The wave of QR Code technology is hitting the world rapidly with QR Codes now almost in every field. From functional purposes such as payments to promotional purposes such as YouTube video marketing—QR Codes are being used in all.
And say you are also planning to use QR Codes for your use case. This could be— event management, product packaging, offline surveys, or inventory management.
You obviously want your campaign to be effective and engaging. And making your potential customers frustrated or repelled will be the last thing you would want.
Thus, to increase the conversion rate of your campaigns is your goal.
So before you actually plan to start your QR Code campaign, there are few things that you definitely need to keep in mind. And not just use the QR Code technology recklessly.
Read this article to know All About QR Codes
And in this article, we will tell you how to use QR Codes more effectively.
A. Know the purpose of your QR Code well
So before you prepare yourself to sail the wave of QR Code technology—know this technology well.
You obviously know that QR Codes are advanced barcodes. And they are easily scannable via a smartphone.
So as you start your QR Code campaign, ask yourself a few questions:
1. What is the purpose of using QR Code
That is, be very clear whether the QR Code is for functional, management, marketing, or promotional purposes.
Depending on it, you should decide between Static and Dynamic QR Code.
Plus, you need to have a well defined target audience. Along with clarity of what you want your audience to do.
2. What should be the ideal size of QR Code for your campaign
There is practically no use of a QR Code that cannot be scanned. So be clear of the size of QR Code that would be fit enough for your campaign.
It should be large enough to be scanned using most of the smartphones.
And the minimum size for any smartphone to read a QR Code should be at least 1 x 1 inch. Or 2.5 x 2.5 cm. Or 115 x 115 pixels (in width and height).
Here is a detailed guide of how to know the ideal size of QR Code for your campaign.
3. Are you guiding your audience well
So, you have created a QR Code and have put it somewhere. How would your audience know what the QR Code is all about. Hence, it becomes very important to write a ‘Help text’.
For example, say you are using a QR Code to conduct an offline survey. Just below the QR Code, you can write ‘Scan to Participate’.
This will let your audience know of what exactly needs to be done. And this way, your help note will act as a CTA element.
4. Where should I place my QR Code
That is, you need to know whether your QR Code has to be placed in a newspaper advertisement or a billboard. And thus, place it at a location from where the end users can easily scan it.
Your end goal is—your target audience should scan the QR Code and do the needful. The purpose will totally fail if your QR Code is put at a totally inaccessible area.
Learn all about QR Code minimum size here
5. Know the requirements of QR Code well
When you are using QR Code technology, or any technology for that matter— you need to know where and how it exactly works.
And since QR Codes are scannable 2D barcodes, the end users will need a smartphone camera or any scanning application to scan it. So, use QR Codes in those areas where people are well equipped.
Another thing to keep in mind is that QR Codes generally contain web content. So, good networks (Wi-Fi or mobile data) becomes a prerequisite.
6. How optimized is your landing page for smartphones
It’s very rare that people will scan a QR Code using their laptops. And according to Juniper research, 1 billion smartphones will access QR Codes by 2022.
So, make sure that your landing page is mobile optimized. Consumers today are used to mobile-optimized UIs. And a feasible mobile viewing experience of the respective webpage is what they expect.
This will lead to better engagement. And minimize the chances of your customers to leave the page.
Once you answer all these questions, gear up for the actual action— create QR Codes and start your campaign.
B. What not to do with QR Code technology
You know the homework you need to do before starting your campaign. You would never want your campaign to turn out to be ineffective.
The ease of QR Code generation has allowed marketers to exploit the technology (and even blame it) for bad campaigns.
So, if you want to become a pro in a QR Code technology, here are some pointers on how not to use this technology:
1. No one will risk their lives no matter how great QR Codes are
Do not place your QR Code in a risky area. For example, QR Code advertising of your brand in a tunnel will just prove redundant.
This will be a non-reachable, life threatening distance. And your QR Code campaign will end up being ineffectual.
2. No will run after them either
Never place your QR Code on a mobile object such as a vehicle. Just think about it— people will definitely not run after a car to scan a QR Code.
It’s very important to keep the potential customers in a comfortable position. Only if they are able to scan the QR Code, will your campaign be successful!
3. Most QR Codes don’t make sense online
A QR Code on an online webpage does not make any sense—unless you are using specific mobile-only type of content such as App Downloads or Contact Information.
A QR Code is to connect the physical world to the online world. So, a link will just be fine.
4. The least you can do it is to make your QR Codes scannable
And to ensure this, test your QR Codes before putting them on your campaigns.
A QR Code can resist damage upto 30%. That is, a QR Code will still be scannable even if its slightly torn or worn.
So, a scannable QR Code should always be the foremost thing. The last thing you want is a frustrated potential customer.
5. Keep your customers comfortable
To put it in simple words, do not place your QR Code on an awkward location. This will not lead your potential customers to scan the QR Code.
Similarly, placing a QR Code in a weak network zone such as a basement will also not prove effective.
Choosing an ideal place for your QR Code is very important. And is a paramount factor for the success of your campaign.
Hence, avoid doing all these things to take full advantage of QR Code technology.
C. Other things you should know about QR Codes
Here are some pointers which will help you use QR Codes more efficiently:
1. A QR Code needs a Quiet Zone to be identified
It is very important to have a have white space (equal to 4 modules thick) called a Quiet Zone around the boundary of the QR Code.
It helps the scanner to locate the Finder Patterns. And hence, is very important for proper scannability of a QR Code.
2. Customized QR Codes attract more scans
You can add design to your QR Code. That is, you can add a logo, change the background image, customize the pattern of data modules, amongst others.
And if your purpose is marketing and promotion, then you should customize your QR Code.
This is because customized QR Codes attract 50-70% more scans as compared to plain black-and-white QR Codes.
3. A QR Code should have adequate error correction
You can ensure that all the data is intact with adequate error correction.
Thus, when you customize a QR Code, the image is added as an error and the data modules are removed. By adding adequate Error Correction, the number of modules (data blocks) in a QR Code increase. And the QR Code still holds the capability to be scanned.
If you use a QR Code with 0% Error Correction, then removing a data block to add an image will render the QR Code non scannable.
Know more about how QR Codes work here.
Follow these best practices to create QR Codes like a pro. And maximize the efficiency of your QR Code campaign.
So, QR Code are very useful but like every technology there are a few rules. Follow these and see instant increase in the engagement level.