QR Code Chaos – Why You’re Using Them Wrong and How to Fix It

The state of technology these days is astounding. The things we are capable of with a little square box and superphone makes my jaw drop. These little squares, the things most people call QR codes are everywhere, and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

The technology is brilliant, and how it is implemented into every smartphone is awesome. There’s just one problem: how people use them.

See there’s nothing wrong with the concept, or even the function of the technology. The chaos instead comes from the end user utilizing a QR code just as they would another nameless piece of technology that has surfaced. QR codes have become a victim of the bandwagon effect…everyone and their mother wants to use them to push their products in front of people’s faces.

But the thing is…QR codes are different.

The Bridge

First off, what are QR codes? Well for those of you that don’t know, a QR code is basically a barcode that can carry way more information. Unlike a barcode though, anyone can generate them for free and any smartphone can scan them.

They can also be used for anything at all, not just products.

But it seems like even people that know what they are, aren’t using them correctly, which bothers me, because its common sense.

QR codes are a bridge. They bridge the gap between the physical word and the digital world. Yet everyone seems to treat them as the next greatest print technique to surface in the world of advertising. There are QR codes on everything these days, including stuff that people just don’t care about. But…it just makes no sense.

If you don’t look at them as a bridge, you will use them wrong.

Remember, the consumer doesn’t know where a QR code goes until they scan it. Would you drive on a bridge if you didn’t know where it went?

Inform them.

Don’t just place a random QR code in the middle of your advertisement, tell them what it is and the benefit of scanning it. Unless of course, the mystery of where it goes is part of your campaign, but let’s be honest, it’s probably not.

It’s one thing to have a QR code on an advertisement for a contest or something with an incentive to scan, but a random QR code that goes to your website? Why? It adds no more value to their life, and in some cases, its actually harder to scan a code than it is to type in a URL.

The Placement

See unlike advertisements themselves that pop up in front of our faces, the consumer actually has a choice to scan a QR code. If you don’t intrigue them, they’re not going to scan it, plain and simple. So If you can’t deliver them something of value as an incentive to scan, you won’t get anyone to scan it, which defeats the purpose of it actually being there in the first place.

It wouldn’t be so bad if you had unlimited space, but on advertisements, you don’t. So if you take a quarter page advertisement in a newspaper, you just wasted 20% of your space on something worthless. Congratulations.

Where you place a QR code makes a big difference.

Some examples of useless placement of QR codes:

• The Side of a Bus – its moving, kinda hard to scan there buddy.
• Billboards on Freeways – ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?
• On the Computer – Yeah, I’m sitting at my computer, so I’m going to take out my phone, scan your code on my computer screen, and look at your site on my phone. Good thinking.
• Napkins – Really guys? I just spit my gum out on your code. Kind of hard to scan now.
• T-shirts – No one is going to stand in front of you and tell you to hold still for 10 seconds to find out what the hell is on your shirt.

Great places to add QR codes:

• Storefront windows – Super visible and great for people looking for more info.
• Cash registers – people do a lot waiting there, give them something to do.
• Posters, Brochures and Flyers – Great for more information on the go.
• Conferences or Events – Lots of standing around, plenty of time to scan.
• Business cards – You can link them to your contact info or testimonials about how great you are.

The Platform

QR Codes are scanned from mobile phones, which makes a QR code part of the mobile platform. So when I scan your QR code, WHY DOES IT GO TO A SITE THAT’S NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY?!?!?!

Think people. It’s not that hard.

If someone is going to go somewhere from your QR code on their phone, AND YOU KNOW THEY WILL BE ON THEIR PHONE…why would you make it difficult for them and send them to a site that takes forever to load and is impossible to read?
Keep it simple stupid. In the mobile world, less is more.

If someone has to pinch and zoom to see what your website is, it’s not mobile friendly. Your QR code should go somewhere on your site SPECIFICALLY for that purpose. Make it highly relevant, useful and helpful to them to reward them for their interest.

Don’t disappoint them with your boring old site that’s broken on the tiny screen anyway.

The Location

QR Codes can send them anywhere on the entire planet, so WHY SEND THEM TO YOUR HOMEPAGE? If you send them to your plain old home page, it is an absolute waste of space that makes no sense.

THE WHOLE POINT of QR codes is to deliver digital information from a physical platform…remember, it’s a bridge. The homepage of your website does not have the specific information they are looking for. Even if it does, make it easier for them to read.

A QR code can make a smartphone do any of the following:

• View a URL in the web browser
• View a Location in Google Maps
• Dial Telephone Number
• Send a Text Message
• Send an Email
• Download Contact Details (VCARD)

So why limit yourself to JUST a URL? And even if you want to stick with a URL that you own, why not make it something creative?

Here are some creative uses for your QR codes:

• Send them to a bio page with your picture, contact and social media information.
• Send them to a page full of testimonials.
• Send them to a unique offer as part of an exclusive mobile promotion.
• Have an email open up ready for them to ask you a question.

So That’s It Then

A QR code is a brilliant piece of free technology, butyou have to use it as a bridge. If you don’t, its useless. Tell them what its for, and keep in mind what they’ll be doing when scanning your code. Give them incentives and convince them to scan it.

Deliver value, above and beyond what you promise, and make sure scanning is the better option over actually typing in a URL or phone number.

And one last time for old time’s sake: DO NOT SEND QR CODES TO YOUR LAME HOME PAGE THAT’S NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY.

Or I’ll choke you.

/rant.

---