7 Reasons to Add QR Codes to Your Products

Imagine a unique QR code on each one of your products. The QR code is printed on a durable label that can withstand the most brutal conditions: construction sites, extreme weather, and yes, even toddlers. When customers scan the QR code they are a click away from accessing a helpful owner’s manual, a troubleshooting guide, safety information, installation instructions, or your customer support team.

Here are seven reasons to incorporate QR codes on your product labels:

1. Customers Expect It.

Consumers are becoming extremely savvy. Whether your brand sells B2B, B2C, or B2B2C, the folks giving you money expect a streamlined experience.

Customers are people and people don’t like to be frustrated. If your customer has a question they can easily find the answer to, that’s when they are most likely to turn to a competitor. One-third of consumers switched from a favorited brand due to a drop in product quality and service, according to a 2022 global survey.

A QR code on your product means one-click access for customers to connect with your brand.

2. You Want to Be the Source of All Product Information.

If customers can’t find answers on your brand website, they’ll look elsewhere - forums, YouTube, and word of mouth. A healthy community of influencers and brand advocates is phenomenal; key word being healthy.

A healthy community is built around a solid brand that controls information and provides authoritative content about its products and area of expertise.

A QR code on product means providing customers with direct access to customer support or troubleshooting guides. It puts your brand messaging on the front line.

3. QR Codes Work.

Last year, about 89 million U.S. smartphone users scanned a QR code on their mobile device. That’s up 26 percent from 2020, according to a recent survey.

Bottom line: QR codes are recognizable and your customers know what to do when they see one. QR codes pique their interest. If valuable content is provided, customers will return to the linked digital experience, which means more opportunities for your brand to build customer loyalty.

4. Create a Differentiating Customer Journey.

The ideal customer journey is a coordinated effort to engage with customers at every stage of the buying process. Many marketers will talk about delighting customers throughout their brand journey.

No, stop that. If you want to truly delight your customers, shorten their journey. Answer their questions. Don’t make them search for information. Lessen their burden and get them back to their lives faster. That and only that, will delight them.

A QR code on a product is an immovable reminder that your brand is accessible. It can connect customers to FAQs, a live customer support chat, or a myriad of other content pieces you know your customers find valuable.

5. Don’t Make Customers Hate the Product Registration Process.

Product registration is certainly important, mostly to the brand, if we’re being honest. Yes, customers get some benefit from registering their newly purchased product. They get a streamlined customer support experience and product-specific communication from the brand. 

Product registration rates consistently hover around 20 percent, clearly there’s room for improvement. A product-specific QR code can reduce the information a customer has to provide by automatically associating that customer with the product they purchased.

6. Capture Valuable Customer Data.

Zero-party data is a term that was coined by Forrester in 2020 to describe the type of data willingly given by the customer. 

Every brand needs to collect zero-party data. With Google planning to stop supporting third-party cookies in 2024, any brands relying on third-party cookies need to make new plans.

Marketers can capture zero-party customer data in a number of ways, including warranty registration, promotional offers, or text messaging opt-ins.

A strategically placed QR code, on either the product or product packaging, could lead customers to a simple form where they can provide their contact information. In return, the customers could activate their warranty, or opt-in to receive alerts or promotional offers via text, for example.

The newly captured zero-party data will give your marketing team a clearer picture of your customer demographic.

7. Digitize Product Information PDFs

Product information PDFs have been a staple of the manufacturing world. They grew in favor because the file format lends itself to printing and they can be well enough posted online for anyone to access. However, PDFs are being replaced by digital experiences. Landing pages, microsites, and apps have supplanted PDFs for three main reasons:

1. Businesses are reducing how much they print as they go green, and side-benefit: cost savings. 
2. Digital product information is much easier to update and correct. There is no “undo” on a printed PDF in the hands of a customer. It’s not a matter of if, but when product information needs to be updated a digital product experience can be edited seamlessly.
3. Fewer customers expect printed manuals and prefer digital solutions. Customers want to filter a product guide and see dynamic results based on their preferences. Customers want a mobile device to search the massive owner’s manual for a keyword.

Provide your customers, partners, and dealers with on-demand access to reliable product information. Build trust with your key stakeholders by turning outdated PDFs into dynamic digital experiences that automatically update when new product information is available.

By organizing and storing product information in a Product Information Management (PIM) solution, brands can seamlessly create digital experiences. Ready to see what Lumavate can do for your brand? Book a demo.