This is the golden rule. I can’t even begin to explain how critical this is. What is the use of having someone snap a QR code and it lands up on a “normal” web site ? They using their mobile phone to snap the code, make sure it lands it up on a mobile page. Simple !

[dropcap style=”2″]2[/dropcap]The shorter the URL, the easier the QR code is to snap
QR codes are really just a string of text, whether it is a URL or 7089 characters of text, QR code readers need to decipher the code, so the longer the text, the more complex it is to decode and the longer it takes to decode. Use a shortening service like http://bit.ly to shorten URL’s, or direct people to a web page for longer text. That way you can also get some sort of stats & analytics on the codes snapped.

[dropcap style=”2″]3[/dropcap]Make QR big enough to read

Make your QR code easy enough to snap. The other day I picked up a crisp packet (image on the right) which had 2 QR Codes on it, 1 directing me to a Facebook page & the other to a twitter account for the product. Both were really small codes, and were right next to each other making them almost impossible to scan. Rather have 1 bigger code, redirect them to a mobi page, with links to each social media account. Much simpler !

[dropcap style=”2″]4[/dropcap]Make sure people can actually access the internet when scanning your code

We know South African cell networks are nutorisly bad when coping with large crowds. Go to any sporting or music event where there are more than 1000 people, and you won’t be able to even use your phone. Because our cell bandwidth sucks, make sure you put your QR code in a place where people can actually access the internet. So don’t put your QR code in the bathrooms at the Shark Tank. Or at the bottom of the Gautrain station in Sandton (looking at you Gautrain)
It just won’t work.

[dropcap style=”2″]5[/dropcap]Not everyone has a QR Code scanner on their phone

Fact. Not EVERYONE is going to think your QR code campaign is cool. Which means no everyone really cares about your QR Code and is everyone is NOT going snap it. Be clever and put a short URL next to the code. That way, the guys who don’t have scanners installed can still access your content. Use the same bit.ly url as in point number 2, which will give produce meaningful stats.

Have you got any suggestions ? Leave a comment below with some ideas and we will add them to a future post about how to execute a successful QR Code campaign