eCommerce UX: 20 Common Mistakes (The Unnoticeable Ones)

Hiding the X button on a pop-up that opens as soon as a visitor lands on the store. 

Showing a deeply discounted category aggressively through the site, but one where most product variants are sold out. 

Highlighting the most expensive option in a way that shoppers in a hurry choose it by default. 

Dark patterns, as they’re called, are eCommerce UX mistakes no one wants to talk about. They’re all over the web, but more so across stores, where spotting them can be tough for the average shopper. 

In this piece, we build up on some really nuanced patterns that shoppers gloss over because they’ve become so used to them—but which anyway make trust and action an issue in the long run. Alongside, we also let you in on strategies that can help you veer away from these dark patterns. 

Avoiding Dark Patterns on eCommerce Sites

1. Notification bar crammed with various % off messages

Notification bars have the job of setting quick context for eCommerce store visitors. 

However, amongst the most common dark patterns we’ve seen in this space is the abuse of this space. 

It happens either because the messages change automatically without the shopper exerting manual control or there are too many messages within the same backdrop. 

Here’s an example from Boohoo, the sort of notification bar UX that we’d never recommend:

👀 Messages that switch automatically despite manual buttons being present

👀 Too many price-based messages, which ultimately create cognitive load for the shopper

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Make your notification dynamic, so that it displays messaging based on who the visitor is—for example, a message for a first-time visitor can read something like “Free shipping on your first order — just for you!”

2. Fake “Recommendations for you” suggestions for first-time visitors

There are a few ways to find out if the “Recommendations For You” showing up are really differentiated for first-time visitors:

👉 Use a private window first and then an incognito window

👉 Clear the cookies after the visit and check again

👉 Change devices to visit the store

Fake recommendations are a real conversion killer, because once shoppers get a wind of it, trust erodes faster than a page fully loads. 🤷

How to resolve this eCommerce UX bad practice:

Prioritize showing your bestsellers or trending products prominently without trying to mimic personalization—simple labels like “Currently at the Top” or “Top 5 Customer Favourites” work rather well. 

3. Fake numbers that only seem to update

This eCommerce dark pattern can potentially take place in a number of ways including:

👀 Visitor counters that show messaging like "237 people currently viewing this item" but increase & fall randomly

👀 Inventory counters that decrease steadily regardless of actual purchases, with messaging like "Stock decreasing: -3 in the last hour" remaining unchanging

👀 Dynamic pricing displays showing prices "dropping" based on your browsing time, creating an illusion of a customized deal

For example, when we first began browsing the Huckberry website, we were thrilled to see the “number” of “new arrivals”, only to later discover that this facet stays unchanging and is actually an eCommerce UX mistake:

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Feature a “New In” or “New This Week” section on the homepage that automatically updates new SKUs and shows the most recent additions at the top.

Further reading: 18 UX hacks to reduce cognitive load in ecommerce

4. Undifferentiated product images 

50% of online shoppers will readily look at large, differentiated product images to decide on a purchase—underscoring the importance of great visuals, which is higher than the importance of product descriptions or even reviews. 

So, when a store like Love Child Organics uses such images, along with a single CTA for shoppers to keep exploring, without offering them additional clarity, it’s a clear UX dark pattern:

‍

This can be a major irritant for a first-time visitor who has no prior purchase history with the brand, and has no way of knowing if the brand measures up in other ways like quality, post purchase experience etc.

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Set up a product visual guide that touches upon critical aspects that will eventually make your photos super consistent yet detailed—include angles, lighting and visual cues to create galleries & recommendation sections that are engaging and compelling. 

5.  Too many discounted categories placed side by side

While not a typical deceptive technique in eCommerce, too many discounted categories placed side by side result in a broken experience. 

And that’s because most shoppers come with the expectation of a simple, fast and easy shopping experience. 

Too many discounted categories side by side do the opposite though—it creates choice paralysis and is one of the most common eCommerce UX mistakes:

How to resolve this eCommerce UX bad practice:

Feature the most prominent ongoing sale information on a single banner—and club other less important discounts under a “More Deals” or “All Deals” section prominently in the main navigation.

6. Obstructions to prevent shoppers from removing items from the cart

eCommerce stores that resort to this dark pattern often do so for the more harmless reason of wanting to lower cart abandonment. 

But what they don’t realise is that a BIG part of converting (and converting again) is about shoppers feeling like they’re in control. 

So additional prompts like “Are you sure you want to remove this item?” can in fact lead to consummate buyers never wanting to come back to the store again. 

