QR codes Archives - locally.co.uk domain for sale

A New Year Technological Challenge!

Online, local businesses are the back bone of the country but, stand still in the online world and you risk being left behind.

As a forward thinking business, you need to be constantly looking and assessing which of the latest technological innovations are right for you and your business.

We talked recently about creating to a live strategy for your website; design and launch are just two of the factors in creating a successful, online presence. Your website, as you recall, is a living breathing thing that must be nurtured in order to carry on expanding and thriving so that your business can too.

And one way of doing this is to link your offline and online presence. But, sometimes we need a handy tool to be able to do this.

QR codes are not necessarily that new anymore, BUT if you haven’t taken a serious look at them and what they could offer your business, then now is the time.

WHY?

We have talked in numerous previous posts about immediacy and the need consumers have about gaining instant access or gratification for whatever they are searching for. QR codes are a way of satisfying this immediacy.

Like a barcode… but different

Barcodes are everywhere, from the packet of biscuits we have bought to accompany our morning coffee here at the Locally office to the pods we use in a well-known coffee machine. Essentially, both barcodes and QR codes are the same thing, but the difference between the two is the amount of information that they can hold; barcodes are linear, can hold up to 20 numerical digits but QR codes are two dimensional and can hold thousands of pieces of information.

And QR codes can also be linked to your website, as well as a whole host of other digital connections. All your consumer needs is a QR code reading program on their mobile – android and iPhones – all of which are available free through various app stores.

And they came from where…?

Developed in Japan over 10 years ago, the original creators, a subsidiary of Toyota, have not exercised their right to being the only company to use the patented technology, encouraging its use across the world.

As a result, there is a huge range of example of QR codes being used by businesses, community groups, schools, colleges and anyone else you can think of!

QR code is a quick response code and, once read by a smart phone, will install take your customer where they want to be; you can ‘load’ the code with whatever you want from accessing 25% off their order or free delivery or… the examples are almost infinite so let us group the type of applications you can use them for…

Sharing – there is no limit to how much you can share with these QR codes. For example, if you have an instruction manual for how your product works, convert it into a PDF and give it a QR code; this way, customers can always access or download their own copy. It saves paper and makes navigating to the section or pages they want, much easier too.
Community – customers are social beings and we all like to feel connected to a product or business. Again, we have talked about responding to enquiries through social media platforms etc. QR codes can enhance this liking and sharing feature that businesses and customers love; link a QR code to your Facebook page or to a noticeboard/comment area on your website.
Calls to action – essential in any marketing strategy, but also something that can be used throughout your community. Once you have connected with people, why not offer them special offers to reward their interaction, feedback and loyalty. Again, QR codes can carry this type of information.

From rhetoric to practical applications

However, QR codes sound all well and dandy but, what are the practical applications for your business?

We have talked about linking your offline and online marketing strategies in a recent post and this is a perfect idea of bridging the gap between the two:

Where

Back/front/both side of your business card
Brochures, flyers, leaflets or whichever printed media works well for your business
Posters, outdoor banners, roller banners
Tags and packaging on your products
Letterheads, compliments slips and other stationery
Menus
Invoices and receipts
Any other printed media you can think of!

What

Manuals or instructions
Ordering additional or replacements parts etc.
Booking services online (takes you to calendar or contact form)
Directions to your business
Coupons, vouchers or money off code
Free downloads!
Feedback forms, comment sheets etc.
Anything on your website or social media presence

Maximise impact of QR codes

Tell people what they are and encourage them to use
Link with your marketing strategy, both on and offline
Allay fears that they are complicated – their simplicity is their power!
Experiment with size, location as well as colour of QR codes
You can create a QR code ‘treasure hunt’ all across your range!
EXPERIMENT!

Are they here to stay?

They have been around some time and are a tried and tested technology. However, many smaller businesses associate them with larger, multinational companies and think that the technology is out of their league – never have you been so wrong!

And so, your technological challenge for New Year 2015 is to tell us how you would use QR codes for your business!

… honestly, you do…

Every business is acutely aware of the fact that it needs to market itself.

Every business is also acutely aware that if they get it wrong, it is money wasted.

Every business knows the importance of getting it right. In fact, the biggest influencing factor in the failure of any start-up businesses is lack of marketing.

