QR codes are generally used in print or sometimes on TV and scanned by smartphone users as a quick and easy way to reach a website without the hassle of typing in a complex web address. There’s something rather gimmicky about this device, but once you have used a QR code once or twice to access a website on your phone, it’s easy to understand why it’s fast catching on.

In order to really get  mileage out of a QR code it should be used as part of a Google analytics campaign and tracked in order to get some data back on how many people are using the code. The process for doing this is documented here and can be carried out for any client who is running GA on their website.

As QR codes become more and more common place, it will be interesting to see just how creatively they can be used. We spotted this innovative use recently which replaces the need for a physical user manual and it’s a really clever way of attaching some important information to an object using a very small label area.

Here’s an ingenious use of the QR code in Korea in July 2011, where Tesco wanted to increase market share without opening more stores.

Subsequently a few copycat retailers have done a similar exercise with high street pop-up shops.

Here are some other ways brands can use QR codes:

Till receipts
Placing a QR code on the bottom of a till receipt is a simple and cost effective way of engaging with a consumer especially for brands with a mobile savvy demographic.

Consumer mailing
Why not place a QR code on the bottom of all printed and digital communications, directing the recipient to a landing page with extended content?

Public transport
How often do you look at the seat in front of you when on the train? Why not put a QR code on the back of every seat and sell the advertising space?

On business cards
The humble business card could do with a face-lift. Why not add a QR code to the card? Point it at a landing page with more detail on the business or individual.

In car showrooms
Putting QR codes on cars could immediately send interested prospects to a mobile landing page where they can see details of mileage, performance, price and so on.

Here are some amusing examples of QR codes, which clearly were done as a result of jumping on the bandwagon – not well thought through at all.

That doesn’t mean to say that for someone that’s looking to update their online presence that it’s any easier to get it right. For a start, there’s still a rich flow of jargon that’s second nature to web designers, but isn’t immediately understood by the man in the street. So it’s certainly useful to understand some of the essential terminology such as ‘social media’, ‘SEO’, ‘analytics’ and ‘web 2.0’ to name a few (of course, you can Google them!).

Another key development in recent years to consider is just where your website will now be viewed. The desktop personal computer is only one of a wide selection of platforms from which to broadcast your corporate message. Laptops, tablets, smartphones and even the family television play host to the web these days. Particularly in terms of hand-held devices, some additional work will be required to make your site viewer friendly for this increasingly popular device.

Content is king
People are less patient these days. Now the focus is on delivering the information they want as efficiently and effectively as possible. So the days of the five-minute animated introduction are over (unless there is a good business reason to showcase your work in this way). Thinking clearly about layout and how good planning can allow your customers to get the information they need quickly is a good place to start.

Relevant and regularly updated content is also the way to get your site highly ranked on the search engines. This is a really important aspect if your future customers are likely to use Google (there are other search engines, but googling has now become synonymous with online searches) to find a solution to their commercial needs.

Google has continued to evolve too and in particular has become much more sophisticated in filtering out ‘tricks’ that would allow web developers to artificially promote sites above their natural rankings. This means that having relevant and regularly updated information presented in a way that the search engines can easily digest has neverbeen more important. This can also mean sacrificing elegant prose for relevant headings and bullet-pointed headlines.

Building a site isn’t the start and finish of the job. It’s critical that you are regularly adding new information to the site, giving customers a reason to come back to the site and to maintain high positions with search engines. This often raises the question of who should be responsible for managing and updating new content for the site.

Increasingly we are requested to provide a content management system (CMS) for clients. Regrettably this is often driven by bad experiences where the time and cost for changes and updates having to be made by the web agency has left a feeling of having their fingers burnt. In the great majority of cases CMS is a really valuable feature as it means that whether you choose to do this yourself or have your agency (or PR people) update content, a good CMS will make that process quicker and less costly.

The build debate
One of the most difficult decisions when it comes to website build is deciding on the best programming solution. The fact is that many factors need to be considered in choosing the best solution, which will include the need to host video or other media, whether ecommerce is central to the site and the nature of the content management system you require. For most people, the investment in their online presence is a significant one and choosing the wrong option here can have costly repercussions. That’s why we always explain the options that are available and don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ approach, or just offer the solution our programmers are most comfortable with.

In particular for more substantial businesses the idea of having a ‘bespoke’ solution from a web agency may seem attractive on the basis that it can be tailor made for you. However, this can often mean that you are committing to a system that can’t be easily transferred to another provider if you fall out of love with your web agency. While instinctively many companies shy away from ‘open source’ programming solutions, these can often be more reliable and flexible than the ‘closed source’ alternative.

Ten key considerations

• Make sure you know what you want your website to achieve for you
• Choose a web partner that demonstrates an understanding of your business
• Your online presence should be dictated by marketing considerations, not technical issues
• Ensure you consider new and emerging technologies in which your site may be viewed
• Make sure you give customers reasons to revisit your site
• If Google rankings are important to you, make sure you have an SEO strategy and budget for it
• Do some homework on the current trends and jargon and ask prospective partners to explain their views
• Keep repeating to yourself ‘content is king’
• Work out if social media has a part to play in your web strategy and think about how you use it
• Make sure your web strategy is totally aligned with your business and marketing strategies

First published in Jersey Business Brief, September 2011