Why Some QR Codes Are More Scanworthy Than Others

Those quick-response (QR) codes you see spreading far and wide give smartphone users a painless way to go to a company’s website, get discounts or gather contact information. But some QR codes are scanned more than others. Why? Is it because those winning QR codesare so creatively designed?

They are being used as a marketing tool for businesses, ticketing, labeling, and more. When scanned on a smartphone, these 2D barcodes can direct you to a website, text or phone number. Are people just scanning these codes with their eyes or if are they stopping to scan them with their phones. And if they are stopping, what makes certain codes so scan-worthy? In true market research fashion, we decided to gather some quick responses of our own.

Researchers at Lab42 wanted to know “what makes certain codes so scanworthy,” so they conducted an online survey via social networks of 500 Americans over 13, and found out that many people don’t even know what a QR code is.

For those who are hip to QR codes and what they can do, you might not be surprised at the one enticement most likely to get people to pull out that smartphone and scan a QR code:

Infographic courtesy Lab42