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Don’t use Chrome to create QR codes! Here’s why not and what to do instead
Many businesses use QR codes to provide quick links to online content. They’re a powerful way to turn a printed poster or package into a rich, interactive experience – and they can be created in seconds. You don’t even need dedicated software: the Google Chrome browser can generate a shareable QR code for any web page in the world in a few clicks.
But if you’re relying on Chrome to handle your QR codes, you’re selling your business short. Here’s why using Chrome for your codes is almost always the wrong choice.
1. No branding
QR codes generated in Chrome feature a jaunty dinosaur logo in the middle. It’s cute, but it undermines your own image. To those who recognise the logo, it looks unprofessional, like using a Hotmail address. To those who don’t, it’s disconcerting: why doesn’t the QR code match your branding?
Even so, as Jean-Charles Passepont, CEO of QR specialist Unitag.io observes with bemusement: “Sometimes even a big brand will generate a QR code with the dinosaur in the middle. There’s no design change to it.”
You could use image-editing software to change the branding before sharing it, but then you lose the convenience and immediacy of using Chrome in the first place. You’re better off using a professional-grade QR generator that bakes in your own identity from the start.
2. No redirection
When you use Chrome to create a QR link, the resultant code points directly to the target page. Its destination can’t ever be changed – and that’s risky if you’re pointing to a page that you don’t control, such as a partner site. If the content changes or moves, any codes you’ve previously created and shared will no longer work.
Even if you’re linking to a page within your own domain, using static QR codes is a liability. Should you ever want to update your own online offering, or move to a new web address, you’re in danger of breaking existing codes. With professionally generated codes, the destination is a redirection URL that can be updated at any time, to ensure your codes always point where you want them to.
3. Limited tracking
Chrome’s hard-coded QR codes don’t only save up trouble for the future. As soon as you start using them, you’re closing the door on an opportunity to capture valuable information about your market. “When a QR code is static, you have no idea how many people scanned it,” notes Passepont. “It’s very difficult to track.”
Sure, if the code points to your own website, you can monitor how many impressions the destination page is receiving. But a specialist QR partner will give you much more insight by creating custom QR codes with unique identity tags.
By tracking these tags, the provider can identify exactly which codes visitors are scanning, and hence see where the traffic is coming from. For example, you can discover which marketing activities are driving responses, and which promotional materials are underperforming. That’s impossible with Chrome.
4. No management
Creating a code in Chrome is so quick and easy that anyone can do it in a moment. That’s the problem – especially since there’s no way to record what codes have been made, who created them or where they’ve been shared.
Unless you set up and operate your own management platform, you won’t have any visibility into what links are out there or who might be scanning them. That’s a nightmare for accountability. It can also cause endless headaches if you later encounter any issues with codes that don’t work, or point to the wrong location.
With a professional platform, you can easily browse and manage your previously created codes. It’s similarly straightforward to recreate them, ensuring your communications and links are consistent and transparent.
Do the best for your business
It’s clear that using Chrome as a free QR code generator is a false economy. It cheapens your image and restricts your market awareness.
Unfortunately, few free QR code services are any better. Even those that offer custom designs and tracking often come with limitations. “Some free generators give you only 100 scans, or the codes only work for a limited period,” warns Passepont. “You might be in the middle of a big campaign when suddenly the QR code won’t scan anymore.”
The solution is to start off on the right foot, with a professional partner who can help you get the best from your QR codes. Specialists can also advise on additional uses for QR codes such as loyalty programmes, contactless payments, extended information and customer profiling – none of which Chrome can handle.
“There’s a lack of understanding of the value QR codes can bring to a business,” explains Passepont. “People think oh, it’s just a little graphic with dots, you can share it and it makes clients happy. But there’s so much more potential there – potential to make professionals happy too.”
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About The Author
Darien Graham-Smith
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