QR Code Best Practices for 2024: Maximize Engagement with These Expert Tips
The significance of QR codes for businesses today is such that e-commerce stores can risk losing a massive 80% of their customers if they don’t use QR codes for audience engagement.
In another update, the market for QR smart packaging is expected to reach $8.6 billion by 2025, while the market for QR codes will likely experience a 16.9% compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2030.
Figures like these, which reiterate that QR codes are here to stay, have prompted businesses from all sectors of the globe to opt for them, be it for marketing, product information, event ticketing, menu ordering, inventory management, etc.
However, adopting this technology alone isn’t enough to get you the ROI or reach you’re aiming for. It’s also essential to ensure that your QR codes are designed, placed, and programmed correctly.
Wondering what that means? Keep reading to find out the QR code best practices for 2024 to strengthen the effectiveness of your QR strategies.
Top 9 QR Code Best Practices You Must Follow in 2024:
Add a Call-to-Action (CTA)
When a customer looks at your QR code, they have no way of knowing its context, where it would lead them, or what will happen when it’s scanned. All they see is gibberish patterns.
Most people ignore such QR codes because they fear it would waste their time or because they don’t know whether it would be of value to them.
Inserting a concise call-to-action (CTA) near or in your QR code is an excellent QR code practice, allowing people to understand what that code will do for them. Plus, QR codes that are optimized for CTAs have a conversion rate of 80%.
Look at the images below to see the difference a CTA can make for your QR code.
A CTA gives QR codes meaning. This way, your users can decide if it would lead them to a place of value or interest, urging them to scan it more willingly.
Avoid Inverting the Colors of Your QR Code
While the temptation to make your QR code as aesthetically appealing as possible is hard to resist, one of the QR code design rules you need to follow is to avoid inverting its colors.
This means that the lighter color must always be in the background, and the darker color must be present in the foreground for utmost clarity.
But why is this important? The thing with QR codes is that you can market them anywhere, be it on billboards, product packaging, or social media posts. However, your audience may not be present in the same physical location at the time of scanning.
Some may be scanning the code in broad daylight, while others may be in dimly lit rooms. Dark colors can absorb more light, resulting in clearer edges and enabling your devices to detect the code’s pattern accurately regardless of their surroundings.
Ensure Your QR Code Leads Users Directly to the Intended Page
When users scan a QR code, they expect to land on the page that displays the targeted piece of information or offer. Being redirected to your website’s homepage instead is not only annoying but can damage your relationship with consumers.
It’s like giving your customers a map to a treasure, only for them to find another map after reaching the destination.
Maintain the Right Size of Your Code
The size of your QR code plays an integral role in ensuring its scannability. The best size for QR code is 2cm by 2cm or 0.8 inches by 0.8 inches for it to be detected and scanned smoothly.
The distance of the viewer from the code must also be considered when determining its size. If you want to enable your audience to scan the QR code from a distance, you also need to ensure that the code is big enough to facilitate the scan.
As a general rule, QR codes must follow a distance-to-size ratio of 10:1. This means that for every 10-inch distance between the code and scanner, the QR code should have a size of at least 1 inch (height and width).
For image quality, the minimum standard for QR codes to appear intact on digital applications is 240 pixels at 72 DPI.
Opt for Dynamic QR Codes
In the world of QR codes, you’ll find two options: dynamic and static QR codes. Where static codes are one-time codes, dynamic codes can be edited and tracked.
Since they can be edited at any time, dynamic QR codes don’t showcase all the information on their landing page. In contrast, static codes embed the information of their destination URL in the form code.
This gives them a more pixelated appearance, making it hard for users to scan. With dynamic codes, you can only see a short URL embedded in code form. This is why these QR codes are more roomy and visually pleasing.
Optimize Landing Pages for Mobile Phones
The size of mobile phone users across the globe has reached a colossal figure of 6.9 billion. Hence, it’s safe to say that most of your scans are going to come from smart phones.
At this stage, if your landing pages are not optimized for mobile phones, you’re missing out on a large chunk of your audience base.
If a customer scans your QR code but lands on a page that can’t fit their smart device, it can form negative perceptions in their mind of your brand.
Introduce Your Brand Through QR Codes
One of the QR code tips you must follow for better branding is integrating your brand’s logo or color theme into the QR code, as shown below. This can have endless benefits for your business.
For starters, with QR code phishing incidents increasing to 51% in 2023, more and more users are hesitant to scan QR codes. If your QR code displays your brand’s logo, it can give your customers a sense of trust and safety that the code is legit.
Secondly, it reinforces brand awareness and association. When customers come across a QR code that bears your brand’s logo, they will immediately associate it with your brand.
If they’re existing customers, then using these QR codes best practices can trigger any positive connotations they may already have with your brand, increasing their chances of engaging with your content.
Place Your QR Codes Where They Can Sell
If you want your codes to be scanned, you need to place them where they can be seen. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t cast them away to the far side of your page or promotional material. There are several ways you can integrate them into your content so they can capture your audience’s attention successfully.
Here are a few examples of QR codes taking center stage in marketing.
Don’t Overcrowd Your QR Code
Have you ever heard of a phenomenon called visual noise? This happens when the QR code is accompanied by a lot of design elements and content.
The key is to keep your promotional material uncluttered and simple. Ensure that the QR code is easily identifiable while providing sufficient space for relevant information and creative components.
Remember, the simpler it is, the more chances it has to grasp your audience’s attention. Here is an example of these QR code best practices: the first image shows a cluttered QR code, and the second reveals a more minimalistic design.
Wrapping Up
Leveraging QR codes can be an effective way to multiply your brand’s reach and enchant new customers.
With a tweak here and there, as discussed in the QR code best practices above, you can untap substantial potential to engage with customers creatively.
It’s time to put on your design hat back and create a QR code for your business that does not fail to captivate passersby and tempt them to scan, thereby boosting your brand’s visibility.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I prevent my QR codes from being pixelated?
Opt for dynamic QR codes that only turn a short URL into a code instead of all the information on the landing page. This will prevent your QR codes from being pixelated.
How can I track the performance of QR codes?
At Linkstac, you get a dedicated dashboard where you can track the performance of your QR codes and identify valuable insights to update your strategies.
Iyad Latif
FOUNDER
