Cracking the code: great tips to remember when designing effective QR codes

As part of an ongoing quest to developing effective marketing strategies, there are many business owners and managers throughout the United States who have implemented quick response codes into their marketing materials and promotional advertisements. When they were first developed, many critics and consumers believed that they would not catch on and would eventually become irrelevant.

With the increasing popularity of mobile devices and online shopping, though, quick response codes have become some of the most effective marketing tools available today. When designing and creating these codes, however, there are several tips that you should keep in mind to get the results that you expect.

designing qr codes tips

 

Consider the Location First

Before creating the QR code, you need to first make sure that you have identified a prime location to place it. Many people seem to forget that a QRcode is only effective when it is strategically placed on materials that are already engaging and captivating in nature. For instance, you would not want to place one of your company’s quick response codes in a place that does not get very much traffic consistently because that would be a waste of time. Focus on strategically placing these codes within promotional materials, such as flyers, posters and wall decals.

 

Cater the Design to Smartphones

Make sure that the overall design and structure of your quick response codes are catered primarily to smartphones. One study confirmed that over half of the people who scanned a QRcode in 2012 used a smartphone. Chances are, therefore, that your next code is going to be scanned and read by a smartphone. The best approach to take would be to make sure that it is sized and structured in a way that is easy to capture and scan with the average smartphone without any complications whatsoever.

 

Educate Your Customers and Clients

Although QR codes are becoming more and more popular with each passing year, there are still many people that have no clue what a QR code is or what purpose it serves. At first glance, these codes can easily appear to be upgraded versions of standard bar codes and nothing more. Therefore, make sure that your unique visitors and prospective clients are educated about the purpose of these QR codes as soon as possible.

This can be achieved simply by posting an informative message about the purpose of QR codes on your social media page, business cards, website or through email correspondence to the customers subscribed to your mailing list. Encourage them to ask questions or address any concerns that they may have about these codes so that you can make sure they fully understand how and why they should use a QRcode in the future.

 

Test, Test and Test Again

Just because your QR code may visually print out properly does not necessarily mean that it was programmed and configured completely. Keep in mind that a QRcode that does not effectively link your customers and clients to your desired location is an absolute waste of ink. Therefore, before you jump the gun and start to duplicate the same codes hundreds or even thousands of times, do yourself a favor and thoroughly test them to make sure that they work.

It is highly recommended for you to test the same code with a wide variety of different devices in order to provide you with a more realistic scenario that is based on what will happen in the real world when your target audience tries to scan these codes. If either of the tests fail, then you need to make sure that you go back to the drawing board and find out what revisions need to be made.


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1 Comment

  1. Adil Meo says:

    very informmative article !!! good work Ali 🙂