QR Code Usage Increasing Among Consumers
The COVID pandemic drove many new consumer behaviors including their increasing comfortability using QR codes. As people were learning how to survive social distancing, they were more inclined to use mobile technologies, such as QR codes, to learn about businesses and complete tasks such as accept a promotion or learn about a product.
In fact, what was once considered a dying medium, QR code usage actually exploded by 96% from 2018 to 2020. A survey of users showed that 59% of respondents believed that the use of QR codes would be a permanent part of their mobile experience going forward.
Expanding the Use of QR Codes to SMS
Marketers are using QR codes to attract consumers via printed mailers, DOOH, in-store, on product packaging, at events and even within ads on your television screen.
While the most common path for QR code scans is to drive users to websites and landing pages containing lead capture forms, some businesses are customizing QR code experiences to other destinations, including SMS conversations.
The advantage to driving to an SMS conversation allows consumers to communicate via their preferred channel and, in theory, allows businesses to reply from their own mobile device anywhere, any time.
Business Challenges to Overcome
Consumers have the same expectation when texting a business as they do when texting friends or family. Texting friends? They better respond to me instantly! Texting a business? They better respond to me instantly too!
Most businesses respond to their inbound SMS texts manually, creating a challenge in our 24/7
instant access world. Accepting SMS texts from customers forces businesses to up their communication game since slow response can result in missed opportunities and loss of revenue.
QR Code Scans to SMS Without Automation Holds Risk
The typical QR code scan to an SMS experience lacks instant customer engagement. Without automation, engagement does not occur until the business has the ability to respond manually. Businesses that are slow to respond or do not respond at all run the risk of losing a customer, reduced customer goodwill and potentially poor online reviews.
Enter QR Code to SMS Instant Response & Automated Conversations
Automation is one of the most common technologies that businesses have implemented or expect to implement over the next year. With automation, businesses can service customer inquiries 24/7, reducing the need for live help intervention.
While automation is most commonly leveraged on websites and other digital properties, SMS is also capable of holding intelligent automated conversations with customers. Combine QR code scans to an automated SMS experience and businesses have a new way to handle offline to online or traditional media to automated experiences that work for customers.
The Value of Instant QR Code Scans to SMS Automation
Automate conversations. Manually responding to customers can be tough since they tend to contact businesses at all hours of the day. Our Agentz platform data shows that fully one-third of interactions occur in the off business hours!
Automation provides instant replies to customers, 24/7, while alleviating business stress, reducing the time needed to manually communicate with customers, and improving customer experience.
One step lead capture. Once the QR code is scanned, all the customer has to do is press the Send button in their text message app to begin communicating. The customer benefits from ease of use while the business benefits from immediate lead capture of the customer’s mobile number. No more requiring a form fill to know who scanned your code!
Increased conversion rate. Using automation to engage with customers instantly allows them to learn about your business, self-serve many of their needs, and have their questions answered without live intervention. This results in a faster path to conversion.
Solving Offline to Online Using QR Code Scans to SMS
One of the most common challenges for brands and SMBs is improving the offline to online customer journey.
For media agencies and brands that are using QR codes in their print, digital, event-based and television ads, driving these scans to an SMS experience results in improved lead capture and customer engagement. Rather than pointing a printed postcard mailer QR code to a website lead capture form, try driving to an automated experience using SMS that also instantly captures the lead for you.
Examples of how QR code scans to SMS using automation can be leveraged for common business use cases:
- Schedule a service appointment
- Request an estimate
- Register for an event
- Request a real estate showing
- Access promotional offers
- Apply for a job
- Show multimedia – before and after pictures, videos, etc.
- Answer common customer questions instantly
How Agentz Helps Automate QR Code Scan to SMS Experience
Implementing QR code scans to SMS does not have to be complicated for your business. Agentz is the first Engagement & Communication Automation Tool purpose-built for SMBs, agencies and their customers and multi-location brands that has taken into account how to automate the SMS experience saving businesses time, improving their marketing ROI and providing a better customer experience.
White Label Agentz As Your Own
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Agentz wants you to be successful. Our partner programs include product customization, training for your teams, and even assistance with your marketing materials. Get started today and let Agentz help guide you through your product roll-out.