Google Maps Head Indoors in the UK

If you’re traveling in the UK, now you can not only find directions to your destination using Google Maps — you can also find directions to things you’re looking for once you’re inside a number of locations.

Available at some locations in the US since last year, Google is launching indoor maps for Android devices for locations in the UK beginning Tuesday. A part of the standard Google Maps app, indoor maps will appear when you zoom in on a specific portion of a map. 

Once you’re zoomed in to a floor plan you can then search for what you’re looking for within that plan. For instance, you might zoom in on a train station to get an indoor map of the station and help finding the closest restroom or coffee shop. At a department store, you might use the indoor map functionality to find the shoe or children’s sections — even if those places are different floors in the building than the one you’re currently on.

More than 40 venues in the UK currently have their floor plans available, ranging from places like the British Museum and National Theater to the O2 Arena and Paddington Station. 

You can check out a full list of supported locations on Google’s website. If you’re a building owner you can also upload the floor plan for your building to be included in a future release.

Are there places you go that you wish you could access an indoor map of? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

HAT TIP: http://mashable.com

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Dark Patterns: User Interfaces Designed to Trick People

Normally when you think of "bad design", you think of laziness or mistakes. These are known as design anti-patterns. Dark Patterns are different – they are not mistakes, they are carefully crafted with a solid understanding of human psychology, and they do not have the user’s interests in mind

darkpatterns.org

Sneaky Ways Websites Get You to Spend More

By Kate Ashford

By now, you probably know that brick-and-mortar stores manipulate you-from the displays to the music to the giant "SALE" signs. But online shopping feels more straightforward. After all, you're in control of the experience, right? Think again. "Marketers are constantly trying to influence us and get us to click on things," says Deborah Mitchell, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "The environment is absolutely about persuasion." Here, experts share ten website ploys meant to lighten your wallet. Photo by Getty Images

 

1. There's a high-priced item in the mix of products.

 

If you're idly browsing, a product with a higher price can make a mid-priced option seem more appealing. You may not even notice the pricier piece because, if a site is smart, the cost difference will seem like a reasonable step up. So how does this tactic get you to spend more? "People don't want to buy the most expensive thing, but they don't want to buy the cheapest thing either," says Mitchell. "They believe that avoiding the extremes is safer." Although you may not notice this trick, try not to reject less expensive products simply because they don't cost as much. 

2. Items are displayed in a particular order.

 

"Consumers tend to buy things they see early in a list," says Vicki Morwitz, PhD, a research professor of marketing at the Stern School of Business at New York University in New York City. Retailers use this knowledge to their benefit. The first few items you see may net the company a bigger profit, or there may be excess inventory of those things. They may even be items the site has found you're more likely to buy based on your shopping history (more on that in #8). Take advantage of sites' sorting options when they exist, and order a page's inventory by the criteria that works for you-lowest price to highest price, for instance, or best rating to worst. 

3. Sites charge extra for shipping.

You may think that shipping fees are exactly equal to the cost of mailing your item. Not so. "Retailers make money from shipping and handling fees," says Morwitz. And it's tough to spot a bad deal, since some retailers have a legitimate reason for charging more-a warehouse that's farther from you geographically, for instance, or a not-so-hot contract with a shipping company. The best thing to do: Use Google Shopping to compare the total cost of an item, including shipping, between sites, because some may charge less to ship but more for the product, or vice versa. Also, search a site like RetailMeNot.com for coupons before you buy-you might be able to find a code for free or reduced shipping. 

4. Shipping costs pop up last.

 

If you've clicked through eight screens and entered your billing address, shipping address and credit card info before you see shipping costs, you're less likely to give up on the order, even if the shipping fees are higher than expected, says Lars Perner, PhD, an assistant professor of clinical marketing at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. If shipping costs seem high, it's worth your time to check at least one more retailer for a comparison price before you hit "submit."

 

5. Your subscription is automatically renewed.

 

Have you ever signed up for a 30-day trial of something, only to forget about it and get charged the full subscription price? "Many people don't get around to canceling it," says Perner. And the retailer is counting on that. Same goes for subscriptions that automatically renew at the end of a cycle-and it's not just magazines and newspapers that do this. Websites that charge for access (such as eHarmony), membership programs (such as the one at Barnes & Noble) and software that expires after, say, 12 months all have auto-renewal options. If you sign up for one of these, put a reminder in your calendar to cancel before the renewal date. Where possible, un-check the option to auto-renew. But if you're charged for something you never meant to re-order, call the retailer. They may issue you a refund. 

