4 ms·

American Business: Cracking the QR Code

36 points by hamiltonchan 15y ago

jmah 15y ago
The real estate signs made sense to me, because if you're interested you'd probably snap a photo of the sign anyway to remember the address and agent. But I don't get why you'd make your customers scan a code in your store -- they're already IN YOUR STORE.
- viscanti 15y ago
  I think the idea is to find out more about a product. Some people research a product before they get to the store, but some people don't. That's especially true for impulse buys. I see the value of QR Codes in stores as being a way to quickly give you more information about a product.
- jamesbkel 15y ago
  Agree on both points. Another situation where I've found QR codes useful for the consumer is links within print publications. I would hesitate to follow any QR codes in a print ad, but for something along the lines of a follow-up video to an article, QR codes can be convenient for the reader.
earlyriser 15y ago
The problem with QR codes is that almost nobody gives a hint of where the QR code directs. People need a reason to scan. By the way I'm launching http://qranberry.me http://qranberry.me to make mobile sites and QR codes in a snap.
callmeed 15y ago
Good Lord, it's so sad that mainstream media is helping push this idea that QR codes are good for small business. Look at the traffic snapshot for that NYC liquor store they profile: http://cl.ly/3s3Q1J3s0x1Y2f3w3V3x http://cl.ly/3s3Q1J3s0x1Y2f3w3V3x That looks to be about 45 visits for 1 month. FORTY FIVE! That poor lady probably spent 4-figures in cost and time implementing that crap. I've never seen someone scan a QR code on a storefront in the wild. I can't wait until these things go away.
- artursapek 15y ago
  I too have never seen anyone actually scan one. They won't be around much longer.
rajpaul 15y ago
That is a great video. Before watching it I didn't understand QR codes at all. As a consumer, I've never used a QR code in my life. If companies reward users for using QR codes with discounts, as the video suggests, I would use it. Also, now I understand why a business would want to use QR codes. They help the businesses to track the effectiveness of advertising.
- hamiltonchan 15y ago
  Thanks, rajpaul, for the positive feedback!
- teamlaft 15y ago
  Check out Social Passport (www.socialpassport.net) as it will be totally up your alley. For consumers it creates a QR code which stores all of your social networking information for instant scanning to Like, Tweet, or Checkin somewhere, and then also serves as a digital loyalty card and e-coupon. Merchants incentivize users to get their Social Passports scanned through discounts, contests, and giveaways, and in return send a customized message to a user's entire social network.
  - TylerE 15y ago
    Yea, that sounds like a good way to get lots of unfriends. Who comes up with this stuff?
  - fleitz 15y ago
    What problem does this solve? I've never been walking around thinking, "Man, you know what would be cool? If a merchant could incentivize me right now. I wish my digital loyalty card also had an e-coupon so I could checkin somewhere". Change the pitch to: "Scan this for X free Airmiles" or "Download Social Passport for X free airmiles." Is it possible to design a QR code that looks like a plane taking off or something? Who the fuck even knows what a Digital Loyalty card is?
kellysutton 15y ago
See: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000037.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000037.html
- spacemanaki 15y ago
  And this: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/01/29.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/01/29.html "People have camera phones with web browsers now. Some things are still the same: typing URLs is not hard ... " Actually it is. The problem with Joel's argument is that I don't think he's ever tried to type a URL on a phone. It was an infuriating exercise in 2008 when he wrote that post, and it's an infuriating exercise today, even on the iPhone and on my Android phone. I use a QR code as a quick link to deploy a new build of an app I'm working on to an Android device, and it's definitely easier then firing up the browser and painfully navigating to our CI server.
eggbrain 15y ago
As a consumer, I hate QR codes. They totally obfuscate what is going to happen -- Many times there is little to no information about where a QR code will send me. As an iPhone user, I also need to download an app to read the QR codes, and suddenly I now have another choice to make -- which app is the best quality and least spammy of the ones listed. As a designer, I also think they are quite ugly -- Try putting one of these into your beautifully designed billboard/magazine and it looks pretty terrible. The business side of me appreciates the metrics that come from this, but I think QR is a stopgap technology until RFID readers become mainstream.
- gravitronic 15y ago
  The best summary of QR codes that I have heard is "they solve a marketer's problem, not a consumer's problem".
  - hsshah 15y ago
    It's certainly a witty statement. I will give an 'upvote' for that. However, I cannot agree with the statement. It may have started the way you are describing however, there are so many practical uses for a consumer as well. Essentially, it makes the offline work "clickable". There are other technologies as well that serves as a bridge for offline2online (folks have already mentioned about RFID). QR code is just one of them and as with any solution it has it's pros and cons. I do like the trend of businesses trying to make things interactive, contextual and personalized. I hate typing URLs on my phone so any solution is a welcome one. As for folks complaining about the aesthetics of the code; there are companies working on making the code invisible: http://www.digimarc.com/ http://www.digimarc.com/ Personally, I would like a non-proprietary technology though; so unless they make it royalty-free; I will continue to favor QR codes.
    - potatolicious 15y ago
      And the cuecat made the offline world "scannable". That alone doesn't mean much. The problem right now is that, between a (short-ish) URL on a poster/billboard and a QR code, I am far, far, far more likely to use the URL than the code. Why? Because it's easier. Here's what I have to do to scan a code: - Scroll homescreens/app list over to the code reader app. - Start code reader app. - Tap (probably 2 taps, more if the app is not well designed) - Wait for my camera to warm up (this is really slow on Android and earlier iPhones) - Hold the camera still over the code. Nope. Even more still. No wait, I'm too close for it to focus. Pull it away from the poster for a second. Wait while the camera hunts for focus in the indoor, dim lighting (where else do you think QR codes are?). Wait for iiiiiiit. There! Code acquired! - Tap on a button to open the URL inevitably embedded within. No thanks, I'll type in yourcompany.com/qr faster than that, with less frustration, and less looking like an idiot. RFID is going to be a great solution to that - but that would require the proliferation of readers first.
mds 15y ago
I think QR codes have the same problem as the segway (http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html) -- it makes the user look like a doofus. Walking up to an ad or whatever and waving my my phone around at it just feels un-cool and socially awkward.
Andys 15y ago
We're using QR codes instead of Bar codes for document management. The codes hold more information and being square instead of rectangular, look more discrete.
JimmyL 15y ago
QR codes suffer from a bunch of problems - not least of which is that it's cumbersome to read them. iPhone? Need to find/pick/install/test an app. Likewise for Android (I think). BlackBerry's got reader software baked-in, but you'd never find it organically (why is the easiest way to get it open through BBM's Scan a Group Barcode option?). In the time it took to do that, a user could have just typed the URL in, and known exactly what would happen. I'm on a BlackBerry, and even though I know how to run my QR reader, it's still easier and quicker for me to just type it in manually. Similarly, it often seems the people who design posters/ads that feature QR codes have no concept of how you'd scan them - if there's a code on a billboard that's three stories up a building, there's no way my camera will pick that up. Conversely, if the ad is a subway poster (which I'll never be more than 3ft from), you don't need a 4ft diagram. The marketer in me (and everyone) loves them because they allow metrics down to the individual poster/magazine edition, and make it easy - in theory - to jump from something physical to something online. Actual users don't care about them, because there's no perceived increase in value or convenience over the tried-and-true-and-well-understood method of just Googling the product name.

