Use of QR Codes in 2011 vs. 2021
When Macy’s and Best Buy started using QR codes in their stores in 2011, they became very popular. However, there were numerous issues with mass end-user acceptance.
The majority of customers had extremely sluggish internet, did not own a smartphone, and if they did, had to download an app that took an eternity to scan a QR Code. The websites to which QR Codes referred users were not designed for smartphones, exacerbating the problem.
All of that, however, has changed. QR Codes, as WIRED pointed out, were “barely ahead of their time.”
Millions of people now utilise QR codes. In 2019, 2.71 billion individuals used smartphones, and by 2021,they expected 90 percent of the population to have high-speed internet access. QR Codes have become a vital part of everyday life, thanks to Apple’s iOS 11 update, which added QR Code scanning capabilities to the camera app, as well as the ability to scan QR Codes on the latest Android smartphones.
QR codes are all over the place. Businesses and brands have realised just how powerful QR Codes are as a weapon in their marketing arsenal, from using scan and go technology at retail stores determined to stay afloat in the post-apocalyptic retail landscape to using QR Codes as a way to propel post-purchase customer engagement through methods such as coupon marketing.
Who makes use of QR Codes?
In 2020, Statista estimates that 11 million homes will scan a QR code. When QR Codes were originally released, the amount of individuals using the technology and the variety of use-cases were limited, prompting marketers to declare the technology dead.
In the year 2022, the outbreak of the pandemic has sparked a surge in the use of QR Codes, not only because of their adaptability, but also because they are safe, hygienic, and can assist marketers and businesses track their campaigns without spending a lot of money.
Furthermore, scanning a QR Code on most smartphones back then required downloading a third-party app, resulting in poor adoption of the technology. Because of its popularity, most smartphones now allow native QR Code scanning, which helps most industry verticals to grow their businesses.
In 2022, QR codes and proximity marketing will be commonplace.
Because scanning QR Codes does not necessitate the installation of an additional app, marketers and brands interested in conducting proximity marketing campaigns without the use of an app can use QR Codes.
Despite the fact that the name “proximity marketing” contains the word “marketing,” organisations must take a customer-centric strategy. It must be a focus to improve the in-store consumer experience with QR Code campaigns.
Stores may start attracting and interacting with more customers by designing a distinctive shopping experience for them. The most crucial point to make here is that they can use QR codes for a variety of purposes in retailers.
There is no shortage of things that a store may gently prod their consumers towards, from referring them to their social media page to asking them to post a Yelp review.
In 2022, here are some QR code marketing ideas.
It’s common knowledge that the way we consume material has changed dramatically over the previous ten years. When people read anything, they keep only 10% of the information, however when they watch a video, they retain 95% of the information. That is why firms should use video QR Codes to highlight a product’s best characteristics or to display an advertisement in order to attract a customer’s attention.
Businesses can utilise an API to produce QR Codes because QR Codes on product packaging require a huge number of them.
1. Designing a QR Code game to increase conversions
With the rise of hyper-casual games that don’t demand a lot of brainpower, marketers can use QR codes to promote these games to customers with enticing incentives like discounts or chances to win freebies, raising conversion rates. We can entice customers going by a ‘Scan and Win’ poster outside the store to interact with these interactive QR Codes.
2. Using QR codes in marketing to convert one-time customers into repeat purchases
QR codes on post-purchase packaging that allow customers to scan and refill or re-order the product from the company’s online store can help boost client retention. The same QR Code can display different information depending on a customer’s location when they use geolocation in conjunction with it. If a QR Code on a retail product displays product information, the same code can be used to convince them to re-order the product once they leave the store.
This is similar to Amazon’s Dash buttons, which were Bluetooth tags that allowed users to shop for more of the same product and have it delivered to their home.
3. QR Code Promotion Ideas: Using QR Codes to encourage users to download your brand’s app.
To persuade people to download their apps, Instagram and Angry Birds deployed unique QR Codes. These codes served a dual purpose: they clearly communicated their own brand language and they provided a dual purpose. The first was to entice new users to download their app, and the second was to establish their brand by inducing brand recognition through QR Code advertising.
While proximity marketing without an app is appealing, having your brand’s app installed on your customers’ phones allows you to obtain a better understanding of their buying habits and provide them with personalised product recommendations. An app that recognises beacons and can provide contextualised information. It also allows shoppers to take a more passive role in the shopping experience, as beacon-enabled apps can send notifications without the need for human intervention.