Tag: mobile marketing

Survey shows UK consumers want better QR codes

A new study conducted in the United Kingdom by Hitachi Consulting shows that British consumers are willing to use QR codes, if only marketers and businesses were able to use them effectively. QR codes have become favored tools throughout the advertising industry, with many agencies leveraging the capabilities of these codes to engage mobile consumers. Though advertisers and businesses have shown major favor for the codes, consumers have been less enthusiastic, with some considering the codes garish while others are entirely unfamiliar with them.

12% of consumers have scanned QR codes while shopping

According to the survey, approximately 12% of all British consumers have ever scanned a QR code while shopping. Another 36% said, however, they would be willing to use QR codes if they provided them with discounts, rewards, and more personalized services. The survey shows that younger consumers are more likely to use QR codes if they know they will be rewarded for doing so. Overall, consumers want to see QR codes used in a less ambiguous way so they know exactly what the codes are for and how they can benefit from scanning them.

Young consumers considered ideal target for QR codes

Young consumers, in particular, are an ideal target for QR codes because these people have already shown interest in the codes in the past. These consumers are steeped in mobile technology and have already established some degree of familiarity with QR codes and barcode scanning applications. As these consumers become more prominent in markets around the world, advertisers and companies have been looking for ways to engage them, using QR codes as an effective tool. Surrounding these codes in a shroud of vagueness, however, has proven unattractive for young consumers, who are demanding more straightforward and clear services.

Consumers demand more straightforward codes

Despite the relatively low use of QR codes amongst UK consumers, the codes remain one of the most widely used marketing tools in the advertising space. Marketers consider the codes to be highly effective in their ability to engage consumers, even if these consumers do not actually use the codes. The survey suggests that retailers may have to take a new approach to their use of QR codes if they want to engage a younger audience.

As the number of smartphone using consumers increases, so is the demand for mobile experiences.

Businesses ranging from retail stores to hotels are discovering that they need to keep up with the pace of technology, which means that mcommerce is already a vital part of ensuring future survival.

It is no longer an option for companies to avoid these changes.

Over half of consumers in the United States now have smartphones, and a growing number of them have come to expect that their favorite places to shop will cater to their desire to use these devices to make purchases and reservations. Many business owners are under the impression that this will require a great deal of time and expense, but it is possible to take part in mcommerce without tying up a large amount of a marketing budget or resources.

The mcommerce experience allows companies to become closer with consumers.

A survey performed by IMB this year that spoke with CEOs of companies of various size showed that 88 percent felt that their highest priority between now and 2017 was to bring themselves closer to their customers. Mobile commerce is an exceptionally important way to reach this goal.

Although the standard web remains important, as the majority of consumers still use desktops and laptops for shopping and searching online, recent data from Google has shown that 15 percent of online activity comes from mobile sources. This is a market segment that is simply too large to ignore, and it grows bigger every month.

By using social and mcommerce, companies get develop a better understanding of who their customers are and what they want from their experience. It becomes possible to identify many more variables than is possible from in-store or standard online shoppers. Once that information has been obtained, the customer experience can be continually personalized and polished in order to make sure that each customer type can shop in the way that they enjoy the most.

Mcommerce profiles allow businesses to personalize each individual shopper or guest, so that marketing, information, and purchasing can all be geared toward their interests, expectations, and needs.