With QR code payments in the U.S. projected to exceed $100 billion by 2024, according to Juniper Research, the technology’s role in everyday transactions is growing rapidly. Shopify reports that 38% of consumers favor businesses that use convenient technologies like QR codes, particularly during busy shopping seasons. Additionally, a report by Square indicates that 45% of small businesses adopted QR codes in 2023, enjoying benefits such as enhanced customer engagement and streamlined operations.
Kushal Tantry, CEO of QR Code Developer, attributes this rise in adoption to QR codes’ ability to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions. He offers top tips for integrating QR codes into your business model to drive sales and improve efficiency. Leveraging QR codes now can help simplify customer interactions, boost engagement and ensure your business thrives.
1. Quick Website Access
Businesses can use QR codes to help potential customers quickly locate their website by placing them on posters, business cards and other promotional materials. Incorporating an easily scannable QR code means they don’t have to type in the URL for your website, which can often be a point of resistance, especially if you want to direct them to a subpage of your site that might have a lengthy URL.
Another way to share your information is to put your contact details into a QR code. This makes it easy for customers to get in touch and find out more about the business or even use it again if they keep it saved on their phone.
2. Improved Customer Experiences
If you run a hospitality business where customers choose from a menu or catalog, QR codes can offer an additional point of sale. In addition to a physical menu, linking a QR code to a digital menu means that customers have more options when ordering.
Consider extending this further if there is other online media that customers can access via a QR code. Codes can also be placed on email receipts or invoices so that customers can bring the payment system up on their phone if they are not paying in person.
3. Trackable Interactions
A valuable metric when using QR codes is that you can monitor the number of times it has been scanned. You can also log information about which devices or operating systems were used to scan the code, the timing of scans and where the code was scanned.
Using QR codes on flyers, posters or business cards allows you to track which are most successful at driving customers to your sit. This can also help retailers determine the types of customers using your QR codes, allowing you to build up a profile of your target audience and create personalized marketing.
4. Email Signups
All retailers and businesses should be encouraging customers to sign up for an email list or to follow you on social media. This can help keep you top of mind for your shoppers, allowing them to see any time you release a new product or menu item.
QR codes can send customers to your website to sign up via email or to an online page that hosts the business’s social media accounts. These codes could be printed on a physical receipt or business card, allowing customers to be directed straight to the email signup page and avoid needing to search through your website.
5. Gain Feedback Through Surveys and Reviews
Utilizing customer feedback is a good way for businesses to appeal to your target audience and improve upon areas consumer pain points.
QR codes streamline this process by linking directly to the feedback form, which the customer can complete in their own time, which allows for more in-depth feedback. QR codes can also link to external online review sites so that customer feedback can help boost rankings.
6. Offer Incentives and Deals
Businesses can use QR codes to offer customers rewards or incentives for repeat visits. These can be tracked by scanning a unique code at the till through a dedicated app.
For example, Costa Coffee offers a free drink for customers who have made purchases previously and scanned the QR code on these visits. This rewards customers for their loyalty and gamifies the reward scheme.
