5 QR Code Best Practices

QR codes are appearing more often in print media lately. They bridge the gap between the offline and online world and can provide consumers with a richer experience than the print ad usually can. However, unless QR code best practices are followed, the results can be disappointing for the consumer and sometimes embarrassing for the advertiser.

A survey of QR codes in national print media over the last few months shows that most advertisers haven’t figured it out just yet.  One QR code brought visitors to a “404 – Not Found” page.  Not a great result on a 2 page tourism ad. Another served up a “Server Busy” message anytime it was scanned.  Yet another just displayed an incomplete URL .

The biggest problem is that approximately 75% of QR codes direct vistors to traditional websites. This is wrong. No one is going to stick around on a site where they have to scroll and zoom in and out to read the tiny print. Another reason not to do this is that websites built with Flash, frames or some Javascript will not even show up properly on a smartphone.

With the goal of enhancing the experience for both the consumer and the advertiser, here are some QR code best practices.

1. Direct visitors to a mobile version of your site or you will probably disappoint them. If you don’t have a mobile version of your site at least create a temporary mobile landing page.
2. If you have a very long URL, shorten it.  Long URLs are more difficult to scan. Try goo.gl to shorten URLs.
3. Black on a white background works best. Otherwise, test it to make sure there’s enough contrast.
4.  When printing the QR code, make sure it’s at least 1.25″x1.25″ and don’t cut off the white border as it’s part of the code.
5. Always always test the QR code before displaying or printing it. Test it with different phones and different scanner apps to make sure it works as you intend it to.

One other tip. Consider using a service like delivr.com which provides tracking, destination URL editing (avoid those 404 pages!) and more.

Try this QR Code Generator on Facebook

Please contact us if you have any questions about QR code usage, mobile websites, mobile coupons or  SMS  and mobile marketing in general.