Dark patterns are manipulative techniques used in interfaces to trick users into doing things they normally wouldn’t. Benefiting the company at the expense of the customer.
Bait & switch, hidden costs, forced continuity and disguised ads are regularly used in businesses across the globe.
The use of these sneaky techniques may increase your database, profit margins and traffic, but your new found success will be short lived when customers discover they have been deceived.
Customer loyalty cannot be underestimated. Costing between 4 to 10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain existing customers, dark patterns are a sure fire way to alienate your audience.
To read more about dark patterns and why your company should avoid them, click here.