36 points by hamiltonchan 15y ago

jmah 15y ago

The real estate signs made sense to me, because if you're interested you'd probably snap a photo of the sign anyway to remember the address and agent. But I don't get why you'd make your customers scan a code in your store -- they're already IN YOUR STORE.

viscanti 15y ago
I think the idea is to find out more about a product. Some people research a product before they get to the store, but some people don't. That's especially true for impulse buys. I see the value of QR Codes in stores as being a way to quickly give you more information about a product.
jamesbkel 15y ago
Agree on both points. Another situation where I've found QR codes useful for the consumer is links within print publications. I would hesitate to follow any QR codes in a print ad, but for something along the lines of a follow-up video to an article, QR codes can be convenient for the reader.

earlyriser 15y ago

The problem with QR codes is that almost nobody gives a hint of where the QR code directs. People need a reason to scan. By the way I'm launching http://qranberry.me http://qranberry.me to make mobile sites and QR codes in a snap.

callmeed 15y ago

Good Lord, it's so sad that mainstream media is helping push this idea that QR codes are good for small business. Look at the traffic snapshot for that NYC liquor store they profile: http://cl.ly/3s3Q1J3s0x1Y2f3w3V3x http://cl.ly/3s3Q1J3s0x1Y2f3w3V3x That looks to be about 45 visits for 1 month. FORTY FIVE! That poor lady probably spent 4-figures in cost and time implementing that crap. I've never seen someone scan a QR code on a storefront in the wild. I can't wait until these things go away.

artursapek 15y ago
I too have never seen anyone actually scan one. They won't be around much longer.

rajpaul 15y ago

That is a great video. Before watching it I didn't understand QR codes at all. As a consumer, I've never used a QR code in my life. If companies reward users for using QR codes with discounts, as the video suggests, I would use it. Also, now I understand why a business would want to use QR codes. They help the businesses to track the effectiveness of advertising.

