How to ensure customers will scan your QR Code
When planning a QR code marketing campaign, it's important not to lose sight of the primary objective, which is getting customers to scan your QR code in the first place!
This article features five practical tips to get more customers to make more scans in your next QR code campaign.
1. Give the people what they want.
Research has shown that consumers have distinct preferences for what they'll scan. In a study, by Lab42, of five-hundred people who have responded to QR codes:
- 17% scanned because they were looking to contact someone
- 44% were looking for more information
- 46% were willing to scan for a discount on a product or service
If you're running just one or two campaigns, or you are new to QR marketing, consider using one of the more frequently scanned types of offers. Better yet, test different offers and find out which ones are most successful at getting your customers to scan.
2. Tell them what they'll get.
Most consumers are familiar with QR codes and what to do with them, but simply placing a QR code on your marketing materials won't get people to reach for their smart phones. Make sure your QR code includes call-to-action text that clearly conveys the benefit of your offer and reminds customers how easy it is to scan. (With pbSmartTM Codes, you can easily add this call-to-action text when you are designing your QR code.)
3. Make it scan-able.
This sounds like an obvious statement in a list of tips to get customers to scan your QR codes, but it bears mentioning. First, think about the size and location of your QR code. Will it be large enough to be scanned by customers? Will it be at an angle suitable for scanning? Customers will become frustrated and give up quickly if they can't get their QR reader to recognize your code. Another important consideration is what your customers will be doing at the time. Will they be in a position to take out their smart phone and perform a scan? If you've ever tried scanning a QR code on a highway billboard or while riding an escalator, you'll understand what we mean by "make it scan-able".
4. Distribute your QR codes in more places.
Simple, but effective. You might wallpaper your entire retail shop with QR codes, but it only provides a limited opportunity for customers to scan your code. To really increase the number of scans, send customers on their way with QR codes stamped onto their receipts; on postcards and flyers; and on give-aways like keychains, mugs and stickers. Anything that gets your QR codes in front of more people for a longer period of time will help ensure that your campaign is a success.
5. Deliver on the promise and create a good experience.
It is vitally important that you deliver on the promise in your call to action. If your QR code call-to-action offers the latest deals, have you updated them recently? Are they all still valid? If you offer more information, are you providing valuable additional information or is it a repeat of what you said in your flyer? On top of this, it's important that any materials you direct them to are clear and readable. Are your web pages optimized for mobile devices? Are they consistent with the look-and-feel and overall brand experience of the rest of your marketing materials? This tip won't increase the number of scans in your current campaign, but it will help ensure that subsequent campaigns are successful: if customers have a bad experience with one of your QR codes it's unlikely they'll scan another!
WHAT NEXT?:
For more QR code tips, read this article for what to do and what not to do and this article for best practices.
This article featured five tips to ensure that customers scan your QR code. To put some of these tips into action, read our how-to guides on: creating mobile web pages, and ordering promotional products for your QR code.