Many brands have started to realize the many benefits of using QR codes, especially when it comes to providing an excellent response mechanism for mobile users.
This article lists down the pros and cons of QR codes and some useful examples to show how they can be used to their full potential.
PROS
Ease Of Use
What’s great about QR codes is that they can be added to virtually anything you can imagine, from cereal packets to advertisements on the underground. This level of versatility can prove immensely helpful for advertisers and marketers.
Range Of Uses
QR codes can be used in hundreds of different ways. The following are ten suggestions for marketers, but QR codes can also be used to provide a better user experience in museums, restaurants, on display printing and in other manners.
Easily Trackable
The use of web analytics and unique codes for different purposes enables marketers to gain valuable insight regarding the performance of their marketing campaigns, making it easy to figure out what works and what falls short of expectations.
Send Mobile Users To Promotional Content
As the name implies, QR codes are meant to offer a quick response mechanism to point users toward the right direction, saving them the time and energy required in typing a URL.
When used effectively and alongside other mobile optimization strategies, these codes can pique the attention of users at the precise moment when they have shown interest in a particular video or advertisement. This usually translates to higher conversion and opt-in rates, enticing users to subscribe to an email list and receive promotional messages in the future.
Playing With The Curiosity Of Mobile Users
Perhaps this is a result of QR codes being relatively new, and this effect may wear off once they become widely used by brands. But right now, mobile users couldn’t help but scan a QR code, simply to find out where it would lead them.
Extremely Cost-Effective
QR codes may seem too complicated, but creating them wouldn’t put a dent in businesses’ marketing budget.
CONS
Alternatives Abound
There are plenty of alternatives to QR codes, and some say that these can provide a higher level of user experience. One such example is Blippar, which utilizes the creative itself such as a product image or brand logo as the trigger for interaction.
A QR Code Reader Is A Must
For many, this is the biggest downside to using QR codes. Mobile users have no choice but to download a QR reader before they can start scanning. Although there are a lot of free apps out there, this can still limit the number of users who can access the codes.
But this may not be a problem in the near future. Many brands have started to incorporate QR readers in their mobile apps. It also shouldn’t be a surprise if smartphone manufacturers start offering devices with a built-in reader.
Scanning Can Take A Long Time
As Tim Dunn thoroughly explained in a recent article about QR codes, the process of scanning can prove to be tedious and time-consuming. Mobile users have to take out their phone, launch their reader, scan the code, and wait for it to direct them to the landing page.
Those with a fast and stable internet connection shouldn’t have any issues with this, but those who only rely on 3G may prove to have a less then optimal user experience.
Lack Of Awareness
An increasing number of businesses make use of QR codes, but only a handful of the population uses them.
According to comScore, 14m US consumers use QR codes, but this only represents 6.2% of the total number of mobile users in the US. This figure also includes barcode scanning.
Consumers have different purposes for scanning barcodes compared to scanning QR codes, making the seemingly huge figure rather misleading.
1 comment
QR Codes have come a long way from inventory management tools and are now extensively used in marketing. These square-shaped barcodes open up multiple possibilities for marketers and helps them connect better with their target audience. I come cross great information in your blog. Thanks for sharing.