GET SCANNED - Ashley Heather - dotbox

2D Bar Codes are creating new opportunities to spread awareness of your brand and productsamp8212and to measurably improve the shopping experience you offer That39s just the beginningMake your magazine ads work harder for you Place codes in traditional media in your store and in TV commercials or videos to offer your customer a fuller deeper richer experience Traditional media is difficult to measure 2D barcodes however put you in the know about your customer39s behavior Every time someone scans you you39ll be able to track everything they do allowing you to run trials to assess relative effectiveness of campaigns and to just generally operate smarterUsing codes at every stage in the shopping funnelamp8212from when you first stimulate awareness then build interest in your offerings and cultivate desire until they act and even afteramp8212makes you more effectiveStage 1 amp8211 AwarenessThey don39t know who you are or even that you exist You39ll first need to get their attention Invite them to a quick scan Promise them something they can39t refuse Good value offers can be very effective as Groupon and other Daily Dealy sites have shown us even if the customer hasn39t ever even considered buying your product before Or it could be a sweepstakes for a magical prize Offer a comparison of all the alternatives in the category particularly as regards something of immediate concern to them like how each of these choices will affect their health or the environment Share super fun and lively creative UGC from creative people just like them Whatever your pitch the really hard part is getting them to do it Our suggestion make it fun and easy Once they39ve accepted your invitation and you39ve succeeded in charming them it39s smart to have something ready to take them even further along from Awareness to InterestStage 2 amp8211 InterestThey know you now or they think they do They39re still tentative just testing the waters But they are curious and they39re checking you out willing to give you a chance There39s a good chance they39ll scan your 2D bar code They might even be in your store at this point handling the goods in person and trying them on for size Providing relevant context about the merchandise now is likely to have powerful results If it39s an item of clothing show them images of other people like them wearing it and all the different looks it can fit into It39s also very exciting to offer them ratings and reviews just with a simple code scan They39re trying to determine how they feel about the item They want to know if it really works They want to know what other people think especially their friends And it39s so easy You can also use 2D bar codes to offer price comparisons of your merchandise with other retailers39 Contests soliciting content UGC from your customers allow them to deepen the relationship with you on their terms Or a sweepstakesamp8212simply stick a pixilated nugget just above the item with the words quotWin this nowquot You39ll be surprised how many hits you can get These are all great ways to learn about potential customers who up until now have all been just members of the silent majorityStep 3 amp8211 DesireTiming is everything Once the customer is already interested in you a 2D bar code can be especially tantalizing They39re spending time getting to know your products from many different angles In classic salesmanship it39s time to remove the barriers and sweeten the deal The beauty of the code is you can dangle it before them right there and then putting the power into their hands It39s easy and it39s noncommittal Even better a limitedtime offer makes it a NOW proposition Better still make the scan open up into a realtime inventory counteramp8212with only one left the message is clear and the NEED A salesman might try the tactic but breaking that personal distance isn39t easy The code puts the consumer in charge That39s a game she feels very comfortable playingStep 4 amp8211 ActionNow is the time to make it painfully easy to take the leap Convenience and the smoothness work It39s a time when shoppers can get easily flustered Many have an inherent sense of mistrust walking into a pressure situation What makes the code so perfect is that it promises a very controlled environment You don39t have to wait in line You can transact right there through your smart phone How many times have you aborted a purchase simply because you were too impatient Having the code right there takes away all the excuses It39s so easy that it becomes a given quotBut it nowquot And it39s not just a driver of immediate sales 2D Bar Codes are perfect when someone wants to put something on their wish list or registry or just bookmark the item for further reference Bookmarking the world around us is becoming more and more the way we consume In many cases it might even be considered the first stage of purchase as we limit our choices down to a limited set to decide at a later time and purchase onlineStep 5 amp8211 Follow Up PostTransactionHey you just won a customer This is no time to drop the ball Instead welcome them into the family with something beautiful encouraging rewarding or useful Use a 2D bar code on their receipt or inside the packaging to launch something they really want right now and you stand a chance of winning their heart forever Offer them the chance to review your product in text or video Likely they even want to tell their friends Give them the chance to share Everyone will know and appreciate your effort Best of all this UGC cycles back to the beginning of the funnel inducing newcomers to believe in you Another great natural opportunity is to place your code on a product for easy one click reorders Sometimes it is just as easy as thatThese are just a few of the many great opportunities to use 2D barcodes to bring your products alive at every customer touchpoint and every stage of the shopping funnel It39s something your fans will appreciate It39s something those new to you will notice And in the end it will serve your bottom linePlease email barcodedotboxcom for a free tactical overview of how barcodes can work for your unique businessdotbox CEO Ashley Heather is one of the pioneers at the intersection of ecommerce social interaction and locationaware services His companies include Musikube and Entertainment Media Works which brought us StarStyle StyleLogue and Plinkingamp8212in 2004 among the first Social Commerce websites In his native London he was the lead digital consultant at Impact Plus and an executive at Ford Motor Company He is a frequent speaker at media industry events including iBreakfast CTIA Wireless The Digital Coast Roundtable MoMeMo Social Media Week and is an Associate Member of IADAS He can be reached at ashleydotboxcomRead all Ashley39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at dotboxCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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