How QR Codes Help in Understanding User Behaviour

Quick response codes, or QR codes, were originally used by the automobile industry to track vehicles during their production process in the 1990s.

They then made the transition to consumer advertising and marketing in the early and middle part of the 2000s, which at the time increased their notoriety and widespread use.

The transition between the print and digital worlds, however, did not go as smoothly as anticipated. Further development was halted by issues with usability, and QR codes lost ground.

In a world where pandemics are the driving force, quick response codes have given businesses/ eCommerce stores a touch-free method to organize their content, boost conversion rates and keep customers interested. Now, it's possible to measure user frequency, purchases, interactions, and more with just a quick code scan.

Analytics for QR codes have paved the way for new consumer experiences as well as opportunities for more sophisticated marketing engagement and brand awareness.

In this article, we'll examine the rapidly expanding use of QR codes and how the data gathered from scanning them is enabling a more in-depth examination of consumer behavior.

Types of QR codes

Popular 2-dimensional barcodes include quick response codes. Compared to their 1-dimensional equivalents, they can store a great deal more information and reduce human error. To communicate information, movies, photographs, map coordinates, documents, and more, QR codes may be created.

The code contains a URL that, when scanned, takes the user to the desired website link. 

Previously, in order to access the code, users had to download an app to their smartphones, which acted as a barrier to the development of QR codes in the modern market and slowed down their success.

However, because of improvements in smartphone technology, the barcode can now be automatically read from any open camera app, which takes users to the relevant link.

We can separate two types of QR barcodes:

• Static
• Dynamic

Depending on the work, each has different advantages and is preferable to utilize.

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Static version 

Static versions are not modifiable after they have been produced since they cannot be overwritten. They have very little functionality since they include coding that directs visitors to a predetermined destination URL. 

When information does not need to be updated, such as during one-time events or marketing campaigns, static codes are used, which prevents the information from being tracked.

Static QR codes can take the following forms:

• Message
• Email
• Simple text 

A local community race would be a good example of using a static version. Once the competition has concluded, runners who have racing bibs with static quick response codes can scan them to view the results. There is no tracking required because it is a one-time occurrence.

Dynamic version

User-editable, or dynamic, codes can still be modified after they have been created. 

This is useful for updating data, modifying the link, and correcting mistakes or errors that have already happened. Additionally, modifications and updates may be made to ongoing marketing and advertising campaigns, saving time and money by avoiding the need to print new codes.

Short links are used in dynamic QR codes. A brief link speeds up code scanning and loading and is simpler to modify. This is so that it can be smaller and have a simpler structure than the full URL code that connects the user to the information.

Process of the tracking

Dynamic QR codes can be useful for companies and businesses that want to keep track of marketing campaigns and evaluate their effects. They are simple to make, cheap to produce, and extremely adaptable for a variety of uses. They are also a great source of knowledge.

• Live monitoring
• Online analysis

If you are creating the dynamic QR Code through a reliable QR Code generator, then you will get access to additional scan data and user behavior, which will help you track and monitor the progress of your marketing campaigns.

Live monitoring

A website that records user activity is visited every time a certain barcode is scanned by a user. This offers a plethora of analytics that show data instantly. Additionally, it enables quick corrections to be made when something goes wrong with the campaign.

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Online analysis

A QR code may be scanned once to access a variety of metrics. These fresh data, which are continuously being collected and made public, may contain information like:

• Location 
• Count of scans 
• The scan's duration 
• Traffic 

Companies can make the required adjustments to increase the effectiveness of their marketing thanks to analytics. 

For instance, present and past campaigns may be compared to see which strategies have a higher success rate than others so that a company can decide what to prioritize.

Future

As more businesses, retailers, and brands continue to employ quick response codes as a major business solution, its use now doesn't appear to be slowing down. 

Unlike when it originally sought to penetrate the marketing and advertising industry. By the end of 2021, around 12 million homes will scan a code, according to Statista.

Now that statistics are available, companies may better understand their customer base. 

They can monitor the impact of their content, create advertising and marketing strategies based on historical and present-day metrics, and ultimately have a better understanding of user behavior that will help them target and retarget customers.

Website heatmap tools

Heatmap tools are one method that may be used in conjunction with analytics.

With the most popular areas showing in red and the least popular sections appearing in blue, the heatmap displays the most and least popular aspects of a webpage. 

This graphic makes it easier to analyze data and comprehend how consumers engage with a website after scanning a code and being sent there. 

These interactions can take the form of clicks, scrolling depth, disregarded content, movement on the page, etc.

There are several types of heatmap tools that can be useful during the analysis:

• Click heatmap
• Scroll heatmap
• Mouse tracking heatmap
• Geo heatmap

Consider a restaurant that wants to analyze the data it is receiving after using dynamic codes to direct customers to its website.

A vendor of apparel might be another illustration. Customers can use heatmap tools to see which products are getting the most and least clicks, as well as what percentage of their website is actually being scrolled, after scanning a code that links to their website.

Businesses can use the information gathered from QR codes to determine the areas where their customers are spending the most time and to spot trends that can be improved for greater engagement.

Conclusion

A priceless investment tool is now the use of Quick response codes. The popularity of using these in the modern market is likely to become the new norm, bringing with it a wealth of constantly changing information as access to mobile smartphones rises.