So you’re thinking of using QR codes in your online marketing efforts? Have you considered how a mobile website will improve that strategy? That’s right, a mobile website is critical for starting a QR code campaign- and here’s why!
QR Codes are Scanned with Mobile Devices
QR codes are those little black boxes we see in the corner of print materials or plastered on promotional products. When scanned with a smartphone or tablet QR codes deliver information to a mobile device, often driving people to your website. This makes it easy to engage the growing mobile market.
Today, there are more smartphone owners than basic cell phone owners. That means over 118 Million Americans can be sent to your website through a mobile device!
QR (Quick Response) Code
The problem is that many companies are using QR codes before they have a mobile-optimized website. As a result smartphone owners are squinting at your website as it appears on the small screen of their mobile device, trying to discern between the tabs on your primary navigation.
Screen Resolution Varies by Device-Type
If you’ve ever visited a non-mobile website on a smartphone or tablet, you’ve probably had to pinch the screen and swipe side-to-side to find what you were looking for. Each time a visitor must poke or prod the screen, both time and interest are drained from the conversion process!
But with a mobile-ready website, horizontal scrolling is nearly eliminated, and the text naturally fits the screen resolution. Being mindful of these little details can make a significant difference in driving conversions!
The truth is, people lose interest quickly when asked to complete a task. (in fact, I’m thrilled you’re still reading this post)
Finally, an Example of a Great Mobile Website
When it comes to your mobile website, best practices suggest sticking to the “KISS” mantra (Keep It Simple Stupid).
How can you do this? Simple. Look at the screenshot of the mobile site below.
A mobile version of The Drake Hotel site.
The Drake motel’s mobile website follows these simple rules:
- Focus on the Primary Actions: For hotels it’s important to get people to plan their trip and make a reservation. If you want people to complete a simple, straightforward action like planning a trip and booking a room, keep the focus on the main pages that will lead to conversions- i.e. getting people to schedule their trip!
- Minimize the Page Copy: Have you ever landed on a webpage that contains endless paragraphs of text or instructions? Eliminate those feelings of frustration by minimizing the text and clearing the path to conversions! To accommodate the time-crunched mobile visitor keep the copy short and to the point.
- Go Light on the Images: Images add additional time to load properly on a mobile website. And for the time-crunched smartphone owners, every millisecond waiting for your site to load feels like an eternity! Speed up the loading process by limiting the number of pictures on your mobile webpage. (74% of mobile users will wait 5 seconds or less for a page to load before leaving a website, according to a Compuware study).
- Make it Social: To help spread the word about your content, add social sharing icons to your site. This makes it easy for visitors to share your site with members of their social network. With over 900 Million active monthly users on Facebook, social sharing icons increase the potential for your message to spread across the web.
Resources for Your Mobile Website and QR Code Strategy
With a mobile-ready site, visitors will have an easier time completing a specific goal. Mannix Marketing- a full-service internet marketing company- has been designing mobile sites for a variety of businesses in the upstate New York region. (Full disclosure, as a digital marketing strategist at Mannix Marketing I work with companies on a regular basis to help them develop well-rounded mobile marketing strategies.)
Once you have a mobile website in place, it’s safe to move on to the QR Code development phase. This is the point at which you begin asking yourself, “How do we create QR Codes, where should we place them, and how we will get people to use them?”
Fortunately, there are many great resources available for generating QR Codes.
QR Code Generators:
How you set-up QR Code promotions can vary by industry, the goals you want visitors to complete, and other resources. However, a balanced approach to online marketing means adding all the right ingredients in your marketing tool kit.
For creative ideas on how to use QR Codes, feel free to contact me so we can discuss this further!
