In this post you'll learn:
Nielsen predicted that 1 in 2 Americans will have a smartphone by the end of 2011.
With the number of smartphone users growing exponentially, there now exists a cheap way to marry active participation with marketing efforts using QR codes. While not a new concept in digital marketing circles,
QR stands for "Quick Response", and is an increasingly powerful way to add a visual "link" to your website from the physical world. Think of it kinda like a bar scanner on your phone that can return a website, contact info, or a social media channel.
• A smartphone camera reads a 2D matrix of dots (which incidentally can communicate way more information than a standard bar code)
• The smartphone's App links this to digital content on the web
• A variety of features of the phone can also be activated as well like email, IM, SMS
But is it really necessary?
Yes, and here's why: Mobio claims that QR barcode scanning grew 1200% between July and December 2010 with the majority of users being females (64%) in the 35-44 age range according to this research report.
As most of us can attest, web browsers on a smartphone have a long ways to go on a site that's not optimized for mobile because:
• Typing in long URL's is painful
• Zooming in to click and make a mistake which leads to...
• Trying to find the back button - all of which makes you think "dammit, I'll just pull out my laptop" or go back to playing Angry Birds.
A QR code doesn't quite solve all these usability problems but it does make for a clean and almost novel way to interact. Open up an app on your smartphone, scan the QR code, and you're off and engaging with that brand. And that's usually where the wheels fall off - here's a great blog post about Keller Williams providing an exceptionally poor experience using QR codes.
Here's six common mistakes to avoid to ensure sure your QR code strategy provides a great mobile user experience:
1. Not picking a reputable service to generate the QR Code to ensure compatibility across all smartphones - we highly recommend delivr.
2. Taking your user to a traditional web page. Please, please optimize your landing page for a mobile device if your site isn't yet mobile friendly. Note: delivr can handles this really well for you with analytics to boot.
3. Failure to include a strong call to action. Let that user know what's in it for them and make it juicy. Think about the free prize you got inside your cereal box as a kid.
4. Not including some copy teaching the potential user about QR (If possible, include copy and if possible links to apps for reading the code on Android and iPhone)
5. Forgetting to integrate this into your print media - think business cards, signage at the airport, trade show events, pamphlets, package design
6. Leaving off a shortened URL for those that maybe aren't yet on a smartphone.
Japan has been using this technology for over 10 years, as it was developed by a subsidiary of Toyota back in 1994. While the West has been slow to adopt it, plan on seeing savvy brands using it to provide some surprising customer experiences.
In Summary: Use delivr, optimize the landing page experience for a mobile interface, and bake some secret prizes inside that a potential customer can unlock.
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