QR (quick-response) codes have risen steadily in popularity in recent years, and when used correctly are a very useful tool.
However, placing a QR code on your website or social media post can be a user experience nightmare this is because QR codes belong in the real world not online.
QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that provide access to an online service, like a webpage, and require the user to physically scan the code with their mobile device.
Once scanned, the user can then access the online service on their device.
Why they don't work online
QR codes serve this purpose well when they are used in brochures or posters - but what about when the user is already online?
Picture the scene, you are using your laptop and scrolling through a website when you are prompted to find out more information via a QR code.
Now you must take out your phone and scan the QR code on the screen of your laptop. You are then taken to the mobile version of the same website you were just on.
This seems like a lot of effort for a simple task, right?
An even more frustrating scenario would be if you were already on your mobile, and scanning this QR code was the only way you could access the information you needed.
How do you do this? Do you print the code and then scan it? Or maybe try to use a mirror?
Both options are ridiculous and way too time-consuming. You'll likely give up and try and find the information somewhere else.
If only there was a link you could click on instead.
The only exception
There is one exception: When the QR code links to a mobile-only service. For example, a QR code online could link to a mobile app download, or to a file that's best viewed on mobile.
These are rare instances, and it's still worth considering where most of your users are coming from before using a QR code for this.
For example, if most of your users visit your site on mobile (as is the case for UL.ie) always use a simple link instead.
Security risk
Finally, using QR codes can open you up to security risks. Hackers can alter a QR code to point to a malicious site, and because humans cannot read QR codes, this can often go undetected.
Moral of the story? Save QR codes for printed content, and save your users the headache.