‘QR Codes are So Yesterday’ Not So Fast!
Last week I wrote a post called, “How to Get Online Visitors Using Offline Tactics“. One comment I received had to do with the following suggestion:
The No Brainer – Check out the information on your business card. You probably have a link back to your website; but do you have a QR code on it? More people are utilizing their handheld devices than those who use their PCs. So, it makes sense to have a QR code on your business card that goes to your listings or property searches on your website. QR codes work well on your property flyers, too.
The commenter stated, ” I used to have a QR code on my business card but dropped it. Didn’t feel people were using them.”
That blog post was not the first time I mentioned QR codes and how they can help boost real estate sales. Back in June, I wrote a post called, “How to Use QR Codes to Increase Real Estate Sales and Brand Recognition“. In that post, I cited my own experience seeing how a St. George real estate office was successfully using QR codes to boost their business.
Since I never want to be out of step with what’s working in real estate marketing today, I did some research. And, honestly, the opinions are mixed. In one April 2015 article called, “Are QR Codes Still Relevant? (Were They Ever?”), they stated:
They (QR codes) were meant to be the bridge between offline and online marketing. But a bridge is only worth having if people use it to cross over.
And that was the problem: People weren’t using QR codes – at least not to the degree that was expected. Research from 2013 revealed that only 21 percent of American smartphone users reported ever scanning a barcode and only two percent reported doing so on a regular basis. In fact, based on research conducted by Inc in 2012, 97% of consumers didn’t even know what a QR code was.
That last statement lets us know what our job is in order to make QR codes work. Education! Example: A lot of websites have a lead capture widget. You can place that widget on every page of your website. However, if you don’t let people know why they should sign up, more than likely, they won’t. However, if you explain what they will get in return and how much that will benefit them, you’ll see a lot more sign ups.
It seems that, when it comes to the effective use of QR codes, purpose and creativity are two key motivators –
So, what’s the answer? The answer comes from whether or not your QR codes are used properly. And, I’d say, whether or not you tell people how to use the code and the benefit of using it. The St. George real estate office I mentioned above did it right. Not only did they provide the QR codes, they let me know why and how it would benefit me to use it. In this case, it went to a recording about the property I was interested in as well as contact information, website or the virtual tour. Think about how this could add value to people who are driving by one of your listings.
What do you think? Are QR codes dead? Do you use them?
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