You’re starting to see them everywhere, right? Those black and white pixilated square codes that supposedly “everyone” is scanning away like crazy. Ever wonder what the fuss is all about?
Me too. Frankly, I don’t really like them. As a consumer or as a marketer. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain.
QR Code for my friend Paul Swansen who shares a lot via mobile
First, here’s the basic deal with QR Codes.
They are one type of 2D mobile barcode; there are many other types (Microsoft Tag, SnapTag, etc.) and they work like this: A smartphone with a QR Code reader app installed on it can be pointed at a code and it will make something happen on the phone.
It can open a website, open a mobile app store listing, start a video, send a text message, display a message onscreen or even send digital content to the phone. Sounds great so far.
Here’s why I am not a big fan yet:
As a consumer I find that most times the codes are little islands of marketing. There is nothing around them to tell me what will happen to my phone when I scan the code. What is my compelling reason to do it?
Also as a consumer, many times when I do scan a code it goes to a FULL SIZE website. OK, can you see the complete and udder stupidity of that? The only device that can even work a QR Code is a mobile device. Any action that the code takes must work on a mobile device.
As a marketer I am not a big fan because using a mobile tool that only works on smartphones leaves too many people out. With only a 35% smartphone penetration rate in the US and a 30% one in Canada, using only a QR Code is automatically excluding a vast majority of potential customers.
Also, there is a lot of potential for technical glitches along the way with QR codes that is not in my control. As a marketer, I want to make things smooth and easy for customers. As an example, if the end user has a crappy app for scanning that takes too long or one that includes ads on the results, then it makes my business look bad.
And, yes that happens. I was demonstrating a QR code once in a training class and one of the students who has just scanned my code to go to a basic mobile landing page I had set up just for the demo asked me, “Why do you have an ad for online poker on here?” Naturally, I didn’t and we figured out it was her QR scanner app that had inserted the app when it displayed my mobile landing page.
All that said, I DO think that QR Codes have a bright future as a mobile marketing tool. Once more phones come with high quality scanner apps pre-installed, businesses start consistently using them correctly and a vast majority of consumers have smartphones they will be awesome.
For now, I say leave the QR Codes on the shelf and use the tools that are more inclusive of all mobile users and work simply and reliably. Oh, and mobilize your website because you already have mobile traffic to your site, even if you think you have an audience that is ‘not really mobile.’ Trust me on this. I’ll do another post next week showing you how to find out what your mobile traffic is and share my shockingly high mobile traffic on one of my sites.
Additional Resources on QR Codes:
See my Mobile Marketing in the Wild post about a Cute QR Code I spotted at Jamba Juice. And, be sure to read Roger Marquis’ site 2D Barcode Strategy for tons of great information about all kinds of 2d bar codes including QR Codes. If you do want to dive into QR Codes anyway, check out QR Stuff (affiliate link) for building and tracking your codes .
Do you use QR Codes, as a consumer? In your business?
I’ve been experimenting with QR codes… not sure how I feel yet…. but I “would” love a smaller type of code that I could use to overlay on my photos I place on the web for copyright purposes… I was hoping this would be perfect, but if I make it too tiny so that it’s unobtrusive and doesn’t mar the feel of the photo, the code won’t scan…
How do I make my site mobile?
BTW your captcha code is REALLY hard to see… tiny and BARELY legible… and I do mean BARELY… it blends in way too well with the background…
I agree that QR codes are a bit ahead of their time. I think there is a lot of potential but it’s too soon to expect wide acceptance.
I’ve been scanning every QR code that appears in one of Canada’s national newspapers and get more QR code “fails” than anything remotely useful to the end user. If you’d coughed up thousands for a 2 page ad and your QR code returned a “404 – page not found” how painful is that? And yes, most do go to non-mobile sites.
Definitely have a mobile version of your site as that will help with SEO in the future as well as provide a better experience to your current mobile visitors. If you do want to try QR codes please check out for some tips.
The QR code should be just one channel amongst many used to capture the lead or perform the “call to action.” We just make sure it is one part of the overall mix rather than using just the QR code alone. And we simply explain next to the code what the scanner can expect to happen (e.g. “scan this QR code to txt message us automatically”).
