Get the Most Out of QR Codes

When QR codes were first introduced, it seemed as though marketers were going to attach them to everything, from print ads to billboards to television spots. Unfortunately, little thought was put into the user experience behind the QR code, which left many campaigns falling flat. However, QR code marketing can be effective tools to deliver your message when use properly, and can be an effective part of a mobile marketing plan.

One way to get the most out of QR codes is to place them in easily accessible locations. Cell phone users won't necessarily take the time to scan the codes if it is perceived as too much trouble to do so.

Another thing that I can suggest to companies that want to use the codes effectively is to make sure that customers understand that they will receive a benefit from scanning them. Linking the codes to a unique coupon, daily special, or unique content only available through the QR code will create a sense of urgency and encourage the customer to scan the code on the spot.

Not everyone who sees a QR code is familiar with what they are and how they work. To make it easy for customers to use them, I would suggest providing detailed how-to instructions, including where they can get a QR reader. The goal here should be to give the customer everything he or she needs to use the codes properly.

To get the maximum marketing benefit out of QR codes, it is important for companies to focus on offering value to the customer. That is the key to QR code success.

QR Code Marketing Provides Product Information to Consumers

Comscore recently released the results of a report entitled, "2012 Mobile Future inFocus," and I thought the results were very interesting. In 2011, QR codes were introduced as a way to combine mobile and more traditional media. These "Quick Response” codes are special type of barcode that can be read by smartphones.

In December of 2011, one of every five smartphone owners in the United States scanned a QR code. Sixteen percent of Canadian smartphone users scanned QR codes during the same period.

Of the smartphone owners in the US who scanned the QR code, 42 percent scanned product packaging and 32 percent used their phone to scan a coupon or a special offer.  Event information was the third most popular reason for scanning QR codes in December of 2011.

It makes sense to me that most consumers would use their smart phones to scan product packaging. If a customer wants to learn more about a particular item or find out about related products, it makes sense to include a QR code on the packaging materials. Making it easy and convenient for buyers to access this information is a key component of QR code marketing.

It falls into the category of knowing the demographic markets that a company is trying to reach, and anticipating their needs. The QR codes can be used to provide appropriate information to consumers, which will in turn help to drive more sales.

Where to Use QR Codes for Business

Companies are always trying to create interest in their products or services, and making use of mobile technology can be an effective way to increase sales. Using QR codes for business purposes can be part of an effective marketing campaign, but I'm not sure that all business owners have a clear idea of how to use them properly.

QR codes are a specific type of barcode that can be placed on many types of media. Businesses have experimented with using them on signage, in-store promotional materials, and even on their websites. They are meant to be scanned with a smartphone. After the scan has been completed, the person holding the mobile device can get access to images, videos, a landing page, mobile website, coupons, and other information.

I think that QR codes could be especially effective on printed materials. They can be added to a company’s business cards, letterhead, and brochures quite easily. Since all of these items have limited space to share information about what the company offers, adding QR codes for business means that the company is creating multiple opportunities to interact with its customers.

If the QR codes are linked to a special offer or VIP promotion, they are more likely to be scanned by the customer. Adding a few words of text inviting the prospective customer to scan the QR code to obtain a benefit can increase the number of times the QR codes are scanned, which will ultimately help the bottom line.

Businesses and Consumers Can Benefit from QR Codes

QR codes can be a great way to share information with potential buyers, when used correctly. These square codes can be placed on packaging, websites, signs, or in magazines and newspapers, and can make an effective marketing tool. 

When the QR codes are scanned with a smartphone, the mobile device user can access specific content produced by the company. The consumer may see a video, a company website or gain access to coupons and special offers simply by scanning the code. They can also be used to suggest other products in which the buyer may be interested. This type of suggestive selling can be an effective way to keep the consumer in the store longer, and potentially encourage him or her to continue shopping after scanning the QR code. 

I can also see that QR codes can be effectively used by consumers for their own applications. A consumer can use a QR code generator to make their own personal codes to mark items and keep track of records. This application could be used to mark boxes when moving to make unpacking a much more efficient process.

Another personal application for QR codes that I can envision consumers using at home is if they want to mark boxes of craft supplies, toys, receipts and other items that they will need to keep track of. Scanning the code with a smartphone will indicate at a glance what the contents of a particular box are without having to go through it.

