Businesses during 2020 and into this year have fallen under tremendous strain. Because of the number of people needing to stay at home, from mandates regulating which companies can remain open, and other such factors, small businesses have closed their doors to the public. But does this mean that the industry needs to close entirely? No. Companies can choose to increase their digital worthiness by creating a touchless experience for their customers. One such way in which to boost customer engagement is using QR Codes.
What are QR Scan Codes
Quick Response codes, known as QR codes, give the customer information. Unlike the traditional bar code, which only stores numbers, generally pertaining to the price of an item, the QR Code is primarily alphanumeric. What does this mean for a business? It means that businesses can increase their overall worthiness by creating products that enhance the customer experience as the codes can hold 7000 characters (about 1600 words). But the QR code is not restricted to just providing text to a customer. It also allows the person to get redirected to social media platforms, media files, PDFs, Photos, and more.
Customers can scan these codes using phones, tablets, or other devices. The digital experience which is formed by using this method is twofold. First, the customer engages with your brand. They see the worthiness of your product and get to know that you care about the customer enough to provide information. This is a boost to customer engagement. Second, it helps to increase engagement and shareability. If customers see your brand as worth, they are apt to share the code with someone, driving them to your business.
Guidance and Value
Clear value is the key to having a successful marketing campaign, brand, or business. When you ask for your customer’s time, you have to give them value in exchange for that time. This means that you must present them with information that they want to have. The QR code can act as the medium between your business and your customer. Remember that the QR code must be paired with design features to get the customer to scan the code. By itself, there is nothing aesthetically pleasing about the code. This is where you must create an experience for your customer to engage the code.
Guidance should be a focal point of any business with its customers. The QR scan code should heighten the experience by providing the guidance needed. This can be in information, a survey, or a video. Your imagination only limits you regarding what your QR scan code can do. Be careful not to put too much information on your code, as this may deter customers. Businesses must balance the information with the time and value of the information for it to be successful.
Increase customer loyalty.
Entities that use a QR Scan code increase their worthiness because of the code’s functionality. With traditional hyperlinking and information menus, the customer must go to another site or be redirected to another window. When this happens, there is a higher probability that the customer will go to another site rather than engage with the content. However, with the QR Scan code, the redirects are eliminated. QR codes work directly with phones, tablets, and other devices. This means that there is no redirection in the traditional sense. The person will have the attention temporarily directed to the content contained in the QR Scan Code. Still, as your business has value and provides guidance, they can quickly go back to viewing your business.
The increase of the QR Scan Code
Because of the necessity of communicating with their clientele, intelligent businesses have integrated QR Scan codes into their overall branding. While QR Scan Codes have been around since before the pandemic, they have increased in their functionality in 2020 and 2021 to market and customer service. This is because of the small size and easy integration of the QR code into existing branding and the ease of integration into new marketing veins.
Worldwide, the use of QR codes has increased. In 2017, when the QR code began to see traction, there were 1.3 billion codes available. In 2020, the number increased to well over 5 billion. Consider also that QR codes are scanned more than 8 million times a day, and you will see that there is considerable growth in the market. One study shows that between 2018 and 2020, the interaction has grown by 94%. Estimations predict that the increase will grow by 97% by the end of the 2021 business year.
QR Codes during Covid
During the pandemic, businesses have had to look for new ways to connect with their customers. At the same time, companies must incorporate a sense of digital worthiness into their brand. While the products and services do not fully constitute the user experience, such cannot be entirely ignored. Products must allow the consumer a form of interaction. Products are what keep your business alive. As Covid has presented unique challenges to businesses, those who have forced themselves to close their doors have realized the importance of having a digital entity. Additionally, companies have found that the QR Scan Code has helped increase customer retention and loyalty.
A recent study showed that in 2021, over 11 million households scanned a QR code. Overall, households in the US who used a QR code in 2020 were 18.8%. Businesses should not ignore such substantial numbers. Incorporating the QR scan code into the brand is crucial should the company wish to establish a high level of worthiness with their customers. Customers prefer online interactions and information from sources that do not have physical interactions. The no-contact way in which customers interact has reached higher engagement levels than in the past few years. QR codes will continue to increase in popularity as long as people continue to shop online.
Brick and mortar stores can use QR codes alongside their physical products to help boost awareness. This creates consistency with the online brand and helps promote a non-contact means of shopping.
Connecting in today’s world
Perhaps the most significant advantage of the QR code is the ability to connect with a business during a time where people feel disconnected. The QR Scan code is unlike any codes available for products in that it can help you reach out to your potential target base. For example, you can have a QR Scan Code that offers a personalized video thanking the customer for visiting the site. At the end of the video, you can direct the customer to view more information or leave comments and questions through the subscription box on the site. By doing this, you show that you care about the customer’s opinions, direct the customer back to the site, and increase your overall worthiness in the customer’s decision-making.
Companies need to reach beyond the brick and mortar to create experiences that affect the overall branding of their business. More businesses are shifting to focused online consumers over the traditional market. Apart from building up the customer experience, companies need to remember that they will fall by the wayside if they do not follow the current marketing trends. Businesses that are seen to be static in their marketing, especially regarding online consumer experiences, are more prone to have a customer churning than those who do not.
Should you use QR Scan Codes?
You may wonder if it is beneficial for your business to have a QR Scan Code. The answer is yes; you should have one. Companies that do not cater to the digital customer experience are more apt to be deemed unworthy of sharing and engaging with others. This results in your business seeking substantial declines in revenue. Digital entities are mandatory for today’s economy, and being able to relate your physical products, services, or goods digitally to the customer in an engaging method is crucial. You cannot rely solely on the quality of your product to increase your digital worthiness. Products change and the trends which push their supply and demand. Only by creating a meaningful customer experience through your digital entity, using such things as QR Scan Codes, can you fully optimize your business and gain a higher worthiness evaluation. QR Codes are an efficient way in which you can pair your physical with your digital content, all while maintaining a high level of customer engagement during the pandemic.
