QR Codes in real life

QR codes have been likened to "the next big thing" by a large percentage of internet marketing types and in theory, its a fantastic idea for certain things like transferring contact information and quick transfer of data. The problem is, too many people are getting the wrong idea and being told "stick a QR code on it anyway" just because it may help their business or site out.

Too often do I see posters on the tube with QR codes on them. Now good idea in theory, you need large volumes of people to act upon your ad and making sure people have www.yoururlistoolongtoremembersowemadeaqrcodeforit.com easily accessable. The main issue with a vast majority of these ads is that they are all website URL's and on the tube, you are in an environment with no external access to the internet reducing the effectiveness.

So here are the issues on the table:

1. QR codes are being used to substitute good marketing tactics

 I have personally had experience with overhearing some internet merketing firms talking about QR codes and how they are an amazing tool for peoples businesses. To a degree, they are correct in the way it can help businesses but a lot of the hype around the use of them is just that, hype. I am unclear as to why people are being told about "just stick a QR code on it", which according to some people will change the way people interact with your business. Shifting focus from things like QR codes to good design, clear copy and a targeted audience will improve customer response.

2.Too much information is piled into QR codes

 People try to get away with using QR to get their long website name to be easy to type in. It is a good use for a QR code but a simpler and more effective thing to do would be to get a shorter, more memorable domain that people can remember. When you want that client to re-visit the site and they dont have your QR code handy, you have actually created an issue. The more information you throw into a QR code, the smaller the "blocks" of data and the harder it is for your QR apps to read. You do not want to get to the stage where your QR codes need a smart phone with a macro lens to read them correctly

3. Most ads using QR codes aren't targeting their users

This one is more of a misunderstanding between how a technology should be used and how it is actually used. The target market for QR codes is anyone with a smartphone? Simply, no. On most smartphones, you will need some form of QR reading app which means you have to be bothered to download it. At this stage you will lose most people. Its genrally considered "too much effort" to download an app just to read something once. Remember peoples attension span with technology can be likened to a child who has been given a math problem involving sweets, quick to then realise the whole situation was merely hypothetical. If you do get users past this point, this is for two reasons.

1. You have got information/offers/discounts strongly desirable to the individual 
2. They work in "social media/marketing"

Obviously if the reason is the former and it is because "its an easier way to remember our URL" - change your URL so people can easily remember it, possibly even pass it on - who knows where it could lead.

The target market of some of the uses of QR codes boggles my mind how they expect their target market to understand what these are and how to use them intuatively. You should not have to have a little small print under a QR code explaining what it is/how to use it. See my example below for further explanation.

4. QR codes are slow to process

If the person using QR codes does infact already have a reader (+5 geek points) then half the battle is done but even still - to read the average URL should take a maximum of 5 seconds if you are comparing it to simply having a memorable address. Think about the time it takes to read a QR code. 

1. Smartphone/tablet out of pocket/bag
2. Unlock device
3. Find app
4. Launch app
5. Scan (including focussing if required)

Now I'm not in the world olympics for fast device usage but I'd like to think I'm pretty quick at finding the app and scanning it but this will still take me at least 20 seconds if not more to get it scanned.

Examples

Now that said there are some good uses for QR codes and that brings me lovingly to my examples

Good example

Lets say you have an advert for a technology conference and to get people to sign up, you were offering 10% off the ticket price. You had a mobile site to anyone that went through your advert to make sure it was easy to use but you still wish people went to your main site. You still mention your main URL but for those wanting to get the inpulse buy now, you could get their business and still keep awareness for their main URL.

A QR code would be great! It has a benefit to the end customer as it is a one time visit to book tickets, you can track who is using it, it is a customised experience just for smartphones and its a convenient way instead messing with coupon codes on the site to offer the discount.

Bad example

A healthcare website for over 50's women wants people to visit their website to find out more about their product range and benefits. On their ad, they have their logo, a few pictures with brand names and a QR code. They have a short URL for their site on the ad but for some reason the QR code is quite long (possibly adding a whole load of tracking info to the url because the user never has to type it in).

This is a less than ideal use for QR codes. The target market for the products will most likely not own a smartphone and will not know what a QR code is. There is also no need to a QR code to quickly get to the URL as it is already short. This is based upon a real advert I have seen on the tube.

Experiment

I am trying to find out the following.

Will people in a technology field attempt to read my QR codes if I walk around with them on my bag, stuck to my devices and genrally getting it in pictures wherever I can. QR bombing if you will.

Simple enough goal but I have a sneaking suspicion that I will receive very few hits.

I will be running this for around 6 months or so to see how it goes. I work in a tech centred field with a lot of web startups so no explanation should be needed on how to use them and I would say most people in the field will have a QR code reader app so the question is how many people follow it through.

According to certain people, just the sheer act of sticking a QR code on my bag will most liekly double the effectiveness of my advert.

The advert simply reads "You should follow @ne0" with a big QR code underneath life the one pictured on my backpack below.

Expectations

In a 6 month period, I'm expecting at least 30 scans of the QR code and of those, I expect at least 50% of them to bouce as appose to the rest who will go to the twitter page.

Summary

QR codes are great if used properly but without a proper focus I belive they are pretty much useless and hype driven.

I am willing to be proven wrong but according to common sense and the lack of actual evidence to support claims about QR codes, they are just another gimmick.