As with all new things, everyone wants them. In the beginning there was the web, and you needed to have a website. Then came Facebook, and you had to be on it. Now, in the West, there’s QR Codes, and you have to use them.
What I fail to see is a good reason why. Doing something just because everyone else is doing it is not a good enough reason for your business strategy. If you want to read the history of QR Codes, on Wikipedia.
Below are a few things I have learnt about QR Codes from a strategic point of view, but mainly because if I am going to suggest something to a client, it helps if I understand it first.
- QR Codes is a link between the offline world and the online world.
No matter how you look at it, the reason you want people to scan your code is to link them to something digital. The options are endless, and that’s why point 3 is so important. QR Codes can link to a web address or URL, a telephone number, pre-filled SMS, VCF card, just plain text and much, much more. Most I have scanned send me to a website, and that is where I ask WHY, what’s the point? - You don’t need a smartphone to scan a QR code.
Have a look at the list of phones on the Kaywa website and see how many old phones you can count. If you don’t have a smartphone, all you need is a phone that has a camera and can install Javascript applications. Smartphones do help a lot, but putting a message alongside your QR Code that says “Scan this with your smartphone” prevents potential customers who don’t have a smartphone from scanning the code, even though they can. - Tell people what will happen once they scan your code.
So many adverts I see just has a code, along with that a lot of hope that people will scan it. It’s like building a mountain and hoping people will climb it. Why not tell people with a simple message what they can expect. “Scan the code to view our website”, “Scan the code for a chance to win a motorbike” or something similar. It’s a simple way to tell people what will happen, so that they don’t scan your code and end up disappointed, because they wanted to go to your website, and you sent them to a newsletter signup form.
These 3 points are the ones that I think is most important if you’re considering QR codes. So with all that said, am I an expert on QR Codes? Not at all, because I am still learning about them every day, and the possibilities are endless. If you have some comments, feel free to add them below, I’d love to learn more.