You may have seen them. They are suddenly popping up everywhere: billboards, books, magazines, Facebook pages. I even used one to check in to a flight recently from my cell phone. They are QR (Quick Response) codes, the big black blocky patterns that are readable from Smartphones that are gaining popularity for marketers and consumers. In fact, it was recently reported that QR Code usage is up more than 4,000% from 2010 to 2011.
So is there a practical application for this technology for home builders? Absolutely.
QR codes offer home builders an effective, low cost tool for engaging buyers with Smartphones from a variety of locations and channels. Although the long term viability of QR Codes is debatable as new technology emerges, there are some immediate, real world applications and benefits for home builders.
QR Codes show great promise for bridging the online and offline world by creating interactive experiences for buyers when they are away from their computers. While home builder SEO gives builders the ability to be in front of buyers virtually, QR codes gives home builders an opportunity to be in front of buyers virtually anywhere.
What is a QR Code?
A QR code is a matrix barcode (or two dimensional code) that is readable by QR readers on Smartphones. QR codes can be created with a URL to a mobile website, a phone number, text, SMS, and more. A user can simply scan the QR Code to be directed to a landing page with a special offer, a video, an opt-in page, a social media page, or directed by phone to your sales office – no phone number to punch in (think directional signage or ad).
Why QR Codes Matter for Home Builders
QR codes are fast and free to set up (see below) and have the capacity to bridge the gap between online and offline marketing efforts. For example, you can include a QR code in your print ad and a separate one for each off-site sign, then track performance in Google Analytics. This gives you the ability to track all media in one place.
Here are some additional benefits:
- Reach buyers in places other online marketing can’t (when they are away from their computer)
- Create more precise measurement of offline marketing including signs, print, and direct mail (include a QR code and track engagement)
- Increase sales office traffic by placing interactive marketing in nearby shopping areas, on area signs, and cross promoting with local businesses (consider a special offer for visiting the sales office, a video of your models, or a video invite from a salesperson)
- Build an email interest list by directing potential buyers to an opt-in form
- Increase social media reach and engagement
How Do Buyers Use QR Codes?
Buyers can download a QR reader on their Smartphone for free. There are several to choose from. Once the QR reader is downloaded once, the user can simply scan the code and they will be directed to any URL that you indicate. QR codes are most interesting for users when they provide a level of engagement such as a video (model tour, message from builder), additional high value information (optional upgrades or current availability of a specific floor plan), a specific action (such as participating in a contest), or contacting someone by phone.
19 QR Code Ideas for Home Builders:
The possibilities for QR codes in your marketing campaigns are nearly endless, with practical uses for home builder social media, home builder blogs, home builder pr, home builder video and more. Here’s a list of some ways to use QR codes to spark your imagination:
- In model home signage
- In salesperson email signature
- On indoor and outdoor signage (billboards, shopping center signage)
- On directional signs
- As a Twitter icon
- On a Facebook page
- On business cards
- On brochures
- On print ads
- Door signage (if a prospect visits after hours)
- Craigslist Ad
- Price sheets
- Presentations for home tours, broker receptions, or other large events
- The back of t-shirts during events (ie, “Find out about our homeowner referral” with QR code at a homeowner appreciation event)
- Property flyer or download
- Scavenger hunt event: multiple models or multiple communities
- On Yelp Listing
- As press release image
- Direct Mail
How to Plan a Home Builder QR Campaign:
Create a Goal
The test of any new technology is how it performs against stated business goals. Beyond “I want more sales,” what specific sales funnel objectives do you want to meet? This might include increasing sales office traffic 20%, building your email lead list by 13%, reaching 1,000 Facebook fans, or increasing your conversion of web leads to sales office visits from 15% to 25%. Each of these objectives moves buyers to the next stage of the sale cycle. Deciding which objective is most important will help you decide on the tools, the message, and the channels.
Decide on a Message
Now that you’ve decided on an objective, you can decide on an offer. What is your message that is compelling enough for buyers to satisfy their curiosity by scanning your QR code? For example, if you are building your Facebook presence maybe it’s a contest for people who like your page. If you are building your email list for an upcoming Grand Opening maybe you are asking them to register for preview pricing. Whatever the message, it should contribute to the stated business goal. Keep it clean, focused, and direct.
Get Interactive
Once a buyer scans your QR Code, where will they be redirected to? A mobile version of your website? A landing page? A YouTube video? To answer this question, consider your objective. If you want to build your email list, you will want to direct buyers to a URL where they can easily register an email address. If you want to increase sales office traffic, maybe it’s a video invitation from your sales agent, a model home tour, or a tour of standing inventory homes. If your objective is to increase sales office traffic and you are in a hard to find location, maybe your QR Code directs to a Google map. Find the tool that is right for your campaign objectives.