The QR code should be just one channel amongst many used to capture the lead or perform the \"call to action.\" We just make sure it is one part of the overall mix rather than using just the QR code alone. And we simply explain next to the code what the scanner can expect to happen (e.g. \"scan this QR code to txt message us automatically\").
I thinks what’s on the other end of the QR code is the most important thing. To maximize its effectiveness you better have a good, short video, slide show or concise information. Think supermarkets/recipes and real estate signs/pics of the inside/floor plan. And if the mobile landing page doesn’t have a CTA, it’s a waste of time. I like QR codes so much I have one on my business card, but I don’t sleep with one under my pillow.
I have to agree with this post. Let me say that QR codes just like any other channel needs to offer something unique. It cannot be the only method to capture leads or whatever it is that you want auctioned. And for heavens sake it MUST go to a mobile site. Until there is some universal scanner and more smartphone penetration I don’t think it will gain much traction. But for the savvy user it can be helpful. As a marketer I would just not depend on it alone.
I can’t stand them. I have yet to have one work when I’m out shopping. The codes are in awkward places on boxes sometimes or the boxes have been stacked so you have to shift a product around to even get to the code. I’ve got two scanners on my iPhone and in short, have found the QR codes to be nothing but a waste of time. And, in magazines?
Now you have to balance a page or hold up the magazine to attempt to decipher it.
So far, none of them have worked and 95 percent of products using them don’t bother to tell you what’s on the codes.
A case of technology ahead of its usefulness.
I can see your captcha code ok. I have come across far worse. So much so, that sometimes I’ve had to reload it 4 or 5 times. If you squint your eyes (not joking) I think you can see it better.
I can see your captcha code ok. I have come across far worse. So much so, that sometimes I\’ve had to reload it 4 or 5 times. If you squint your eyes (not joking) I think you can see it better.
Personally I expect QR codes to be a thing of the past within 2012, maybe 2013 at the outside. And SnapTags are why:
http://www.spyderlynk.com/snaptag/what-is-a-snaptag/
SnapTags are SO SUPERIOR to QR codes in every conceivable way… why would ANYONE choose a QR code, over a SnapTag?
Not to mention the fact that with SnapTags, no special app required, just any phone with camera & email functionality.
I think QR codes are just gimmicky… not to mention horridly ugly. But SnapTags are really slick and have endless possibilities. I’m actually sortof excited about the potential with them.
Jonathan
I agree that QR codes are a fad that may or may not be worth the effort. You point that there is usually nothing to tell you what will happen shows that most people are just jumping on the bandwagon without thinking it through. Right now, QR codes are a waste of time.
I’m not convinced QR codes will catch on and last, and I don’t really have a personal like or dislike of them. But you do have to deal with what shakes out in the end, so I’m just watching at this point. Remember Beta versus VHS and Windows Versus Mac OS. The solution acknowledged as better by the experts doesn’t always become the most popular.
That said, I’ve never has any trouble scanning a QR code with my Droid and QR Droid app. In fact, it is lightning quick at recognition. But my previous phone, a Blackberry Storm and its app (can’t remember which one) were terrible.
And looking at the SpyderLink site, they imply that the only use for a QR code is for URLs. There are a few more uses than just the one, but I do see that Snaptags have a much wider utility.
I’d like to know a little more about them than what the site shows. It would be nice to know a little about the pricing structure. I would also like to know what makes each code unique. Is it merely the markings around the circumference of the circle or is the logo part of the code, too?
Hey Barry,
From my reading on SnapTags what I took away was that it’s a combination of the position of the 3 gaps in the ring, as well as the image in the center, that results in totally unique and basically infinite variations. If the logo wasn’t taken into account, then any ring with gaps in the right positions would call up a campaign, and I can see how it could be very easy to mis-identify the ST that way.
As interesting as I think they are though, I have yet to see one in the real world but I see QR codes anyway. Your comparison to Beta/VHS is a good one. In the end, Beta won out for the professionals, and VHS for the consumers. Beta is still around today and VERY widely used in fact (though it’s gone Digital), though I doubt the average consumer is aware of it. I’d like to see STs catch on in a big way over QR codes but so far… I’m still waiting to see my first.
Jonathan
I agree with the context of this article. The real problem is that free QR code decoding programs mallfunctions in Samsung smartphones with Bada OS. On the other hand, why an end user shout take a picture of QR code wait till it is decoded and read one more time almost the same wimpy sales teaser?