April 13th, 2024
Do you use QR codes in print and display to link landing pages that promote your referral program and capture recommendations?
QR codes, like the smartphones that scan them, are everywhere. They can be used for a variety of purposes, but the most common use of a QR code is to immediately take a person to an intended web page.
This opens so many possibilities to promote your own referral program. A QR code places it one scan away for a brand ambassador to tell friends, family, and colleagues about your community.
Like everything else, planning is key; a poorly implemented QR code strategy will reflect poorly in your outcomes. While a scan code may seem simple, it is possible to make simple mistakes.
In Part 2 of this 4 part series, we explore opportunities to place QR codes in print and display media, and share how they should be configured to gain the most insight for improvement.
And like in Part 1, we’ll explore the Bigger Picture by sharing what we feel are important elements of the complete workflow required for execution when a recommendation is gained through a QR coded landing page.
Where to Place QR Codes
QR codes are an extremely convenient way to take someone from a static print or display piece to a dynamic web page where work can actually be done.
People cannot “click” printed or projected links, but they can now “scan” a code with their smartphone to take the same action. Proper QR code placement,
then, becomes any high-traffic area where brand ambassadors are likely to see them and act on them. Effective placement may be influenced by the level(s)
of care offered by your community. In other words, the role of brand ambassador may shift from the resident to a family member with increasing levels of care.
Key Recommendations:
- Community Brochures and Information Packets provided at move-in.
- Flyers available at the welcome desk.
- Break-room Bulletin Board for employees.
- Community Bulletin Board for residents and families.
- Dining Hall for residents and families.
- Display Monitor/TV in the lobby or other common areas.
- Fitness and Recreational areas if applicable.
- Elevator interiors.
- Mailroom and Package Delivery areas.
- Entry and Exit Signs or placards near doors and gates.
- Event and Program Flyers.
- Business Cards.
Takeaway:
A conveniently placed QR code, introduced by a clear Call to Action and a compelling offer, can make it easy for a brand ambassador to arrive at a landing page for your Refer-a-Friend program.
How to Create QR Codes
Creating a QR code is very easy these days. In fact, most browsers will create a QR code for you when you navigate to the page that you wish to encode.
Google Chrome is a good example. This option does not provide a lot of creative flexibility, but is perhaps the easiest. There are lots of online tools
that allow you to create a QR code, but be careful with these... Many online services will allow you to create a QR code for free, but may limit
configuration options unless upgrading to a paid service. Some online services will create a shortened redirect URL, which means that they can track
scans to your page. We don't endorse any particular service, but we do want to provide some options to consider.
Some Options:
- Google Chrome (browser)
- QR Code Generator (powered by Bitly)
- Bitly (with its own generator)
- Adobe Spark
- QR Code Monkey
- QR Stuff
Takeaway:
Creating QR codes is straightforward, thanks to a variety of available tools and services. These tools often offer additional features such as customization, tracking, and analysis.
How to Optimize QR Code Configuration
Where a QR code is usually easy to make, you should consider a few things to optimize its configuration for attractiveness, likelihood to be scanned
without error, and insights you can obtain when it is scanned.
Key Recommendations:
- Be careful about color choices. If it's hard for your eyes to make out, then it will be harder-still for a scanner to find properly. Stick with base colors that contrast each other distinctly. Black and white are the safest.
- Consider encoding a shortened, redirect URL. This reduces the complexity of the image (fewer blocks), making the QR code more attractive and scannable. It can also allow you to capture the scan event itself when intentionally tracked and reported.
- Configure the individual blocks to align to your brand standards. You often have flexibility to change the format of the Finder Pattern (3 squares on the outside) and the Data Cells (interior squares or dots).
- Consider adding your logo. QR codes can often be configured to include your logo at the center. This can sometimes make it harder to scan, so if you do provide a logo, make sure that it scans well on multiple devices. Sometimes a QR code generator will provide an “error correction” setting that you can increase to better ensure a proper scan.
- Add UTM parameters (elements pertaining to the scan source). A savvy marketer may want to add parameters to identify the scan event and to distinguish engagement on the landing page from other sources in analytics. You can even identify the location where the QR code was scanned by assigning an appropriate parameter. If you do this, again consider shortening the URL with a redirect like Bitly.
Takeaway:
A properly configured QR code can increase its visibility, enhance its attractiveness, ensure that it functions, and also provide important insight about where people are most likely to scan and engage with you.
The Bigger Picture
We’ve covered how to make your Refer-a-Friend program “omnipresent” in print and display with QR codes, but we’ve not talked about what a brand ambassador experiences upon arrival at the landing page. You might want to consider reading, “Part 1: Role of the Website,” for more insight on the topic of a user’s landing page experience. Of course, your QR encoded link does not have to take brand ambassadors to page on your website at all... It could take you to a HubSpot landing page or similar. Here are a few other things to consider if you do use QR codes.
Additional Considerations:
-
Variable Print (Personalization). If you send printed newsletters, postcards, flyers, letters, and so on to residents and families, then you may be able to configure a unique QR code for each piece that identifies the individual recipient when scanned.
This usually involves a unique ID parameter in the encoded URL. That requires creating each QR code separately, of course, which can only be done at scale with software designed for variable print. You might consider the availability of variable-print
QR codes if you are evaluating vendors. Some say that “direct mail is dead,” but the statistics just don’t back that up. That’s why we provide integrated print-on-demand as an available channel in LeadTrust, with unique QR codes assigned to each recipient.
- To see individual adoption.
- To pre-fill form fields to make it easier for the respondent.
- To track the original brand ambassador for attribution and reward purposes.
- Master Landing Page. You might consider a QR code in some locations that take respondents to a landing page that lists all of your current promotions, including your Refer-a-Friend program. Be careful not to bury your referral program if you do this. A master landing page should not be a simple link to your website homepage. It should be specific to a list of key Calls to Action that may change frequently in definition, timeframes, etc.
- “Soft Ask” versus a “Hard Ask.” Here’s what we mean… A person may be a “promoter” or a “detractor” based on his or her experience with your community. Your Call to Action could be a simple, “Tell Us How We’re Doing,” followed by the QR code. We’ve all seen the traditional Net Promoter question, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to refer your friends, family, and colleagues to us based on your experience?” This can be a great way to gain insight, resolve concerns, and follow-through with a subsequent presentation of your Refer-a-Friend program when the respondent’s score is high.
- Ensure that your QR code directs people to a mobile-friendly landing page. This provides a seamless user experience and avoids immediate abandonment. The last thing you want is a willing respondent stopping short of giving you a great recommendation and direct referral. A disjointed, desktop-purposed landing page can look like you really don’t care.
Final Takeaway:
At LeadTrust, we’ve optimized for the Bigger Picture. We’ve systematized it to make it easy. QR code generation is integrated into multiple features of our software. These features include appropriate landing pages as well as other uses like the redemption of rewards when applied. QR codes, like barcodes and UPC codes, can be used to facilitate and track an entire workflow - from beginning to end. This is our recommendation, and this is the implementation that you’ll see in our product.
In Part 3, we’ll look at the critical role that Communication plays in growing organic referrals through channels like email, SMS, and modern direct mail.