Two technology companies lost my support last week. I'm always on the lookout for innovation for my clients. Evolution is the norm for most technology. Users embrace digital innovation, invent new and effective ways to leverage the technology, then run with with it. Everybody wins. The process is effective and profitable. But not this time. QR codes are dead. It's time to lay them to rest.

Technology In Search of a Reason for Being

Originally developed as a way to use a mobile device to bridge the gap between retail POS (point of sale) product info and expanded information on a website, it was a great idea with limited usefulness. The two companies made the mistake of using QR code in either the wrong way or in the wrong place.

The QR Link to Nowhere

Publishing a QR code on a business card might make sense, but only if the link takes you to an active page. Either the page was deleted or never published. The result was a very poor first digital impression.

QR Code Published on a Website?

The second miss appeared on the tech companies website in the form of a QR code on their home page. Yes, on a home page. If I'm using a mobile device to visit your site, how to I take a picture of the code... so I can go to your website?

Falling Off the Path of Engagement

The key to engagement and conversion is to tear down walls and build bridges. Here's a simple test to see if your visitors can follow the path to becoming loyal customers. Put on your customer hat and visit your site. If you're really brave, use a mobile device. Keep track of your adventure. I use 3x5 index cards to leave a trail. See if you can get there from here. If you use QR codes, test them frequently to confirm the destination page still exists.

Insight

If you offer your valuable prospects a digital dead end, your done.