock ticking on discounts.
3. Disguised ads
Say you want to convert a Microsoft Word document to PDF through a website. You do everything right and then it's time for you to download the PDF document. But hey! There are two download buttons. Which one do you trust? One of these buttons is an advertisement and it has been cleverly placed to fool you. If you click the ad disguised as the button, you'll be persuaded into buying whatever it is the ad was created for. One way you can tell is by hovering over the link. The destination URL will tell you whether it is a genuine download link. For more information on how to spot a fake button, head on over to this link.
4. Charging your credit/debit card for unwanted services
Okay, so you've subscribed to a 30-day free trial service of some sort. You head over to the page where you have to choose your membership plan. Wait a minute, though. Why is it asking for your credit card/debit card/netbanking details? But it feels safe, right? After all, they won't charge you for a service that's obviously touted as free. They won't. Not for the 30 days but soon, you'll begin to see charges to your account on a service you didn't even mean to sign up for. Stay away from such trials that ask for your details upfront.
5. Tricky (or missing) unsubscribe buttons/Delete option
Amazon is in this hall of shame as well. Ever tried to delete your Amazon account? No? Try it. You'll have to dig deep to find this option. Tell me if you find it. I'm still searching.
Then there are the crafty unsubscribe buttons which will give your errors of various kinds when clicked upon. And some of these links are so small you won't even be able to find them. You'll have no choice but to remain subscribed. Oh, and what about those unsubscribe buttons or links that have been conveniently forgotten to be added in emails? There is a workaround to this: Mark the message as spam or block the sender.
That's it, folks.
Let me know if you have come across other techniques websites and apps use to deceive people.
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