Incorrect Usage Of QR Codes

QR codes can go very wrong and hurt your business.

 
QR codes are a wonderful thing when used correctly and can generate addition business or sales which you might not otherwise have had. They are something new which only requires a smart phone with a camera and an app installed to interpret the scanned QR code. That is the consumer side of things. On the business side of things, you need to have a web site set up to receive those people who scan your QR code. That is the two sides of the process for using QR codes for your business. You want that web site to be optimized for mobile devices so that they have an excellent experience. But, there are a number of incorrect usages of QR codes which can hurt your business or the customer experience. Here are some of them.

QR Codes on billboards This is a highly visible way to get your message out to customers, but the lack of ability to actually take a usable picture of the QR code makes this form of usage worthless.

QR codes on subways or buses So, you are on the subway and there is a banner ad with a QR code. What are the odds you are going to stand up and take a picture of the QR code and get more details. Not very likely. If the ads are on the outside of a bus, there is no way you are going to be able to snap a picture as it is going by. The same applies to a QR Code on an ad on the outside of a taxis.

QR codes in magazines on airplanes You are on a plane and there is a QR code in a magazine. This is a mistake to put a QR code here. For now, you cannot have your smart phone operating in a wireless mode while the plane is in the air, making the investment a very poor one. People are not going to snap a picture.

QR Codes on headstones This is a great one to get people to pause and think about what is going on here. Where is this one going to take you? Down under? The only valid reason for QR codes on headstones is to give you information about the person who is buried there.

QR Codes sent in email So, you decide to send a QR code in an email to your clients or potential clients. The purpose of a QR code is to be snapped in a picture as part of the scan process. When the person opens the email on their smart phone, it is inside the smart phone and the camera is on the outside. Not a good combination.

QR Code takes you to a web site using flash This is another problem with QR codes when someone scans the QR code which takes them to a site using Adobe Flash. Not all phones are capable of viewing flash and if not, you just lost that person.

QR code takes you to a site not optimized for mobile devices This is the single biggest problem with web sites which are the end point for scanned QR codes. You have gotten the person to start the process and come to your site only to reach a web page which is difficult to view on a smart phone. You need to have your pages viewable on a smart phone and usable.

These are just some of the incorrect usages which can cause your QR campaign to self destruct very quickly. There are others, but you get the idea as to some of the potential problems with using QR Code incorrectly. It is very important to think through your usage of QR codes from the point of being scanned through and including the landing on a mobile enable site. That mobile enabled site must adhere to the same principles as a regular web site. If the person landing there does not see what they are looking for in a few seconds, they will be gone. Getting them to the site is half the battle. Keeping them there and engaged is the other half.

QR codes can be a great part of your business if the idea of using them is thought out and planned correctly. The usage of QR codes continues to grow. Make sure that you do not make the same type of mistakes as listed here.