6. The retailer emails you directly.

 

If you've ever purchased anything online, you've probably received the retailer's follow-up promotional emails. Every time one of those pops up in your inbox, it gets that store into your brain. "It's just a matter of time until one of those emails arrives when you have time to shop around," says Perner. Unsubscribe from mailing lists when you can, or at least have those emails filtered into a separate folder you can check when it is time to shop.

 

7. There's a limited-time offer on the deal.

 

There are only six units left! You can only get this deal today! "These spur people to act quickly," says Perner. When you feel that quantities are finite or that an offer is only good for a particular period of time, there's a sense of urgency to make a purchase. What if the site never offers free shipping again? What if this is the only time this item will be on sale? What if they sell out? If you were going to buy an item anyway, feel free to jump on the sale. But if you find yourself snagging one-day-only deals left and right, even though you have no interest in tango lessons or dinner at the upscale sushi restaurant in town, you may want to unsubscribe from the daily deals emails. 

8. Your shopping experience has been personalized.

 

Some sites greet you by name. Some suggest products you might like, based on past purchases. You may even get special offers. "It all fosters a closer relationship between the consumer and the retailer," explains Mitchell. For instance, fire up your Amazon account and the site has "recommendations" for you. While it feels convenient, it's simply one more way to persuade you to buy something else. "If a company customizes well, it can highlight things of interest to you that you might not have found on your own," says Morwitz. If you'd rather not be tempted to buy those suggested items, log out of your profile on the site and try shopping as a new customer. 

9. Sales are advertised on the home page.

 

"People tend to 'anchor' on the first price they see," says Mitchell. "So if a retailer puts something that's inexpensive up front, people think that whole website is a great deal." But that's not necessarily the case. In fact, it's common for sites to put a few things on sale and bump up prices on the rest of their inventory, notes Mitchell. Make sure you comparison shop elsewhere before settling on something. 

10. The site saves your credit card info.

 

How convenient! You don't have to re-type your credit card number, since it's saved in your profile from the last time you shopped. "It makes it that much easier for consumers to push the 'buy' button without a second thought," says Morwitz. If you feel like you're impulse-shopping because it's so simple to click "submit," consider checking out as a guest instead of creating a profile on a site, when you can. That way, your information won't be stored for your next online shopping excursion. But if your habit is in check, go ahead and use the stored billing info feature, suggests Morwitz-it'll save you time and the effort of digging out your credit card. 

Article originally appeared on WomansDay.com.

.•:*¨¨*:•.WONDERFUL*¨¨*RECOMMEND*¨¨*BUYER .•:*¨¨*:•.

Have you ever seen this really k.e.w.l. looking feedback??? AND WONDERED "HOW DID THEY DO THAT???" WELL, DON'T WONDER ANYMORE. IT IS ALL RIGHT HERE FOR YOU IN HERE AND IS SUPER EASY & LOTS OF FUN. Below is 101 Positive Styles for you to Leave as a SELLER & as a BUYER!!!

