Truth be told, QR codes can often lead to disappointment. If you’re lucky, you’re able to scan the code. Then, after you get to the site, often times you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do next. “The technology is in serious need of improvement,” says B.L. Ochman, CEO of Maximum-Plus.com, publisher of What’s Next Blog and co-host of the weekly Hangout on Air, Beyond Social Media Show.
The issue, it seems, is not with QR codes themselves, but with the scanners that are needed to download them and connect customers to the landing page. Ochman has three different scanners on her mobile phone and never knows which one to use. “Until you can get past the scanner issues, I don’t think the technology is easy to use,” she says. Until mobile phones become pre-loaded with a standard QR reader, the scanner issue will most likely not be going away any time soon.
Despite the drawbacks, don’t throw in the towel with regards to QR codes just yet. While QR codes may not have reached their full potential, they can be an effective method for small business owners, particularly in the retail category, to reach a certain percentage of their audience.
Benefits of QR Codes
“Scanning a code is easier than typing in a URL, and may get more people to take immediate action,” says Lisa Colton, chief learning officer for Chicago-based See3 Communications. “Effective QR codes might be on a poster in a kiosk or in a window or on the packaging of a product.” They work best in the moment and the key is to always include some language around your code that communicates the value of scanning it, such as “For nutritional information about our products, scan this QR code,” or, “Get a 10 percent off coupon for today’s purchase: Scan this Code,” according to Colton.
In addition, QR codes remain easy and inexpensive to design into materials. You just need to be sure that the final destination that you are sending a user to is optimized for a mobile phone or tablet. “Simple web pages with simple action steps work best,” says Colton. You also want to ensure that the codes are placed in locations with reliable connectivity and coverage.
Are QR codes worth the investment?
For a small business, paying for a service that creates QR codes may seem like an added expense you can go without, but doing so can also provide valuable data stored about your customers. “Some will plot geographically, so if you have a QR code on a tombstone, for example, you will have 100 percent of scans made standing in front of the tombstone,” says Colton. “But if you put a scan on a pamphlet at a conference and then everyone leaves and scans it a week later while standing at their desks, then you can see broad geographic distribution.”
The data is useful to know how many people are scanning your code and can also be used to test marketing messages and placement. You can then track the amount, time and location of scans and use this data to refine your promotional materials in the future and know where to make the best investment of time and money. QR codes then become more of a market research tool than anything else.
SooJi Min is a freelance writer and nonprofit executive based in Ann Arbor, MI. She has written on small business topics for Crain’s, Imagination Publishing and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