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Make the post-removal process more interactive and engaging for shoppers—tell them what they’d receive if they bought and what categories they can easily buy from, something that Jeffree Star Cosmetics perfects:

‍

7. Cart recommendations that can’t be added in one click

As far as CRO efforts go, this is certainly a dark pattern—though some experts also hold the opposing view. 

They’re of the opinion that intentional friction like this can prevent people from making impulsive purchases and then later suffering from what’s known as buyer’s remorse. 

BUT in 2025, you’d want to avoid this, because a lot more people are buying on mobile—and on mobile, this practice can really irk and frustrate shoppers. 

How to resolve this eCommerce UX mistake:

Show an “Add” button to each add-on recommendation, and if there are variations, show only the swatches of up to 5 variants that are doing much better than others. 

Further Reading: eCommerce Product Recommendations: Strategies, Examples, Do's/Don'ts

8. Overlapping offers—generic offer & seasonal offer not distinguishable 

Going by the stats, 70% of shoppers will gladly switch brands, if they discover one is offering a free gift with purchases and the other isn’t. 

But that means they’re seeing this as a value-add over and above the original perceptive value. 

This is what gets broken when eCommerce stores carry out the dark pattern of showing a generic free gift hook and also showing the exact same free gift hook for a seasonal offer, within the same session:

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Show a “list of offers” across the site and make sure you show different thresholds on each—in this case, a tiered reward system is much clear, like:

✅ Spend $150 – Get a Deluxe Sample Set
✅ Spend $300 – Get a Full-Size Gift + Deluxe Sample Set

9. Highlighting minimal savings to force conversions

This dark phenomena in eCommerce is led by the fact that 54% of shoppers admit that their shopping experiences depend a great deal on promotions and discounts. 

And this becomes an influencing factor in businesses trying to sell paltry discounts just through pushy visual design. 

But the sad part is that businesses think shoppers don’t notice! Unless the discount is at least 15%, this tactic is useless & visually pushy, especially when all products show the price anchoring effect. 

How to resolve this eCommerce UX bad practice:

Showcase value deals on bundles as part of your bestsellers section and line them against products that aren’t carrying a deal, to stand out. 

Further Reading: 20 Scientific Strategies to Increase Your eCommerce Conversion Rate

10. Over-promising pop-ups (that hide pre-conditions)

Given that eCommerce shoppers rely heavily on building trust first, pop-ups that promise the moon only to reveal that the shopper has to cross additional thresholds, is a clear dark pattern. 

Remember that familiar “Get 30% off when you sign up!” only to receive an email that says “Get 30% off when you buy worth at least $150”?

Or, pop-ups that lure through anniversary or brand milestone discounts (are also among common eCommerce UX bad practices):

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Use clear microcopy about the most important term / condition—and if you have a large discount mentioned on the pop-up like “Get $500 off”, consider a tiered “up to $500 off” messaging in the email—Get $20 off $100 · $50 off $250 · $100 off $500.

11. Mandatory email sign-up for quiz results—that too without any real reward

If you have a quiz on your eCommerce store, that’s already a great reason for more people to bring in micro-conversions. 

But businesses make it tough for shoppers to hold on to the anticipation they feel about taking the quiz—after all, they want to quickly get to the results. 

And in reality, this “obstruction” doesn’t help convert impulse buyers who would’ve made a purchase right after taking the quiz. 

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce UX mistake:

There are at least a few ways to get this right:

✅ Let them “skip & view results”

✅ Feature a “teaser” of the results by showing one but blurring the others—in this case, you’re not hiding the complete info but giving them the choice to go further or not

12. Pre-selected add-ons—that are also hard to notice

This is one of the classic eCommerce UX mistakes where an eCommerce business automatically pre-chooses add-ons for the shopper’s final cart.

It’s dark because shoppers-on-the-go or those who’re looking for quick fixes / solutions may not notice that they haven’t explicitly chosen the add-on. 

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Push an add-on by all means but make compelling messaging go along with it—“Protect your new sunglasses with a matching sleeve – only $5 (worth $12)”. 

AND, ensure you show only those add-ons that are truly complementary to the current purchase. 

13. A free shipping threshold reminder in an abandonment email 

80% of shoppers would agree to do some work to get that free shipping offer. 

BUT, catch them with this at the wrong juncture, appearing pushy, and they’ll be the first to walk away. 

Yes, a common dark pattern in eCommerce is showing a free shipping threshold reminder in a cart abandonment email:

How to resolve this eCommerce UX bad practice:

A few ways to work around this phenomenon include:

✅ Help them avail the gap in their cart value to reach free shipping—like “Psst! You’re $9 away from free shipping. Want to browse our under-$10 picks?”

