QR Codes to Gain More Popularity with Google

Remember the MGH Survey we reported about a few months back?  The survey which indicated that 32% of smartphone users have scanned a QR code, and of which 72% indicated that they will scan another QR code in the near future?

(To see more of the MGH study and its implications, see the post here: http://www.beqrious.com/show/lessons-from-the-mgh-qr-code-study)

We have long said that QR codes are gaining popularity and are increasingly going mainstream.  With the flurry of top brands and institutions using QR codes, it is quite difficult not to notice these little black and white squares.  Now that Google has bought Punchd it seems that more and more small businesses — and eventually their customers — would be using QR codes.

QR codes are a godsend for small businesses.  It is a cheap, easy and quick solution for marketing and promotions. 

Big businesses might be at the forefront of using QR codes, but they are not necessarily the perfect ambassadors for them.  We’ve seen a lot of QR code campaigns fail because of the lack of education.  Big businesses take for granted the simple fact that not all people know what to do with QR codes.  

With Google’s renewed focus on using QR codes for its various products such as Places, Wallet and Offers, QR codes just might get the push it needs to get further ingrained into the mainstream.

Google definitely has the marketing savvy and the resources to educate business owners and their customers on how to use or scan QR codes.  This know-how and familiarity will go a long way when it comes to QR code adoption beyond the so-called early adopters.

Like it or not, QR codes are here to stay.  Businesses and individuals who ignore this trend will surely lose out.  For businesses, they will lose the capability to effectively bridge their offline marketing with online initiatives.  For customers, they will miss out on the various promotions, deals, information, and exclusive offers that they could get behind a retailer’s QR code.