Welcome to the Kleber & Associates blog! Here’s the latest on ‘The Next Step in the QR Conversation’:
Your customer is staring at a poster advertising your company. They just scanned your QR code and have left the world of print media and are peering into the digital universe through a 4 inch screen. What do you do for your customer that just told you “I want to engage with your company,” simply by pulling their phone out of their pocket? You engage them of course!
By now you know what a QR code is. You know how to program it. Your customers know what to do with it. Now what?
Typically when you read information about QR codes used for business, the topics generally include a persuasive argument for why you should use them, some how-to knowledge about using them, and some rules about making them user friendly. Isn’t it time to start exploring the possibilities of QR codes further? (If you’re still not convinced about why you should be using QR codes, consider that The Home Depot will soon require all products in their stores to have QR codes on the packaging.) In order to move beyond the “Why” and “How” of QR codes and into a more sustainable discussion, I challenge you to change the context of “What” from “What is this?” to “What more can I do with this?”
Most QR codes currently take the user to a mobile website or to a Facebook fan page and encourage people to like the page or register for more info. It’s time for advertisers to start realizing the full potential of this technology. Remember – customers are looking for information and they are looking to be engaged. Don’t just take them to your mobile website where they can sign up for your mailing list. A QR code can step in as digital sales rep, selling the value of the product for you. You don’t tell your customer service reps to ask the customer to subscribe to the mailing list before answering their questions; you answer their questions and they are so impressed they sign up for the mailing list because they want to continue hearing from you. The same logic should be applied to QR codes.
If your customer is holding your product in their hands, show them the possibilities of that product: give them how-to videos, project ideas, and customer reviews (the opinion of other consumers is often the most influential factor in a purchase). You can also use QR codes to add on sales. Say your customer scans the QR code on the latest furniture for the aging-in-place market; after telling all about the faucet you could include information on what tools are needed if self installing or what other fixtures match that particular faucet. Maybe your customer is looking at an advertisement away from a retail location; use a QR code to show your customer where they can find your product. Make it interactive – ask them which product they are looking for and tell them where to find it. You could even get really specific and make a store directory accessible via QR.
Remember: thanks to smartphones, customers are no longer limited to traditional media advertising when they are on the go. QR codes are your avenue into your customer’s smartphone. It’s an open invitation into their lives. Get in there and wow your customer! Engage them when they ask you to and they will respond!
Kleber & Associates is an Atlanta-based integrated marketing communications agency serving the home and building products industry for 25 years. Visit the Kleber & Associates website for the latest news and information about marketing for home and building products for consumers, architects, builders, remodelers, designers and manufacturers. Through our marketing, advertising, public relations and digital marketing expertise — we build better brands that build a better home.
