QR Code Trends 2023

If we look back to 2012 many marketing “experts” killed QR Codes the same way in the 80’s Video Killed the Radio Star.

Posts from Forbes, gizmodo, marketingland and so many others reflect what marketers thought back in 2012: QR Codes are dead. We did some research and found out that trends indicate the opposite case.

With Google Trends you can view the evolution of searches for a given keyword. You can segment your searches by country or region. When looking up the keyword “QR Code” we are getting the following result:

What is happening? Why are QR Codes hip again? Looking at the interest and usage of QR Codes, we discover that QR Codes are used more than ever!

From our point of view and according to our experience there have been 3 key factors that have revamped QR Codes in the last years:

Having an influencer as powerful as Apple has been a game-changer and very few marketing professionals now doubt the reliability and potential of QR Codes. Once the iPhones started to read QR Codes using the native camera, the rest of the brands are following behind and they all added this feature.

Samsung has also added a QR Code reader in their native camera and native browser, Google Lens scans QR Codes out of the box and so does HiVision (Huawei’s version of Google Lens). What at some point seemed impossible has become inevitable.

If you create your first QR Code after discovering a free QR Code Generator usually you will link to your company’s website or might create a QR Code with your contact details. Most generators even allow to add your logo. However, these were QR Codes of the first two decades in this millennium. They were as cool as useless.

Marketers were innovating, learning and experimenting with this new resource and maybe it was just too soon. There was no strategy nor purpose in 90% of the published QR Codes, besides they were very poorly implemented (no specific goal, no call to action, no mobile-friendly websites, etc.).

Once dynamic QR Code platforms popped up, the possibility to change the destination URL, to create design QR Codes with logos, and especially the ability to track the number of scans added some value and interest to QR Code campaigns. However, it was still all about linking the user to a generic content through a QR Code.

Innovation has led our way since 2011 and we are constantly pushing the limits of our platform by adding new features and thinking of challenging use cases. We were pioneers on combining GPS features with QR Codes and this opened endless possibilities for marketing, logistics, retail and so many other fields.

By adding “intelligence” and some coding behind, QR Code scanning can bring so much richer experiences other than accessing a URL.

 “Smart cases” and ideas using our platform:

Create a single QR Code that will redirect the user to a different URL depending on the device (iOS, Android, Windows, etc.)

You can use multi URLs to create redirects to URLs depending on the country from which the user scans the QR code.

Depending on the GPS positions you specify, you can redirect the user to a specific URL.

Create an offer and issue 1-time redeemable vouchers that will allow you to redeem them using a smartphone and distribute them via email, social media, etc.

We keep getting feature requests day after day, and our customers are implementing very interesting and often complex projects around QR Codes. On the other hand, marketing professionals are more familiar with “geeky terms” and the possibilities technology provides.

Almost 60% of our features started out by a user suggestion, request or what-if. Feed-back hunting and listening obsessively to our users is our strategy.
Peter Hlavac (qrplanet.com CEO and Founder)

The rise of the global pandemic COVID19 and its ultra-contagious condition have found in QR Codes and other contactless technologies the perfect allies to reduce physical contact and therefore reduce the risk of infection.

Many applications and use cases have had an unprecedented impact on the awareness of QR Codes worldwide. We all have been using QR Codes for travelling purposes, hospitality services, restaurants and in many other contexts were reducing physical contact and favouring physical distance has become a priority.

COVID19 has brought an unprecedented impact on the awareness of QR Codes worldwide.

Solutions like paperless menus, digital contact tracing forms, hotel solutions and many others have been created around QR Codes.

There has even been governments that have used them as “passports” to give access to certain areas of the country or even to enter a store.

• Korea deploys QR-code system nationwide
• In Coronavirus Fight, China Gives Citizens a Color Code, With Red Flags
• Contact tracing apps in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea

Since 2011, we are committed to evolving our platform and keep offering the most innovative and cutting-edge QR Code based solutions.

Sooner rather than later our users become concerned about statistics and ROI.

We provide a detailed dashboard, export options and, again, our API so users can know in real-time what is going on with their QR Code campaigns.

Our latest deployed feature is the ability to add retargeting and tracking codes to the redirect process (Facebook pixel, Google Tag Manager, etc). Thus, our users can run retargeting campaigns to the customers scanning their codes.

From beginning to end, this feature has been crafted considering all personal data protection involving cookie management.

Our solution is 100% GDPR and CCPA compliant.

Many projects target a very large audience and they require lots of QR Codes that cannot be created manually one by one.

You can bulk create dynamic codes using our platform or our API in a matter of seconds.

Our users and administrators can manage their accounts without even accessing the dashboard. We are crafting our API so our users can integrate our solution in any environment like your websites, apps (e.g. Microsoft BI), IoT, other SaaS, etc.

Example: You can issue a unique QR Code voucher when a user signs up on your Mailchimp mailing list.

Another killer feature we deployed is webhooks management – a simple but powerful solution!

Every time a QR is scanned, a voucher is issued, or a lead form is submitted, you can trigger a script (e.g. send an email, update a database record, etc.). With Webhooks you could even turn a light on or off using a QR Code.

We are happy that QR Codes are here to stay and trends are going up for 2020. Our platform is ready to support you with the latest QR Code technologies. Do you want to come on board? We like to discuss your use-case and help you with the implementation. Get in contact with us through email or live chat or you may want to try our demo account right away.

QR Code Platform Demo Access