50 for buyers to leave for seller & 51 for sellers to leave for buyers

~~~you could also change a few letters around & start creating your own fun ~~~

....Enjoy

FOR SELLERS TO LEAVE FOR BUYERS:

1. »-(¯`v´¯)-»AWESOME eBayer»-(¯`v´¯)-»COME BACK ANYTIME»-(¯`v´¯)-»

2. *¨¨*:•.FIVE•:*¨¨*:•.STAR.•:*¨¨*:•.EBAYER.•:*¨¨*:•.

3. .•:*¨¨*:•.WONDERFUL*¨¨*RECOMMEND*¨¨*BUYER .•:*¨¨*:•.

4. ,¸¸,ø¤ºGREATº¤ø,¸*¸,ø¤ºBUYERº¤ø,¸*¸,ø¤ºTHANXº¤ø,¸¸**

5. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•SUPER STAR eBayer•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

6. ø¤ºTOPº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºEBAYERº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºTHANKSº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºA+º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºA+º¤ø

7. (¯`'•.¸GREAT EBAYER ¸.•'´¯) (¯`'•.¸COME BACK REAL SOON¸.•'´¯)

8. I»-(¯`v´¯)-»THIS BUYER!FAST PAY!SUPER SWEET!»-(¯`v´¯)-»

9. .•:*¨¨*:•..•:* ABSOLUTELY STELLAR EBAYER*:•..•:*¨¨*:•.

10. ‹(•¿•)›SEE FOR YOURSELF THIS SUPER BUYER‹(•¿•)›

11. ‹(•¿•)› THANK YOU! FAST PAY! SUPER BUYER! ‹(•¿•)›

12. <>< ...HAVING THIS BUYER AS YOUR OWN IS A BLESSING...><>

13. PERFECTº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºEBAYERº¤ø,¸¸,¸,øºø,¸,ø¤ºHIGHLYº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºRECOMMENDED

14. ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤øøø•• E•X•C•E•L•L•E•N•T ¤¤ E•B•A•Y•E•R ••øøø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸

15. -:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-•* FABULOUS * -:¦:- * HIGHLY RECOMMEND 

-:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-

16. -:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-•* Unbelievable Buyer...WOW!!! *•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-

17. .•:*¨¨*:•.YOU.•:*¨¨*:•.ARE.•:*¨¨*:•.A.•:*¨¨*:•.SUPER.•:*¨¨*:•.STAR.•:*¨¨*:•.

18. ‹(•¿•)› º°`°º¤AWESOME eBayer! Thank You°`°º¤‹(•¿•)› º°`°

19. «:::P:::» «:::E:::» «:::R:::» «:::F:::» «:::E:::» «:::C:::» «:::T:::» THANKS

20. ••A•.•´¯`•.•W•.•´¯`•.•E•.•´¯`•.•S•.•´¯`•.•O•.•´¯`•.•M•.•´¯`•.•E••

21. .•:*¨¨*:•.A.•:*¨¨*:•.FIVE.•:*¨¨*:•.STAR.•:*¨¨*:•.EBAYER.•:*¨¨*:•.

22. »-(¯`v´¯)-»×º°”TRUELY AN AN ASSET TO EBAY”°º×»-(¯`v´¯)-»

23. "*:•.-:¦:--:¦:-•:*"'"*:•.-:¦:-•*Thanx"*:•.-:¦:--:¦:-•:*"'"*:•.-:¦:-•*

24. ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°COME AGAINº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

25. (¯`'•ø,¸¸ ‹(•¿•)›¸.,ø'¯)Thanxya(¯`'•ø,¸¸ ‹(•¿•)›¸.,ø'¯)

26. (•¿•)YOU MAKE(•¿•)BUYERS(•¿•)LOOK GOOD(•¿•)

27. ‹(•¿•)›SEE WHAT AN AWESOME BUYER THIS IS‹(•¿•)›

28. ~P~ ~E~ ~R~ ~F~ ~E~ ~C~ ~T~

29. »-(¯`v´¯)-» ~THANK YOU~ GREAT eBayer »-(¯`v´¯)-»

30. §§§ (¯`'•.¸ §§ (¯`'•.¸ § ~ * ~ SUPER BUYER ~ * ~ § ¸.•'´¯) §§ ¸.•'´¯) §§§

31. «:::P:::»«:::E:::»«:::R:::»«:::F:::»«:::E:::»«:::C:::»«:::T:::»«:::!:::»

32. ¸.•'´¯)*(¯`'•.¸.•'´¯)**THANK** YOU**(¯`'•.¸.•'´¯)*(¯`'•.¸

33. *-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*THIS*•-:*EBAYER*:-•*IS*:•-:*ROCKIN'-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-*

34. ...<>< BLESSINGS ...<>< EBAYER ...<><

35. ,¸¸,ø¤º° One of the Best Buyers EVER!!!º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°°

36. :¦:-•:*"*:•.-:¦:-•*EXCELLENT 

BUYER!*•-:¦:-•:*'''*:•-:¦:-THANKS*•-:¦:-•:*''**•

37. :¦:-•:*Smooth'"Transaction*:•.-:¦:-•*Great eBayer*•-:¦:-•:*Thank You*•-:¦

38. »(¯`v´¯)»LOVE»(¯`v´¯)»THIS»(¯`v´¯)»BUYER»(¯`v´¯)»

39. (¯`'•.¸TERIFFIC*(¯`'•.THANK YOU.•'´¯)*BUYER¸.•'´¯)

40. .•:*¨¨*:•.EXCELLENT.•:*¨¨*:•.BUYER.•:*¨¨*:•.THANX.•:*¨¨*:•.

41. «E» «X» «C» «E» «L» «L» «E» «N» «T»

42. «A» «W» «E» «S» «O» «M» «E» «!» «!» «!»

43. ¸.•´¯) * * ¸.•´¯)* *A+ Ebayer* *¸.•´¯) * * ¸.•´¯) *Thank you*¸.•´¯) * * ¸.•´¯)

44. ..¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).SUPER..¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).BUYER..¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).

45. <3.. *..<3..*..<3 Super eBayer. Thank You <3 ..*..<3.. *..<3