✅ Offer free shipping without conditions as a conversion tactic

‍

Further Reading: How To Offer Free Shipping — And Recover Costs Too

14. “Protection guarantees” hiking up the price at checkout

If you sell luxury or other fragile items, your audiences are likely to even desire a protection guarantee. 

But add it without explicit consent, and you’ve prepped for trust withering in an instant. 

That’s right: 45% of shoppers will actually abandon their carts if they happen to notice a higher price at checkout. 

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Include the unselected protection guarantee within the cart itself, highlighting it—and support it with relatable social proof like “95% of our shoppers swear by the protection guarantee.”

15. Showing a “super inflated Retail Price”—to make “Member Pricing” more attractive

When eComm brands do this, they forget that the most discerning shoppers conduct thorough research before buying—and that this can put the brand on a backfoot in the long run. 

All it needs is a shopper to go out there, do the research and find out that a single malt Irish whiskey can be had from anywhere between $70 to $170:

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce UX mistake:

Highlight the member pricing with extra perks like exclusive drops, expert tasting events or $ rewards—whether you cite an RRP / MSRP or not:

‍

16. Permanent “Limited Time Clearance” section on the website (that doesn’t update)

This is a classic dark pattern in eCommerce, though niches like fashion, jewelry and accessories magically expect shoppers to convert even when they do this. 

In fact, what it is often perceived as is a desperate cry to slide off slow-moving inventory.

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Introduce a “<Month name> Flash Sale” section and ensure you have different SKUs going into it—reserve a certain number of slow moving inventory only for this section and make sure updates happen month on month. 

17. Manipulative language in the secondary CTA…

We have all seen a form of this eCommerce dark pattern at some point or another:

"No thanks, I prefer paying full price"

"I don't want to grow my business" 

"I'll risk these items selling out"

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Use language that frames the shopper’s decision-making process for the longer run within the conversion funnel—that’s why “Save for Later” works so well!

You can also create a parallel choice like “Join members for extra perks” instead. 

18. Comparison charts that don’t add real value 

Like it or not, comparison charts are a way to avoid shoppers from jumping off and doing their own research. 

But some eCommerce brands take on the manipulative practice of featuring charts that actually offer generic, non-critical info and in no way help high intent shoppers decide on the right choice:

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Bring out clear differentiators and state how each brand is doing with respect to them—in terms of quantity, ingredients, certifications etc. like Jibby does:

19. Unspecified limited time offers

If customers don’t see a limited time window, they don’t register it as “urgent” even if you color code it in red—and this is one of those eCommerce UX bad practices that you’ll 

So, what you’re inducing is false urgency, which is a dark pattern, which when shoppers notice, they’re often turned off for good. 

How to resolve this eCommerce dark pattern:

Offer the window in as clear terms as possible—specify the number of days it will go on for, date it will go on till and time it will go on till. 

Alternatively, use a conditional approach to the limited time offer instead—messging like “Order by <countdown timer> to get it at $X” works well. 

20. Sales counters with unclickable review snippets that come up as a pop-up

Combine this with the featured product being unclickable as well, and you’ve got an irritant for shoppers. 

What we’re trying to say is: unless your ticking sales counter is changing perception or allowing action, it’s of no use. 

‍

How to resolve this eCommerce UX bad practice:

Introduce two CTAs within the modal itself—”Add to Cart” and “Quick View”—that can help shoppers with different intent navigate more easily. 

People also ask:

1. How do dark patterns impact eCommerce businesses?

Manipulative tactics may seem like the right road ahead in the short run, but in the long run it means:

👀 Broken customer trust—which also possibly means lower brand credibility, reduced repeat purchases and more negative reviews or word-of-mouth backlash.

👀 Increased cart abandonment (and lower micro-conversions)—naturally isn’t it? When shoppers experience deep friction before a desirable action, they’re likely to give up. 

👀 Legal backlash—even as we write this (and you read this), eCommerce is coming under the scrutiny of EU’s Digital Services Act and even FTC guidelines in the US.

👀 Harder to change pricing—less trust means shoppers are already more skeptical about any moves that a brand makes, even if it's justifying higher prices.

2. What are the most common dark practices in eCommerce?

While we’ve covered more nuanced eCommerce UX mistakes in this post, out there, the patterns that exist are super clear to the naked eye:

Forced Account Creation

Requiring users to create accounts to complete purchases when guest checkout would suffice.

Obstruction & Asymmetric Friction

Making unsubscribing, canceling, or returning products significantly more difficult than signing up or purchasing. 

Opt-out Over Opt-in

This reverses the burden of action and exploits user inattention and default bias, with research showing that as many as 80% of users leave pre-ticked boxes unchanged.

Get that Audit to Spot the UX Mistakes

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem Convertcart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.

How we can help you:

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.