For the last year or two, I’ve been made it part of my job to not only promote, but also educate people on the use of QR codes. I want to disband the myth of “I can just put one of those scanner thingies on my stuff to send people to my website“. That rationality is like wearing high heels; Everyone is doing it, but it’s not very functional.
Why is this undertaking proving to be so daunting? One challenge may be that I just don’t know how or where to talk to people (really – have you met me?!). Second – people are largely impatient (especially web users) and they just don’t want to spend the time to really learn the facts. Considering I spend most of my time communicating online, I might be simply be spreading the message and delivering the information in a manner that doesn’t work for my particular readers.
So without taking too much of your time, here is my solution. As a designer, I really dislike bullet points. As a reader – I love bullet points… because… as an artist, I’d rather be looking at pretty pictures than reading long pieces of text. Ha! Still following? It’s a love-hate thing.
I recently read an article (online of course) written by Travis Robertson (@travisro on Twitter) that covered many of the points I have been striving to make. Since he’s already been so thorough, I’m going to make some bullet points for you from Travis’s article, as well as from my own knowlege base. Quick access to the facts delivered to you in layman’s terms. You don’t need to understand terms like “Integrated Marketing”, “Mobile Strategies” or “Quantifiable and Measurable Data”. Yuck.
Here Are Some Quick Facts and Tips:
♦ Don’t send me to your website home page with a QR code. Give me an incentive to scan! Travis offered up his top 7 ideas for QR code usage. He says “You’re Welcome” Read his article here »
♦ QR codes should be used to help your drive sales (not point people to your website for no reason other than to point people to your website – yawn).
♦ Local businesses aren’t using QR codes… Yet a recent study shows that over 40% of large companies plan to deploy mobile campaigns (campaigns geared toward smartphones and other mobile platforms) in 2012.
♦ Track the effectiveness of your print-based advertising by using QR codes. Each scan of your code(s) will provide you with valuable insights, such as where it was scanned, how many times and how deep the person went in to the scan. It’s like having SEO for your print ads. Yippeeee!
♦ To reiterate the point above: No more wasting advertising budgets on ineffective ad placement! QR codes take the guess work out tell you which ads aren’t working.
♦ Don’t be such a mystery – let people know why or what they are about to scan.
♦ QR codes can be redirected on the fly. Print it once, redirect it whenever you have new content. Go ahead – print those 20,000 brochures that are on sale.
♦ They don’t have to be ugly and black and white. Look in to getting a branded code. It’s almost like having a logo that people can scan. Think about it – a logo that can actually help drive your sales and give you brand recognition.
♦ QR codes should point to mobile-optimized content. You want people to walk away with your content in their hands… with out having to zoom in to see it or fuss with compatibility issues.
QR Code FAQs
What’s a QR Code?
A QR code (short for Quick Response code) is a two-dimensional code (aka, those little black and white square thingies you keep seeing everywhere). They were first designed for the automotive industry to track auto parts during the manufacturing of vehicles. They are now used over a much wider range of applications including commercial tracking, entertainment and transport ticketing, marketing and in-store product labelling. Read more on Wikipedia »
Aren’t QR codes free?
Yes, anyone can go online and create a QR code for free. There are literally hundreds of free QR code generators out there. What it will lack, however, is a meaningful and engaging purpose.
Can I get a virus or something from scanning a QR code?
No. You get a virus by opening the wrong type of content. The code itself does not contain a virus. If you’re worried, just be cautious of what you are scanning and make sure it is presented by a reputable or trusted source.
No one is using them. Why do I need one?
Perhaps no one locally is using them because they don’t know the true benefits… yet. Get on it before they do and you’ll be ahead of the game. Large corporations are using them in their marketing – globally.
I want a branded code, can I change the design later myself?
Not recommended. To do so would require a thorough knowledge of the active areas in a code, as well as graphic expertise.
Can you turn my logo in to a QR code?
In short – no. A QR code can be branded and stylized, but there is no button anyone can press to simply turn a logo into a scannable code.
What Do You Think?
In closing, I invite anyone reading to contribute to this conversation. Ask me questions, offer information that might be missing. Educate me on something I might not know. Last but not least – share this with your friends, colleagues and business owners to help spread the word on this widely misunderstood, misused and underrated technology! (There is a comment box at the bottom of this page).
Things You Will Find Interesting:
• Travis Robertson’s Article on Why Local Businesses Should Use QR Codes »
• Want a branded QR code for Christmas? Find out how you could win one during the month of Dec 2011 »
• Read my Code Spotting blog for a review of local QR codes »
