The end goal of monetization experts is to squeeze every penny out of a product or service, no matter what. On top of making their users’ lives miserable, their influence generates new unbearable UX monsters.
We all agree that UXs are not always at the level we, as users, deserve, despite many companies’ sincere desire and ambition to improve them. Sadly, the worst offenders of low-quality UX live and operate within the same companies that are in charge of UX.
Who are the people or departments actively working against any improvement to the UX? They call themselves monetization experts, and their goal is to squeeze every penny out of a product or service, no matter what. In addition to causing significant inconvenience for users, their decisions create new UX problems and undermine the branding strategies of digital marketing departments.
As users, we are too often assaulted by intrusive pop-ups promoting irrelevant lateral products and services. Other times, we see the number of steps required to reach our objectives double because of annoying recommendations and suggestions that push us toward unnecessary upgrades, side-grades, cross-grades, upsells, etc.
I assume there is also a generational factor at play. Apparently, millennials understand the necessity of ads for brands to inform the public about their products and services (79%), and many say that, overall, ads don’t bother them (46%) — especially when the content they’re viewing is free (75%).
Two examples from one of the most prominent players in digital products and services: Google.
YouTube Monetization
YouTube started as an easy way to share and watch videos. Gradually, Google added more and more invasive and aggressive ads, and lately, they have begun promoting YouTube TV obsessively. Several times a day, when I’m watching a YouTube video for pleasure or work, I have to turn off the Google offer for a YouTube Premium subscription. We are no longer talking about a free service. YouTube supports itself with longer and longer video advertising appearing before, during, and after each video.
Watching a YouTube video is now painful, and I’m ready to switch to a different platform as soon as it’s available. Thanks, Google monetization experts!
Google Pay Monetization
When Google Pay launched on Android as a competitor to Apple Pay, I was an early adopter. I was happy! I could finally pay for small expenses with my phone—no more need to carry a credit card. A few months ago, Google released a new version of the app, replacing the icon, renaming it G Pay, and reorganizing the user interface. The simple swappable list of credit cards in memory is now covered by an intrusive pop-up that can’t be closed or removed. The pop-up promotes irrelevant features, such as paying your friends in India or shopping in nearby businesses.
My typical interaction with G Pay
Here is a real situation I’ve experienced as a Google Pay user. I’m at the cash register of a grocery store or supermarket, ready to complete the checkout transaction. There is a line of customers behind me waiting to go through the checkout. To pay, I take my phone out of my pocket and open the G Pay app to pay digitally. The app starts, but I can’t see which credit card is currently selected to be charged in G Pay. An annoying and irrelevant list of nearby local businesses and promotions is taking up all the screen space. Instead of my credit card list, I see a link to a nearby nail salon (I don’t do my nails at nail salons) and a recommendation to use G Pay at a nearby gas station (I’m on my bike). After a few attempts to locate the credit card I planned to charge, I gave up and reached for my wallet to use a physical card to complete the transaction, abandoning the idea of paying with Google Pay. I’m extremely frustrated and annoyed with Google.
A big thanks to Google monetization experts for ruining the UX by cluttering the Google Pay app’s home page with unnecessary information, which has destroyed what was a decently working app, and a special thanks for wasting my time. I sincerely hope they will fire you!
A big thanks to Google monetization (allegged) experts for cluttering the Google Pay app’s home page with unnecessary information and make the user experience (UX) miserable.
2026 Update
We finally have a name that perfectly describes this phenomenon. It’s called “enshittification“.
Cory Doctorow, a writer and activist, came up with this very effective name to describe the degradation of the user experience on apps, websites, and services in the name of pure profit, without any consideration for the long-term effects of this shortsighted strategy.
I wrote a short review of Cory’s latest book: Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. My Book Review.
