Your QR Code is broken

Today, you’ll probably run across QR codes a few times a week. I’ll usually take the time to scan them out of curiosity. In most cases I’m a little disappointed as the code hasn’t been properly implemented when it’s being used to link to website.

That QR code is physical, real-world link to your your website. Wouldn’t it be great if it could offer you instant feedback on which ads are resonating with your customers? Is one ad more successful than another, does one publication drive more traffic, does your ad downtown perform better than the one in the suburbs? With a properly formatted QR code, you can answer all of these questions, and start to get some hard data on how your marketing is resonating with your customers.

Each QR code we create for a client is specific to that piece, no two are alike, even in the same publication. This, in combination with our clients web analytics packages allow them to easily see which ads are connecting with their clients.

Here’s how to do it.

Each URL that we encode is tagged in a specific manner so our clients are able to track each code in their web analytics package. In most cases we track the source, the medium, and the campaign. So if you’re sending out a postcard to promote a fall special, then your URL could look something like this:

http://www.wideeyedcommunications.com/?utm_source=postcard&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=fallpromo

By encoding that tagged URL, you can get hard data on which ads perform best. Running a transit or outdoor ad campaign? With a unique code on each ad, you can see which locations drive the most traffic to your site.

A well-built QR code can offer you a lot more than just another link to your website, it can offer you real-world data on how your customers interact with your brand.