The Orlando web design industry is quite a competitive one, especially considering the growth and evolution of this industry today. With the high volume of websites that exist on the internet today, each website is working hard to make sure that their site is chosen by their target audience for their specific needs. Unfortunately, because of this scramble to the top, it has brought about the usage of questionable methods that are designed to get more users to click on their websites to generate more traffic. These methods are known as dark patterns in web design.

The problem with these methods is that they take advantage of users’ online habits, which causes them to unwittingly buy something or force them to convert on websites despite not really wanting to. While these methods are not illegal, they’re not exactly ethical either and make your websites seem less than reputable, which will affect your online reputation and site ranking. Because there are so many websites that make use of these methods, it makes it hard for users to trust websites nowadays.

It’s important that you avoid using these methods on your own site as these detract from your user’s online browsing experience, which will cause your users to lose trust in you. Find out about these Orlando web design dark patterns here.

Clickbait

Clickbait is unfortunately the most common method that you will recognize on this list. This is something that you must have seen online at some point, even today. It is easy enough to identify these via their sensationalist titles which are designed to draw users’ attention and compel them to click on it while delivering on an anti-climatic conclusion or a completely unrelated topic. These titles tend to promise the impossible: “Cure Your Diabetes With This Trick That Doctors Don’t Want You to Know!!”

When users are led to these sites or articles, they usually have to click through multiple pages filled with ads just to get the answer to the question, and more often than not, the answer doesn’t exist, or an answer that doesn’t answer the original question. These are designed to bring as many clicks to the website and generate more traffic as well as ad revenue for the website owner.

Roach motels

This particular method is designed to make it very easy for you to subscribe to something, whether it’s a newsletter or an online service, but make it very difficult to unsubscribe from. For example, a website might trick you into signing up for a newsletter or subscription that you have to pay for and never wanted in the first place.

Of course, it might just be annoying to filter it as spam, but if the site starts charging you for the service, then as a customer, you want to be given the option to opt-out. The problem with roach motels in Orlando web design, they make it so that you have to speak with a representative or mail them an unsubscription form just to properly cancel your account.