QR Code Users

Here is a tip!

I have a techie background. As a librarian, I was using QR codes before most people had even heard of them. So I’m familiar with their uses, pros and cons.

However, a QR code is a machine-readable piece of information, the same as a barcode on the back of a paperback book. Humans can’t look at them and pull out the numbers and letters from the dots and lines. It requires software (code or an app) and compatible hardware (barcode scanner or mobile phone) to do that.

And yet, recently, I have seen a lot of posters, by different organisations, that tell people to go to an online location, and then they only give a QR code. I look at the poster and have no idea what the web address is. There’s nothing to write down, nothing to type into a browser. As a means of communication, is is badly thought out and incomplete.

And it needn’t be that way!

Good Practice

It’s simple.

Whenever using a QR code, also include a human-readable text link, such as karlisagoodauthor.com/survey/. That works for people who don’t have a web-connected phone with them; or have one that can’t read QR codes (more common than you think); or don’t want to go through the hassle of doing it on a phone; or don’t want to access the website now (in a possibly busy location) but want to just make a note of it for later, at home.

It means more people can get to the web address you want them to go to, and gives them options to do so. It also means you don’t annoy people you are trying to reach, or leave them with no way to show support.

Not including a human-readable address has been done for one of three reasons, all bad.

• Either the poster creator is inept, and didn’t think through the accessibility issue.

• Or they are aware of it, but just don’t care. (Not a great way to start a relationship.)

• Or they have embedded tracking information in the QR code, and by forcing you to use a phone to access it there and then, they can profile your device, location, and time, then combine it with other information and cookies as part of spying on you, or in order to profile you for advertising (data that can then be sold).

Here is an example of a bad use of QR codes

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

There’s a code, and an instruction, but no web address you can jot down or go to at your leisure. Useless to people like me.

Here is an example of a good use of QR codes

Photo by Ice Family on Unsplash

There’s a QR code, but also a web address I can read and jot down. Customers have multiple options. And all it required was a bit of text.

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