It is on ongoing, evolving process; just as you finish one campaign, another comes along. Just as Christmas will come and go, another season will be upon us meaning the goal posts move once again.

But, with the advent of the Internet, followed by the revolutionary effects of social media, businesses are plunged into a new era of marketing. The one size strategy that did everything now needs to be re-written.

And this is where some businesses found that they faced a new dilemma; online OR offline marketing.

Do you need both?

Or do you have a strategy for one, and hope the other tags along?

What is offline marketing anyway? Surely leaflets are dead and buried… aren’t they?

Definitions: online & offline

Before we hurtle headlong into a full and frank discussion, we need to make sure we are all singing form the same hymn sheet… otherwise, we will be at cross purposes.

Online marketing – is anything that you do online, from tweeting to statuses, to pinning photos etc. You should have a strategy for what is posted, where and when.
Offline marketing – is anything from adverts in local and national press publications, leaflets, postcards, business cards and anything you can possibly think of. Again, you should have a strategy for what will happen, when and why.

BUT, the problem has been that the online world has somewhat dwarfed offline marketing strategies for a variety of businesses. Many assumed, as you would with the power of the Internet, that offline marketing was somewhat dead.

Mmmm… it seems that this may not the case. In fact, a variety of experts have suggested that actually, the gap between online and offline marketing is actually shrinking. And so, as we near the end of 2014, look forward to 2015 perhaps now is the time to give some serious thought to both your business online and offline marketing for the coming year (we like some of these ideas – quick to implement and easy to do!)

Offline becomes interactive

The biggest change is that offline material is actually starting to morph in to online material. How many posters, banners, adverts, leaflets etc. have you seen that have a QR code printed on it? (We are going to look at QR – quick response – codes in an upcoming blog and how they can help grow your business).

In fact, it now seems that every piece of offline marketing tool you use, it should have some form of nod to your online presence. This can be as simple as ‘find us on Facebook’ or ‘follow us on Twitter’ etc.

And if we need to persuade you any further on the power of offline marketing, then we need to point you in the direction of some recent studies…

Role models – take a look at some HUGE global companies who rely more on offline, traditional marketing over and above online. For example, eharmony.com and Esurance.com use traditional offline marketing techniques to draw people to their businesses. These companies still invest a huge amount – if not all – of their marketing budgets in TV commercials.

The silver pound – don’t forget the spending power of the ‘older’ generation. A large proportion of the population are retired but with a pension, therefore they have the spending power. Even though the majority of the older population are becoming savvier when it comes to web, more of this age group can be reached via offline marketing. They are still responsive to TV commercial, direct mail, radio adverts and press ads too. If there was a group that would leap at the chance of a loyalty card or scheme, it is this age group.

You know your customers…

And so, keeping an eye on your customer demographics is important as this makes sure that your online and offline marketing are targeted in the right places at the right people, therefore you need to consider the tools that can bring these two forms of marketing together…

Tracking URLs

Using URLs – i.e. website addresses – that are unique to certain offline marketing campaigns is a great way of seeing what is working, and when. Use a unique code for each separate campaign (this is why you see codes etc. on various campaigns so that the business can track where enquiries and customers are coming from).

Social media traffic

A big factor in any company’s online marketing strategy is their social media presence and many companies have now realised the ability of social media to drive traffic to their company. And one way of doing this is to make sure that your social media platforms icons are on everything that you produce offline – and you could consider offering your customers who arrive at your destination via offline means a special offer.

QR codes

Mobile technology is huge. We have mentioned QR codes at the start of the article and we are going to look at these in far more detail. But basically, unique information – such as a % off code – is included in this QR code which, when your potential consumer scans the code using their smart phone, they will be taken to an online destination. The beauty of these codes is that they can literally be included on anything from a banner to a newspaper advert.

Your website address – everywhere

Just like you add the postcode to your address, your website address should, by now, be automatically featuring on every single piece of offline material, from your compliment slips to leaflets, adverts and the like. Many companies and businesses make the mistake of just adding the social media icons which gives the impression you are only online at these destinations. Whilst this is great for conversation, when consumers intend spending money, they need to have a feeling that they can trust you – and a website can do this.

Which marketing technique suits your company? Can you see it changing in 2015?