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5 Ways Businesses Can Use QR Codes – Part 2
Back for more, are we? You have read our previous blog post 5 Ways Businesses Can Use QR Codes – Part 1, implemented some, if not all, of those use cases, and have seen significant positive trends in business. If you have not read that post, then hit pause, and go read that right now (you can thank me later). That is all you needed. Now, you are completely sold on the power of QR codes. You think to yourself “how else can I integrate QR codes within my operations and drive more business value”? We heard you, and we are here with the solutions to your problems! Operations will be streamlined. Funnels will be fortified. Money will not be left on the table. Here are 5 more ways that you can incorporate QR codes into your business.
Payment
Securing payment is one of the most critical factors within a business’ operations, yet many business owners do not treat it as such. You would be surprised at the number of business owners who utilize informal, bottom of the barrel collection methods. Whether you are looking to get serious around your payments infrastructure, or looking to bolster an already existing payments infrastructure, QR codes can help.
Let’s make an assumption: Collecting payments should be the most seamless process in your business, executing without a hiccup. With that assumption alone, this means that business owners should prioritize ways to make their payments processes more convenient. Well, what is one of the many major advantages of using QR codes? If you have read our previous article 5 Reasons Businesses Benefit From Using QR Codes, then you know that one of the answers is convenience! The easier you make it for your customers to pay you, the more money you will receive (shocking, I know). This not only works for commercial payments, but will also hold true for gifts as well. This could include situations such as tips and donations. Whatever the context, cash is king. Make collecting your cash effortless with QR codes.
Business Cards
A lot of people view handing out business cards as a way to make a sale. We would argue that handing out a business card should be viewed as the start of a relationship. The difference in these perspectives is akin to the difference between a long term relationship and a one night stand. With that in mind, your goal is to get the prospect to remember who you are. Once it is time for them to do business, you will be the one they call. That process is made easy with virtual card (or vCard) QR codes. vCards allow the scanner to save the contact information of the owner. The days of adding new contacts manually are behind us. On top of that, the owner can include specific identifiers within their vCard such as their email or organization. The old method used to be talking to a prospect, handing out your business card, and hoping the prospect calls. If they don’t call, you are out of luck. If some time has passed and the prospect loses your card, again, you are out of luck. Now, when you talk to prospects, you can hand out your business card, and get them to scan the vCard right then and there. Even if they do not call right away or they lose your business card, you will be saved as a contact in their phone. This is the start of the relationship. Don’t try to make a sale. Try to start a relationship. That is where the real business value is.
Logistics
If you are in a business or industry that is involved in any kind of logistics, QR codes may prove to be the most valuable tool in your arsenal. You need an efficient and reliable method of tracking the flow of goods, services, and any other related information. If you do not currently offer any visibility into your supply chain, then now would be a good time to start.
Imagine that you are a health conscious consumer searching for healthier beverages to drink. You hear that kombucha has been widely consumed for its purported health benefits, but you still have some skepticism around the ingredients profile, and the sources of the ingredients themselves. That skepticism is what stands between you, the health conscious consumer, and the sale. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a super easy way to check what ingredients are included and where they are sourced from? A well placed QR code on the packaging (in this case, the bottle) that outlines all this information would quell your skepticism in real time, and from there, the sale is complete.
Bulletin Boards
“Leads anyone? Would anyone like more leads?” I am certain that 100% of people answered yes. You can never have too many leads. Even better, these leads are warm. Bulletin boards, albeit rather old school, are still very prominent today. It is very common to see ads such as local jobs or missing pets on these boards, with a phone number that is either listed or needing to be torn off as contact information. This is the perfect setup to integrate modern technology with traditional methods. The traditional way gets prospects to call you (assuming they do not lose the number) if they are interested.
One obviously glaring deficiency in this approach is you have to design an ad designed for a bulletin board that is not only compelling to the prospect, but also informative enough for the prospect to clearly understand the specifications. How many times have you seen an ad packed with information be visually appealing or vice versa? It can happen, but it is very hard to do. The second obvious deficiency has to deal with metrics. As a savvy business owner, you understand that what gets measured gets managed. You can not measure where your leads are coming from using the traditional approach. Using modern technology, you do not have to worry about the design trade-offs between an ad jam packed with information versus one that is cleaner but less informative. You just need to focus on creating something compelling with a clear call to action of scanning to learn more. That landing page can be utilized to get into the nitty gritty of the details. As for the data, if you utilize dynamic QR codes, you will know exactly how many people scanned your ad, when they scanned it, and where they scanned it among many other metrics.
Billboards
Billboard advertising is similar to bulletin boards but on a much larger scale. If your business is at a point where you can afford this type of advertising, then you should think about adding QR codes to them. Similar to bulletin boards, one of the drawbacks of traditional billboard advertising is the absence of data collection. Seeing your ad on a billboard is a big step, but being able to calculate the return on investment is where the real money is made. By incorporating QR codes on your billboard ads, you can do just that. In addition, you will actually increase the effectiveness of your ad. Leads are often lost in between the time a prospect sees a billboard and when they actually decide to take action. Remember earlier how we mentioned that one of the many major advantages of QR codes was convenience? Well, another major advantage of QR codes is the ability to drive engagement (if you want the full list of advantages then click here to learn more). Now you are pairing your billboard ad with a technology that is inherently engaging. It’s no wonder why businesses are shifting towards this trend. There are simply too many benefits to ignore.
We could keep going as there are numerous ways to integrate QR codes in your business. The key is to get creative. The more creative your marketing is, the more compelling and memorable it becomes to prospects. As we have seen, methods can range from simply introducing new technology to old industries to doing something completely innovative. Start differentiating yourself with these 5 tactics and expand from there. Then sit back and watch your business skyrocket to new heights.