Hospitality Industry Using QR Codes to Improve Guests' Experience

As time goes on, I'm always interested to find out how QR codes are being used by businesses of all kinds. The hospitality industry has come up with some interesting ways to use them to help ensure that guests enjoy their stay.

An example of one innovative way that QR codes are being used to relay information to guests is being used at the National Conference Center. The codes are posted at different locations throughout the facility to indicate eco-friendly policies. Guests scan the QR codes to learn more about other areas of the premises where the green initiatives are being used.

Guests who are staying at the Best Western Hotel Le Montparnasse in Paris who want to find out what amenities are available can scan a QR code from a brochure placed in their room. When the guest scans the code, they see a PDF document indicating all the amenities in that room. This is a highly effective way to provide a lot of information in a quick and convenient manner.

QR codes can also be used as on-site promotional tool. I was really impressed to learn that the Fountainebleau Hotel Miami Beach regularly uses QR codes to direct guests to landing pages that provide detailed information about its restaurants, bars, and spa facilities.

All of these methods of using QR codes are quite creative. I can see how using them can help to accomplish the goal of providing information without incurring large costs for printing materials.

What Will the Future of QR Codes Look Like?

Are QR codes on their way out? I have been giving this some thought, and here is my take on the matter. Like everything else involving modern technology, QR codes will continue to evolve. Over time, they will likely become more specialized and user-friendly.

When QR codes were introduced, marketers seemed to take to them right away. Consumers, however, were slower to embrace this type of communication. Part of the problem with QR code marketing is that consumers cannot tell from looking at it what the benefit of scanning it with the smart phone would be for them.

It can be argued that QR codes are a more sophisticated version of a barcode, and we are all very familiar with those. When someone goes into a store to buy an item and a cashier scans the barcode to ring up the sale, it is a very straightforward process. The customer knows that the barcode contains a description of the item and its price. With QR codes, however, the consumer is not familiar with how scanning it will provide a benefit for him or her, and that makes QR codes a tougher sell.

However, the creative uses for QR codes exist, and the potential is almost limitless based on evolving smartphone technology. QR codes can drive leads, deliver customized content, unlock special offers, and more, marketers just need to start thinking creatively about how to use QR codes to really engage the consumers snapping them.

In all likelihood, QR codes will continue to exist in some form, but they will need to be become more specialized if consumers are going to embrace them in the way that marketers are hoping. They might need to offer the benefit to the customer in a specific situation, such as being able to scan and pay for an item on the go, before they become more mainstream.

Majority of Marketers Planning to Use QR Codes

I thought the results of a study conducted by Scanbury were very interesting. It found that marketers are very much aware of QRcodes and that most of them are planning to use them in the future.

Approximately 50 percent of marketers are using the codes in some manner. According to the results of the study, 86 percent of marketers surveyed said they planned to use QR codes at some point in the future. These numbers are very encouraging for the marketing industry, despite the fact that a number of consumers are not aware of how QR codes work and what they should do when they see one.

I was especially interested to find out that the marketers surveyed stated that the three preferred choices for placing QR codes were on product packaging, in magazines or newspapers, or on direct mail items. Another study conducted by Martin Chadwick Bailey found that most QR codes that are being scanned are found in magazines and newspapers.

I would hope that marketers are taking heed of these results when they are planning their QR code campaigns. A company could invest a considerable amount of time and resources adding QR codes to billboards, websites, packages, etc., but if consumers do not know what to do with them, then this type of campaign will not be successful.

I hope that over time, consumers will become more knowledgeable about QR codes and scan them to access more information about a product.

Consumers Awareness is Key for Avoiding Spammy QR Codes

I suppose it was only a matter of time before spammers figured out a way to use QR codes for their own purposes. Some savvy researchers at Websense have found spam that contains links to a site featuring QR codes.

QR codes can be thought of as a variation on the barcode. The benefit to companies using them is that they can store much more information than a standard barcode can, which makes them very useful for marketing purposes. A customer can use his or her smart phone to scan the QR code and be taken immediately to a website, a Facebook page, coupon, or a video.

This is a great way to engage with buyers and offer them more information about products that might interest them. It also encourages them to buy more products from the same company. The problem that I see with QR codes is that the person scanning them has no idea what information the client received until after they have completed the process.

Consumers also need to be aware that security consultants are pointing out that QR codes have the potential to be used for malware, and that this is already happening. As always, with matters to do with using computer technology, consumers need to be very careful about what they are scanning and looking at. Most QR codes are perfectly legitimate, but we can expect to see more instances involving spam over time.