Every marketing tactic you use helps bring a few more customers to your jewelry store or your website. Some marketing strategies bring a lot of business and some are barely noticeable but help build your brand awareness.
Using QR codes as an add-on to your existing direct mail marketing will help lift your response rates with the 20-something generation. QR code usage is finally starting to catch on in the US and you commonly see them in grocery stores, in magazines, on small billboards, and on direct mail.
Using the QR code doesn't require the need for technical knowledge, you just need to create the code and give it to the person creating your direct mail ad. Creating the QR code is easy with the website I'll give you below, but before you do that, there are a few logistical things to think about that I should mention first.
1. The best user experience comes when QR codes lead people to a mobile website.
2. Always direct a QR code for a direct mail advertisement to a dedicated website page that explains more about the ad.
3. Do not simply repeat everything that's on the ad because there is no benefit to you or the customer unless the QR code provides added value to your marketing.
4. You could direct a QR code to an e-commerce site to capture some sales, but it's better to make sure the customer can see pretty pictures quickly.
5. A QR code does not have to lead people to a generic web page that gives more details, it could point to a specific page for a single jewelry style.
QR codes are ugly and it can be difficult to fit them into an attractive mail piece. Don't try too hard, just put a message next to the square barcode that explains why it's there. Here are some message ideas:
"Scan this to find out more."
"Scan code or go to domain.com to view video"
"Scan code to see the best deals in our store right now."
"Find out more RIGHT NOW by scanning this code."
"Learn More, Scan This"
"Scan to view more photos of this jewelry."
Once you figure out how to use the QR code you then need to copy the website address you want to use and go to http://qrf.in to create a QR code. Just paste your website address into the box on that site and they will generate the QR code for you.
Save the QR code to your hard drive and send it to your marketing person. They also create a short web address that you should write down. It will look like this:http://qrf.in/a123bcd. You could include that address in your marketing for people who do not know how to scan a QR code.
QR codes are easy enough to implement, they don't cost anything, and they can only help your visitor counts.