hamiltonchan 15y ago
Thanks, rajpaul, for the positive feedback!
teamlaft 15y ago
Check out Social Passport (www.socialpassport.net) as it will be totally up your alley. For consumers it creates a QR code which stores all of your social networking information for instant scanning to Like, Tweet, or Checkin somewhere, and then also serves as a digital loyalty card and e-coupon. Merchants incentivize users to get their Social Passports scanned through discounts, contests, and giveaways, and in return send a customized message to a user's entire social network.
- TylerE 15y ago
  Yea, that sounds like a good way to get lots of unfriends. Who comes up with this stuff?
- fleitz 15y ago
  What problem does this solve? I've never been walking around thinking, "Man, you know what would be cool? If a merchant could incentivize me right now. I wish my digital loyalty card also had an e-coupon so I could checkin somewhere". Change the pitch to: "Scan this for X free Airmiles" or "Download Social Passport for X free airmiles." Is it possible to design a QR code that looks like a plane taking off or something? Who the fuck even knows what a Digital Loyalty card is?

kellysutton 15y ago

See: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000037.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000037.html

spacemanaki 15y ago
And this: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/01/29.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/01/29.html "People have camera phones with web browsers now. Some things are still the same: typing URLs is not hard ... " Actually it is. The problem with Joel's argument is that I don't think he's ever tried to type a URL on a phone. It was an infuriating exercise in 2008 when he wrote that post, and it's an infuriating exercise today, even on the iPhone and on my Android phone. I use a QR code as a quick link to deploy a new build of an app I'm working on to an Android device, and it's definitely easier then firing up the browser and painfully navigating to our CI server.

eggbrain 15y ago

As a consumer, I hate QR codes. They totally obfuscate what is going to happen -- Many times there is little to no information about where a QR code will send me. As an iPhone user, I also need to download an app to read the QR codes, and suddenly I now have another choice to make -- which app is the best quality and least spammy of the ones listed. As a designer, I also think they are quite ugly -- Try putting one of these into your beautifully designed billboard/magazine and it looks pretty terrible. The business side of me appreciates the metrics that come from this, but I think QR is a stopgap technology until RFID readers become mainstream.

gravitronic 15y ago
The best summary of QR codes that I have heard is "they solve a marketer's problem, not a consumer's problem".
- hsshah 15y ago
  It's certainly a witty statement. I will give an 'upvote' for that. However, I cannot agree with the statement. It may have started the way you are describing however, there are so many practical uses for a consumer as well. Essentially, it makes the offline work "clickable". There are other technologies as well that serves as a bridge for offline2online (folks have already mentioned about RFID). QR code is just one of them and as with any solution it has it's pros and cons. I do like the trend of businesses trying to make things interactive, contextual and personalized. I hate typing URLs on my phone so any solution is a welcome one. As for folks complaining about the aesthetics of the code; there are companies working on making the code invisible: http://www.digimarc.com/ http://www.digimarc.com/ Personally, I would like a non-proprietary technology though; so unless they make it royalty-free; I will continue to favor QR codes.
  - potatolicious 15y ago
    And the cuecat made the offline world "scannable". That alone doesn't mean much. The problem right now is that, between a (short-ish) URL on a poster/billboard and a QR code, I am far, far, far more likely to use the URL than the code. Why? Because it's easier. Here's what I have to do to scan a code: - Scroll homescreens/app list over to the code reader app. - Start code reader app. - Tap (probably 2 taps, more if the app is not well designed) - Wait for my camera to warm up (this is really slow on Android and earlier iPhones) - Hold the camera still over the code. Nope. Even more still. No wait, I'm too close for it to focus. Pull it away from the poster for a second. Wait while the camera hunts for focus in the indoor, dim lighting (where else do you think QR codes are?). Wait for iiiiiiit. There! Code acquired! - Tap on a button to open the URL inevitably embedded within. No thanks, I'll type in yourcompany.com/qr faster than that, with less frustration, and less looking like an idiot. RFID is going to be a great solution to that - but that would require the proliferation of readers first.

mds 15y ago

I think QR codes have the same problem as the segway (http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html) -- it makes the user look like a doofus. Walking up to an ad or whatever and waving my my phone around at it just feels un-cool and socially awkward.

Andys 15y ago

We're using QR codes instead of Bar codes for document management. The codes hold more information and being square instead of rectangular, look more discrete.

JimmyL 15y ago

QR codes suffer from a bunch of problems - not least of which is that it's cumbersome to read them. iPhone? Need to find/pick/install/test an app. Likewise for Android (I think). BlackBerry's got reader software baked-in, but you'd never find it organically (why is the easiest way to get it open through BBM's Scan a Group Barcode option?). In the time it took to do that, a user could have just typed the URL in, and known exactly what would happen. I'm on a BlackBerry, and even though I know how to run my QR reader, it's still easier and quicker for me to just type it in manually. Similarly, it often seems the people who design posters/ads that feature QR codes have no concept of how you'd scan them - if there's a code on a billboard that's three stories up a building, there's no way my camera will pick that up. Conversely, if the ad is a subway poster (which I'll never be more than 3ft from), you don't need a 4ft diagram. The marketer in me (and everyone) loves them because they allow metrics down to the individual poster/magazine edition, and make it easy - in theory - to jump from something physical to something online. Actual users don't care about them, because there's no perceived increase in value or convenience over the tried-and-true-and-well-understood method of just Googling the product name.