Designing a Business Plan for QR Codes - From Concept to Reality

Perhaps you read my first article here on QR codes, “Are People Using QR Codes Yet; If So, How?” in which would have you learned, among other things, that people who respond to QR codes prefer “pulling” in information that they want rather than having it “pushed” at them.

So, given this, as a business owner, should you be using QR code as part of your marketing plans?

Using QR codes can be a simple matter of having a web page, using a generator site to create a readable QR code that links to that page, and then putting the QR code’s image out there so people will see your web page. That’s okay. It’s a start.

Or, your QR code can be part of a smart plan, one that lets you analyze where and how your respondents are finding your code, how many click thru’s your code has had by hour, day, week, month, and where the click thru’s are coming from by country and by source, to name just a few ways to analyze the information. It all depends on how you want to use QR codes; what do you want to know about your audience and to help you determine how effective your marketing strategy really is.

There are many companies that have developed specific products to give you ways to know this information. A Google search for “qr code generator analytics” brings up a slew of them, so do your research before committing to one, or more. As the audience develops, the level of analytical sophistication will increase along with the number of companies offering these services.

DESIGNING A QR CODE BUSINESS PLAN

First, you should decide what information you want as a result of your QR code campaign, otherwise it’s the old “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” approach.

Since it’s easy to change a QR code, you can have different versions of it to reflect different information that you’d like to know, whether it’s by campaign, product, venue, etc.

For example, let’s say you’re running a print ad campaign and the ad is in three magazines. Each publication’s ad has a QR code on it, and the code links to your company’s home page. Wouldn’t you like to know which publication is pulling in readers via QR technology? Knowing this will help you design your next ad campaign so you can speak even more effectively to that audience. A different QR code in each ad will tell you which publication is sending readers your way.

Or, flip it over. The same ad is in each publication and again, each one has a different version of your QR code. But the difference is that at the click thru end of the code there’s a welcome web page that’s designed to be read by the audience of that specific publication. For example, let’s say your ad is in a high-end magazine, a do-it-yourself magazine, and a local publication. Someone reading the DIY publication clicks on your QR code and sees a message about how to use your product in their next hands on project, and maybe includes a discount coupon (we know QR users love coupons). But this isn’t the message that someone reading a high-end magazine would want to see, so you have a different QR code and a different welcome landing page for that reader. The local publication with your ad will have yet another, different landing page that tells the viewer which local retail stores or representatives carry your product, and includes a discount coupon for them. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Get it?

QR CODE FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Maybe your company is too small to have ads in national publications. That’s okay. You can still use QR codes to market your services or product.

FOR EXAMPLE: HOW REALTORS CAN USE QR CODE LOCALLY

Let’s say you’re a Realtor with properties to sell. The “For Sale” sign in front of each property that you’re listing has its own, unique QR code on it. Someone drives or walks by the house, sees the QR code, clicks on it with their smartphone, and is immediately linked to a web page with information about that specific house; how many bedrooms it has, baths, square footage, etc. And, of course, it includes a link so their smartphone will dial you directly to make an appointment to see (and hopefully, buy) that house. How’s that for a “quick response!” (BTW: That’s what “QR” stands for, quick response.)

These are just a few of the countless ways that your business can benefit from QR codes. What other ways can you think of for how this amazing technology can benefit your business? Let me know, I’m truly interested.

To read more about QR codes and your business, please go to my article "What's QR Code and is it Right For Your Business?"