What You Need to Know About the Future of the QR Code

Maybe you can remember the first time you used a QR code (or at least tried to). You likely had to download an app, set up an account, let the app access your devices camera, and then scan the code. Or maybe you gave up when you found out you had to download an app. Now, QR codes are everywhere, easy to scan with any phone camera, and are recognized as much more environmentally friendly than their paper alternatives.

Humble Beginnings

When the QR code first took off in 2010, it was a little bit ahead of its time. With the many extra steps required to scan them, it’s not surprising that the QR code disappeared until recently. Fast forward 7 years to 2017, Apple and most other tech companies’ devices no longer required a 3rd party app to read QR codes. While this was a great update to technology, the world had already averted its gaze. That is until the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Comeback

2020 came along and locked us all in our homes. We faced the looming idea that at some point, we would have to go back out into the world, but this time with a contagious new virus. As the summer months of 2020 rolled in, stores and restaurants began to reopen, and businesses were challenged to interact with the public in a way that was both safe and functional. Creative and innovative ideas were essential to adjust to the new circumstances of the pandemic and the QR code came to the rescue! Using the QR code as a tool to reduce contact and high touch areas proved to be successful and wildly popular because this time, the world was both ready and in need! By 2020, everyone had their phones on their person unlike in 2010, and our phones were now equipped to read the codes without the help of a third-party app. Now in 2022, we continue to see QR codes in retail environments, restaurants, bars and so on. QR codes are here to stay, and even social media platforms are joining in to stay relevant despite already being completely digital mediums.

QR Codes and Social Media

In recent years, Instagram launched a QR code generator for business profiles. Instagram QR codes can be printed or shared to allow customers as well as potential customers to see business hours, link to buy items and follow the page. While the launch of Instagram QR codes was originally intended for business accounts, anyone can use the feature and many individuals with personal accounts use the feature simply to enhance their vanity metrics.

Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Spotify all use their own types of QR codes to scan to profiles, songs, playlists, and usernames. Marketers from all industries should take notes. Using QR codes to offer customers and clients access to forms, deals, discounts, menus, and service offerings is becoming more and more common. It is vital to keep up with this change because consumers are living in an increasingly convenience-oriented world. These types of advances are not just desired but expected. Continuing to hand out stacks of paperwork and worn-out menus, tells the consumer that your business isn’t growing with the world. Don’t drag your feet, it’s time to get those paper forms accessible through QR codes.

Identifying When to Use a QR Code

Remember, the QR code isn’t right for every situation! Like anything, it’s important to carefully consider whether the situation is appropriate for their use. For example, don’t use a QR code on your website unless you are sure most users are viewing your website on a desktop or laptop and will have their phone camera on hand to scan it. QR codes are better used in-person to access forms on devices that would otherwise be on paper.

We say it all the time, this is a digital and tech-driven world and the QR code is a steppingstone to keeping up with the ever-changing world. SilverTech is here to help. If your business needs some guidance on when to employ QR codes or just making the switch to digital in general, contact us!