46. *-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*fast*•-:*pay*:-•*SUPER*:•-:*eBayer-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-*

47. »-(¯`v´¯)-»This buyer is what eBay is all about»-(¯`v´¯)-»

48. (¯`'•.¸AwEsOmE SuPeR TeRiFFiC BuYeR¸.•'´¯)

49. .•:*¨¨*:•.Thank You!.•:*¨¨*:•. Highly Recommend•:*¨¨*:•.Asset to eBay.•:*¨¨*:•

50. °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ºGREAT BUYER THANK YOUº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º

FOR BUYERS TO LEAVE FOR SELLERS:

51. -:¦:-P-:¦:-E-:¦:-R-:¦:-F-:¦:-E-:¦:-C-:¦:-T-:¦:-

52. -:¦:-A-:¦:-W-:¦:-E-:¦:-S-:¦:-O-:¦:-M-:¦:-E-:¦:-

53. -:¦:-SUPER-:¦:-STAR-:¦:-SELLER-:¦:-THANX-:¦:-

54. *¨¨*:•.FIVE•:*¨¨*:•.STAR.•:*¨¨*:•.SELLER.•:*¨¨*:•.

55. .•:*¨¨*:•.WONDERFUL*¨¨*RECOMMEND*¨¨*SELLER .•:*¨¨*:•.

56. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•SUPER STAR eBay SELLER•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

57. I»-(¯`v´¯)-»THIS SELLER! GR8 DEAL! THANX!»-(¯`v´¯)-»

58. .•:*¨¨*:•..•:* ABSOLUTELY STELLAR SELLER*:•..•:*¨¨*:•.

59. ‹(•¿•)›SEE FOR YOURSELF‹(•¿•)›SUPER SELLER‹(•¿•)›

60. ‹(•¿•)› THANK YOU! GREAT DEAL! SUPER SELLER! ‹(•¿•)›

61. <>< ...BUT FROM THIS SELLER. THEY ARE A BLESSING...><>

62. ¸,ø¤º°`°º¤øøø•• E•X•C•E•L•L•E•N•T ¤¤ S•E•L•L•E•R ••øøø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸

63. -:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-•*FABULOUS*-:¦:-*SELLER*-:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-

64. -:¦:-•:*'"*:•.-:¦:-•* Unbelievable Seller...WOW!!! *•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-

65. «:::P:::» «:::E:::» «:::R:::» «:::F:::» «:::E:::» «:::C:::» «:::T:::» SELLER!

66. *:•.YOU.•:*¨¨*:•.ARE.•:*¨¨*:•.A.•:*¨¨*:•.STAR.•:*¨¨*:•.SELLER.•:*

67. ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°THANXº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤

68. »-(¯`v´¯)-»×º°”WONDERFUL SELLER”°º×»-(¯`v´¯)-»

69. (•¿•)YOU MAKE(•¿•)SELLERS(•¿•)LOOK GOOD(•¿•)

70. ¯`•.•#1•.•´¯`•.•S•.•´¯`•.•E•.•´¯`•.•L•.•´¯`•.•L•.•´¯`•.•E•.•´¯`•.•R•.•´¯

71. §§§ (¯`'•.¸ §§ (¯`'•.¸ §~*~SUPER SELLER~*~§ ¸.•'´¯) §§ ¸.•'´¯) §§§

72. *-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*THIS*•-:*SELLER*:-:*ROCKS'*-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-*

73. ...<><BLESSINGS ...<>< 2 U SELLER...<><

74. ‹(•¿•)›SEE WHAT AN AWESOME SELLER THIS IS‹(•¿•)›

75. ,¸¸,ø¤º° One of the Best Sellers EVER!!!º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°°

76. »(¯`v´¯)»LOVE»(¯`v´¯)»THIS»(¯`v´¯)»SELLER»(¯`v´¯)»

77. (¯`'•.¸TERIFFIC*(¯`'•.THANK YOU.•'´¯)*SELLER¸.•'´¯)

78. .•:*¨¨*:•.EXCELLENT.•:*¨¨*:•.SELLER.•:*¨¨*:•.THANX.•:*¨¨*:•.

79. .¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).SUPER..¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).SELLER..¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯).

80. <3.. *..<3..*Super eBay Seller. Thank You*..<3.. *..<3

81. »-(¯`v´¯)-»This seller is what eBay is all about»-(¯`v´¯)-»

82. (¯`'•.¸AwEsOmE SuPeR TeRiFFiC SeLLeR¸.•'´¯)

83. .•:*¨¨*:•.Thank You!.•:*¨¨*:••:*¨¨*:•.Asset to eBay.•:*¨¨*:•

84. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ºGR8 SELLER¤THANK YOUº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º

85. (¯`'•ø,¸¸(•¿•)¸.,ø'¯)TERIFFIC SELLER(¯`'•ø,¸¸(•¿•)¸.,ø'¯)

86. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•PERFECT TRANSACTION•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

87. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•FIRST CLASS SELLER•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

88. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•MY FAVORITE SELLER•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

89. »(¯`v´¯)»MY»(¯`v´¯)»FAV»(¯`v´¯)»SELLER»(¯`v´¯)»

90. »(¯`v´¯)»SWEET»(¯`v´¯)(¯`v´¯)»SELLER»(¯`v´¯)»

91. *-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*WORLDS*BEST*SELLER*-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*

92. (¯`'•.¸TOP*(¯`'•.THANK•YOU.•'´¯)*SELLER¸.•'´¯)

93. T-:¦:-E-:¦:-R-:¦:-I-:¦:-F-:¦:-F-:¦:-I-:¦:-C

