Though the barcodes had been a growing part of mobile commerce, they must be maintained.
Halfway through 2011, the popularity of QR codes suddenly experienced an explosion and they began appearing on everything from product packages to business cards, while consumers scanned them regularly.
Now, marketers are using them even more, but inconsistently and without purpose.
The more mainstream QR codes become, the less care many companies and brands are taking for their implementation. Without paying attention to the way that these barcodes are used, they are providing consumers with an experience that they do not find engaging or appealing. Therefore, they are not scanning with as much fervor as they once were and the technique is risking losing its effectiveness.
QR codes hold tremendous potential, but mobile marketers will decide whether or not they will survive.
Only those who implement them have the power to choose whether these quick response barcodes will have been a passing novelty or a genuinely useful marketing tool that will be an important element in the growth of mobile commerce.
Marketers must realize that individuals with smartphones don’t simply want to be directed to the homepage of a mobile commerce website. They want to be engaged with the use of their devices. To do this effectively, advertisers must provide smartphone users with a reason to act on what they receive through their scans.
Among the most popular and effective uses of the technique so far is discount coupons. By giving consumers the opportunity to save money on a purchase through the scanning of a barcode, they are not only more likely to actually buy something from the company or brand, but they also have a greater likelihood of scanning QR codes again in order to see if they can obtain similarly rewarding opportunities.
Naturally, coupons aren’t the only effective use for quick response barcodes. They are being used in more new and creative mobile commerce efforts with each passing day. However, the vast majority of companies that are using QR codes for the first time are simply implementing them as an alternative to typing a website’s URL. This is not enough for mobile consumers, and if this behavior is not stemmed, it may completely remove the usefulness of this tool.
