How and When to Incorporate QR Codes Into Your Digital Signage
QR codes have gone from being relatively unknown to basically ubiquitous in a short period of time – thanks in part to their use for tracking through COVID-19. From creating a better customer experience to increasing sales, here are a few specific ways to incorporate QR codes into your digital signage:
Create ultra-engaging CTAs
Say you’re featuring an offer on your digital signage network, and there’s a particular call-to-action (CTA) you want visitors to see. In a retail setting, this could mean checking out a new product; in banking, it may be exploring a certain type of financing. Or, in health, it might involve leaving feedback on the visitor experience to help improve check-in and queue management processes.
Displaying a QR code on digital signage is an excellent way to get visitors to take action right away. Rather than seeing an offer, thinking about it, and maybe following up later in the day, QR codes encourage immediate action. A visitor can scan the code and be instantly directed to a targeted digital page for more details, allowing you to strike while the iron’s hot and connect with visitors when they’re most engaged.
For example, a fashion retail brand could promote particular products by displaying images of the products on commercial screens and then sending shoppers to the relevant pages via a QR code for more information. The customer could then explore the products in-depth, on their own, potentially increasing the odds of them making a purchase.
Ultimately, QR codes are great when you’re looking to drive a specific response and need to show customers how to fulfill it. It’s just a matter of displaying relevant content on your digital signage that sets up the CTA and making the QR easily accessible.
QR codes for Queue Management
QR codes also have great use in helping to manage occupancy and queues which have capacity limits due to either COVID-19 restrictions or other events.
In a service-based retail setting for example, a digital signage screen can be set up outside a store, displaying both capacity information and a QR code with instructions. The customer can then scan the QR code and book themselves into the queue virtually, and with SMS notifications set up through a queue management platform, the customer can spend their time elsewhere such as grabbing a coffee nearby until they receive a text message notifying them of their progression in the queue and when they can come into the store.
Offer wayfinding self-navigation
Digital wayfinding is a powerful solution for helping visitors navigate large or complex spaces, such as shopping malls and hospitals. Wayfinding devices can be placed on free-standing kiosks, as well as on wall-mounted displays and desk stands. Visitors simply walk up to the device and choose where they need to go. The wayfinder then provides them with detailed directions.
Here’s an example of what this can look like in practice:
But whilst digital wayfinding on its own is extremely helpful and reduces much of the stress and frustration of navigation for visitors, using QR codes in conjunction with this technology takes it to a whole new level. Visitors can, for example, scan a QR code on a digital display from their smartphone and ‘take the directions with them’ for a convenient, on-the-go self-navigation experience.
Even in the most expansive, labyrinthine of settings, visitors can quickly get their bearings and move from point A to point B with zero confusion. Consider this approach if you have a large building and continually need to orient visitors, vendors, or even new employees to your space.
Provide points of interest information
Besides self-navigation, you can also use QR codes in conjunction with wayfinding to provide points of interest (POI) information.
A good example would be a large shopping centre, where shoppers may need information on sales, entertainment, events, dining or cafe options. With a simple scan of a QR code, they can quickly gain access to important information, including photos for each POI, hours, and current promotions.
Rather than having to manually ask customer service representatives or scour the internet, a QR code dramatically streamlines their information search. In turn, this creates a much richer customer experience, whilst also reducing the need for dedicated customer service reps. On top of that, you can feature targeted promotions in your points of interest for maximum impact.
As with wayfinding self-navigation, using QR codes to provide points of interest information is especially helpful when you’re dealing with expansive areas or want to highlight particular attractions. Though probably unnecessary for most small businesses, this use of QR codes can be a viable solution for many larger Australian organisations that are looking to optimise visitor navigation.
Want to learn more about incorporating QR codes into your digital signage? Reach out to the experts at Engagis today for recommendations that match the unique needs of your business.