94. (¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•GREAT DEAL•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

95. «:::H:::»«:::A:::»«:::P:::»« :::P:::»«:::Y:::»«:::BUYER:::»

96. •#1•.•´¯`•.•S•.•´¯`•.•E•.•´¯`•.•L•.•´¯`•.•L•.•´¯`•.•E•.•´¯`•.•R•

97. *-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•:*THANX*4*THE*DEAL*-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-*

98. -:¦:-T-:¦:-O-:¦:-P-:¦:-S-:¦:-A-:¦:-L-:¦:-E-:¦:-

99. (¯`'•.¸THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DEAL¸.•'´¯)

100º. º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºº¤ø,¸¸,¸,øºø,¸,ø¤ºº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤HIGHLY RECOMMENDED º.

101. *¨¨*:•.eBayeriffic.•:*¨¨*:•.Seller.•:*¨¨*:•.

Get Twitter to tell new users who YOU think they should follow

Twitter will show new users a list YOU created of suggested people to follow! First, you need to create a special list (how to is below). Then, anyone clicking the “Sign Up” button when visiting YOUR Twitter page will be presented with YOUR list of suggested people to follow! All you have to do is creating a regular Twitter list, but include “#WelcomeToTwitter” (with no quotes) in the list’s description. Then when people join, Twitter will show them that list and recommend the people on it to follow! Here’s Twitter’s presentation on “Follow Recommendations:”

Sneaky Little Email Trick to Get People to Click Through on Your Links

Today I would like to share a sneaky little email trick with you that I learned from Carl White, one of my husband’s mortgage coaches. This little trick gets people to click through on the links in your emails, which is what we all want. Right?

So let’s say you are sending out an email to your list in which you would like to introduce your subscribers to the new product line your company just released. And let’s say you want to send them to one of your company’s videos.

The easiest way to do this would be to add a hyperlink in the body of your email and hope that people will click on it and go through to the video. Right?

Well yes, that might work. But often subscribers don’t click on our links because they don’t like to be taken to another website. They think something like, “Oh, I don’t have time for this right now. I’ll just come back to it later.” And we all know how that goes. They’ll click away never to return again.

So how about a little teaser?

You know how the saying goes about how curiosity killed the cat?  Not only cats, but people as well are curious by nature. Some more than others, but if we are tempted enough most of the time our curiosity gets the better of us. Wouldn’t you agree?

So, here’s a sneaky little email trick
to make your subscribers want to
take a look at your video and click through.

How about taking a screenshot of the video and add a little play button to the image to make it look like your video is actually embedded in your email. Then insert the image into your email and hyperlink it to your video, so when people click on the image they are directly taken to your video? (I use Aweber as my autoresponder, but you can use this little trick in any email client.)

In the example above I used SnagIt to take the screenshot and then using the arrow tool added a “Play Button” to the image.

You think someone would click on that?

I would, and I bet you a soda pop so would most people. There’s just something about that little “Play” button that makes us want to click on it. We just can’t help it. Especially if the image of the video itself is enticing.

Now, some people have their email client set so it doesn’t show images. So to make sure that these people still get a chance to click through to your video, include the hyperlink underneath your picture or somewhere in your text as well.

Go ahead try out this “sneaky little email trick” in your next campaign and check your stats to see if your click through rate doesn’t go up. I betcha it does.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood

HAT TIP: enlightenednetworker.com