Move Buyers Through the Sales Funnel
Don’t forget to make the next step clear to understand and easy to follow. If you are directing potential buyers to an email registration page, ask them to register and give them a clear benefit for doing so. If you want them to come to the sales office, tell them why they should, when you’re open, and who to contact with any questions. You don’t want to get potential buyers this far without creating an opportunity for engagement that leads to sales.
Promote, Promote, Promote!
Decide on multiple advertising formats to use and generate a separate QR code for each one (we’ll show you how it easy it is below). QR codes are an effective way to reach buyers “in the real world” when they are away from their computers (but perhaps near your sales office). Think of major shopping centers near your model homes – is there signage space that you can put a QR code on for shoppers to scan with an offer to visit your community? Think about marketing in print, by direct mail, with property flyers delivered to broker offices for prospecting. Consider price sheets and brochures to increase be-backs with special offers if they return and buy within 7 days, or a video of the sales agent thanking them for visiting, or a link to a survey asking for feedback about their visit.
Track Through to Sales and Closing
Use a CRM to track the entire lifecycle of a lead from a QR code. Like all marketing, the true measurement of success is traffic that converts to sales and closings. Make sure your CRM is updated to accommodate “QR Code” as a marketing source, and which marketing channel, so you can measure the true ROI of your campaign over time.
Home Builder QR Code Smart Tips:
“How Do I Access It?”
QR Codes are still an unfamiliar technology for many, so even with a target market that is tech savvy it’s best to explain how to access the information (by downloading a free QR scanner on their Smartphone).
“What if I don’t have a Smartphone?”
There are barriers to using QR Codes: someone may not own a Smartphone, may own one but not have it with them, or may not be comfortable with the technology yet. Always include an alternate method for accessing the information, such as the URL, to prevent frustration.
“Why Bother?”
Create a clear benefit for the potential buyer to scan your QR Code. Information about special offers, a video tour, property information about a home of the week, and other benefit driven messages will encourage a higher engagement.
“Is it Compatible?”
Hosting a dedicated mobile site for your QR campaigns is the best way to maximize potential buyer engagement. Whether this is a mobile version of your website or a landing page that is specific to your promotion, you want to ensure that you are not missing out on potential buyers because your message could not be read on their Smartphone.
How to Set Up and Track a QR Code With Google
You can determine exactly how effective your QR codes are for each advertising format: print ads by paper, signs by location, Craigslist by message/visual, email by content, model home collateral by plan, and on and on. This is one of the most exciting applications of QR codes for home builders, and it’s both free and easy to set up. Here’s how:
Step One:
Go to Google free URL shortener here: http://goo.gl/
Step Two:
Enter the URL that you want the QR code to redirect to. This can be a web page, a YouTube video, a social media page, a landing page for a specific promotion, or a sales office phone number. If you are using a phone number, text, or SMS consider using one of the alternate QR code generators listed in the resources section below.
Google URL Shortener
Step Three:
Click “shorten” to generate the code. Note that you can generate multiple short URLs for a single web page, each unique for tracking. You’ll want to set up a spreadsheet to track which short URL corresponds with which marketing campaign and format (print, signage, email, etc).
Multiple Short URLs for the Same Web Page
Step Four:
Next to each URL, click on details to get the corresponding QR Code. Save a copy and add to your advertising.
Click on the "Details" link on the right to access your QR code.
Copy and paste your QR Code for use in online marketing, print, signage, brochures, business cards, and more.
Step Five:
Google will track the click-throughs for each of these codes.
Track your homebuilder QR Code activity for each individual short URL.
Important Note: If you are already using Google Analytics, I receommend this article by Red Clay Interactive about using Google Campaigns to simplify the process: How to Track QR Codes in Google Analytics .
As technology continues to advance it will become increasingly more portable and mobile campaigns will be a necessity for home builders. If you do not already have a mobile marketing plan in place, QR Codes can be a simple, affordable way to create mobile engagement and test response for your product, your buyer profile, and as part of your overall marketing strategy.
Additional Resources:
Create QR Codes:
http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator
Other Real Estate Related QR Code Tools:
Recent Real Estate QR Code Articles:
Mobile Apps, Quick Response Codes Sell Homes
Real Estate World Taking to QR Codes
Luxury Custom Home Builder Adopts QR Codes
QR Codes: We Can Do SO Much Better
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