QR Code Marketing is Back! 5 Ways Dealerships Can Use Them

“Seriously, Nate, you think QR codes are back? 1994 called, and they want their failed tech back.”

If that’s what you thought as this article loaded, you might be right. Read on to find out what my full opinion is on them as of 2020.

Here’s the thing, though; did you know that there is no need to download an app to scan these codes now? Every major smartphone manufacturer has integrated QR code readers into the native camera app, with iOS being one of the last adopters in 2017. Now, you pull your phone out, open your camera app and point it at the code.

BAM! An instant link to targeted web content or actions at the tap of a finger.

Not convinced? Here are five great ways that QR Codes can be utilized effectively by your dealership to increase customer engagement & action. Oh, before you check out the ideas, do you know what QR stands for? Quick Response.

1. Direct Customers to Vehicle Inventory Pages

Because you can print a QR code on anything, we recommend using QR codes to link directly to your website’s specific vehicle inventory page. Customers roaming the lot with or without a Sales Rep can take a picture of the QR code. Instantly, they can view that exact vehicle on your website with all its features, listed price, options to book a test drive and more!

You get to give your customers space when needed and provide the most accurate info on the vehicles they are interested in.

Dynamic QR Code Marketing Benefit:

By being able to control which vehicle inventory page a dynamic QR code links to, you don’t need to print a different QR code every time a vehicle turns over on your lot. Just change the page linked to and reuse any signage from the previous vehicle.

2. Open Up an Online Lead/Contact Form

Does your dealership offer financing? What about online service appointment booking? Maybe you run contests in your direct mail marketing campaigns?

QR codes can be linked to open up any of the various forms you have. Make it easy for people to start a credit application by taking a picture of a QR code. Or, put a sticker with a code somewhere inside your new customer’s car. Have it load the “Book Service” page on your website – it saves me having to remember your phone, and I can scan the code whenever my dash tells me it’s time for service. If you put oil change stickers in your customer cars, you can get QR codes on those for when they need to book the next service appointment.

Dynamic QR Code Marketing Benefit:

Dynamic QR Codes let you change the link/action they lead to at any time. By utilizing the same QR codes for all of your direct mail event/sale marketing, you can change where the link leads. Someone with an old piece of marketing material will always be sent to the most relevant link when they scan, be it three days or three months after they first got it. Additionally, updating the QR code link will keep the best user experience if you need to change the link to a form for service appointments.

3. Open Up a YouTube Video

Does your dealership make video walkthroughs of new or used vehicles on your lot? Congrats, you are an awesome dealership!

QR Codes can link directly to a Youtube video allowing you to give customers another way to engage with your dealership during their visit to your dealership. If you have demo cars offsite, you can even allow potential customers to watch a video about your dealership. The ideas are endless with video marketing and QR Codes.

Dynamic QR Code Marketing Benefit:

Re-shot a vehicle video walkthrough and want to update all the vehicles that match? Just switch the Youtube video that loads in your QR Code management dashboard. Instantly, those potential customers that scan will be directed to the new video. If you run newspaper ads, you can add QR codes into your ads to let people watch walkthrough videos while they browse the daily paper. You would not need to provide your newspaper ad with unique QR codes every day, because you can change the video links on your end to match the vehicles in your ad.

4. Action: Add Contact Details to Your Phone

You hand out your business card to someone, and if it makes it home with them, you’re doing good. Where it goes within the next 24 hours is likely irrelevant because most business cards turn into recycling. And, I can’t be bothered to enter your information manually into my phone, at least not all of it.

QR Codes can push a contact card right to your customer’s phone. So you keep using those paper cards for the physical interaction they create but toss a little QR code onto the design. Let your customers add your contact details directly into their phone’s contact list with all your information – your name, phone, dealership name, email address, dealership address, weblinks, and more!

Dynamic QR Code Marketing Benefit:

If you are a salesman and your phone number or extension changed, your cards need to be re-printed. By being able to edit the contact card info whenever you want, your customers can scan the QR Code on your card at any time to get the most up-to-date info. As a dealership, you can control the contact card information that people would get on their phones when they scan the code.

5. Action: Download a Coupon or PDF Directly

Did I save the best idea for last? Probably not. But this one does provide one of the most compelling reasons to scan for a customer. A QR Code can directly download a coupon to a user’s phone. Offering a free car wash with a test drive? Make them download the coupon. Discount oil change in a mailer or print ad? Make them download the coupon.

Because you can have the person directly download a PDF, you can push all sorts of strong marketing material directly to the customer’s phone.

Dynamic QR Code Marketing Benefit:

Want to track individual location advertising results? By using multiple dynamic QR codes, you can have them all link to the same coupon, but determine the effectiveness of each print ad/location marketing point. So, if you had four indoor billboards in a mall, you could find out which location had the most engagement.

FEATURE DEALERSHIP QR CODE DECALS

My Opinion on QR Code Marketing for Dealerships

Despite being more than 25 years old, QR codes are still in their infancy for figureing out the most effective ways to use them for marketing. But, they are an emerging tool that is worth getting behind now, before they are fully adopted by your competition – the user experience benefits they offer are just too great for people to ignore forever. I think the largest hurdle with QR codes is in getting your team to adopt them and figuring out the best methods to utilize the data that they provide. 

If you run a dealership (or depaertment) I imagine you’re focused on improving the overall customer experience across their entire customer lifecycle. That’s where I see QR codes really making a difference. I’m convinced that QR Codes offer a substantial customer experience improvement across every dealership department.

Want to know more about how DealerPOP can help you improve point of purchase messaging throughout your lot or showroom? Contact us with the chat tool or call us directly. We’re always ready to discuss ideas to help your dealership sell more, service more, and retain more customers.