Example of a QR-Ad for Les Halles in Zurich:
Click here for original size (840x180).
Normally the QR goes to Mobile Version and the Click to Web Version.


After almost six months, I had to update our latest numbers on Page Impressions, Clicks, Scans at Kaywa's free QR Code Generator.

In January I wrote the post QR Code Scans versus Clicks. An astounding ratio of 0.57 and in February The QR-Ad, a new way of banner advertising

Recently Roger Smolski from 2d code published the Verizon/ScanLife QR Code Case Study (PDF) on his blog.
The number of scans within 3 months was 150'000, and 87% came from Android alone.

150'000 - that's a fine number for a new technology as QR Code and shows that the US is not only leading in mobile smartphones now (iPhone, Android), but is also rapidly adopting QR Codes.

As we have this number, I tried to find out what one QR Code Ad at qrcode.kaywa.com could have added to the campaign. Keep in mind that I take global numbers (US alone makes about 1/6 of clicks and 1/3 of scans).

I came to this results which I first published as a comment on the 2d code blog:

I quickly estimated what one QR-Ad (in second position) at qrcode.kaywa.com could have added to the campaign.

The results are quite interesting. In three months one QR-Ad makes:
- 18'620 Clicks
- 7'230 Scans
- 25'850 (Clicks+Scans) = Scan2Click Ratio: 0.39


This is a whopping 17.23% (of 150'000) Clicks and Scans combined, Scans still at 4.82%.


Currently we have about 610'000-650'000 Page Impressions per month on qrcode.kaywa.com, so for 3 months it’s getting near the 2 Mio Mark. (End of January 2010 we were still at 450'000 PI’s, so growth over 4 months was 45%)

For clicks it is roughly 1% CTR (Click Through Rate) and 0.38% SCR (Scan Through Rate).
Scans+Clicks Trough Rate together: 1.38%

To get an idea about locations, check our bit.ly stats:

Clicks:
http://bit.ly/bcVT1O+

Scans:
http://bit.ly/bjuCBk+

From Del.icio.us

Andrew Vassallo

QR codes have been one of the most overrated hypes the passed years. Concept is nice, and in Japan you can find them on everything from milk to bars of soap, but as long as my direct friends have never heard of them or started to use/implement them it remains a #fail for me.

Anyways, ignore this fact as I saw the following QR-code generator spread through different channels. Easy to use, as after choosing what you want to embed into the code – SMS text, a URL, telephone number, or simple text – select what size QR code you prefer, and it’s ready to go.

***

#SXSW

Austin DokoDare Places



Austin Convention Center #acc

Altstadt Zug innovates with QR Codes. All shops in the booklet have now a QR Code, so that one can read more about them and store the address etc.



More information in german can be found at www.altstadtzug.ch

***

At the same time every shop has an individual DokoDare sticker.
They look like this one:



***

There is also a presentation in german about DokoDare in Zug.

Good




Better




Perfect

The QR-Ad, a new way of banner advertising
«Double Your Audience. Talk mobile & web!»
The QR-Ad is a new way of banner advertising, that addresses at the same time a web and a mobile audience. The results of our research show a significant increase of engagement.

The QR-Ad uses the banner format in two ways
a) as a normal banner to click, to go to a web destination page
b) as a support for a QR Code which can be scanned with a mobile phone equipped with a QR Code scanner.

The QR-Ad's hybrid usage makes the ad more valuable
We believe that the quality of a scan is more valuable than a click, as the mobile phone is first a more intimate setting and second it's viewer has made a bigger effort to access your page. There are also no competing windows/tabs open to divert the viewer of your message.
With an 75–80% scan2click rate (=on 100 clicks, there are 75–80 scans), you address a highly mobile audience.


COMPARISON OF COMMON CLICK-THROUGH RATES AND THE QR-Ad
In a Business Week article from November 12, 2007, it was said:

The percentage of people who respond to common "banner ads," the ubiquitous interactive posters that run in fixed places on sites, is shrinking steadily. The so-called click-through rate for those ads on major Web destinations such as Yahoo! (YHOO ), Microsoft (MSFT ), and AOL (TWX ) declined from 0.75% to 0.27% during 2006, according to Eyeblaster, a New York-based online ad serving and monitoring firm. It says that last March the average click rate on standard banner ads across the whole Web was 0.2%. This reflects a surge in new ads and Web pages, fueled by the rise in social networks.

DoubleClick published an interesting report about CTR benchmarks. You can download it here as PDF. It shows that 0.2% today is already a high CTR.

» QR-Ad: In comparison, we got a 0.39% click-through rate (CTR) on our first QR Ad, and a significant 0.31% scan rate (SCR). Combined this brings us to 0.7%.

Update: With the current QR Ad we currently have an incredible CTR of 1.33% and a SCR of 0.47%, combined this brings us to 1.8%!


BANNER EXAMPLE


See here the banner (840x180px) and ideal QR Code size for qrcode.kaywa.com.
For current examples of QR Code Ad's, go to http://qrcode.kaywa.com

On other sites, you can also use a more classic format (300x250).




QR-AD PRICING AND STATISTICS ON QRCODE.KAYWA.COM

Position	Duration	Price	Page Impressions*	Clicks*	Scans*
Top	1 Month	Euro 7000.–	450'000-0.5 Mio	2000	1400-1600
Top	2 Weeks	Euro 4000.–	225'000-0.25 Mio	1000	700-800
Second	1 Month	Euro 4500.–	450'000-0.5 Mio	1500	1000
Second	2 Weeks	Euro 2500.–	225'000-0.25 Mio	750	500

* Page Impressions, Clicks and Scans are projections based on statistics gathered during the period of December 11, 2009 till February 9, 2010. Update: The lastet numbers show an extraordinary increase regarding clicks (6000 instead of 2000 on Top Ad).



QR-AD HOW-TO
We need from you the following:

• Mobile Destination Page URL
• Banner (Supersize Format: 840x180px)
• Web Destination Page

1. Tell us for how long and in what position (top, second top), you want to run the QR-AD. Period always start 1st of month or 16th of month. Minimum duration is 2 weeks, or 1st-15th, 16th-end of month.
2. We create the QR Code, which you later can track
3. Integrate the QR Code in your banner design (840 x 180px)
4. Send us the banner ad
   + mobile destination address (URL)
   + traditional web destination address (URL)
5. We send you back the statistics access for web (PI's, Clicks) and QR Code (Scans).
6. Once your QR-AD is live, you can verify your statistics anytime.

SPECIAL OFFER!
For clients starting an annual contract (PUA1Y) on our QR Code Management solution, we offer two weeks for free in second position.
See pricing of the PUA1Y in the QR CODE Pricing Powerpoint. Dowload it here.


CONTACT
Call +41 43 818 29 40 or skype: roger.fischer
See also our contact page at #kaywazh

Direct Download of Lynkee QR Code Reader to iPhone 3G:




As long as the Kaywa Reader has no iPhone version we recommend to download Lynkee.

Cnoté and Cave Giroud bring QR Codes to wines. And with the QR Code a direct access to more information about the wine as well as the possibility to order it directly.

Here is the Moscato QR Code to try it out:

En première Suisse, la Cave Giroud Vins SA à Sion et l’Agence de Communication Cnoté Mobile Solutions SA à Martigny présenteront
une innovation mobile dans le domaine du Vin et des Nouvelles Technologies.

Avec un code-barres à 2 dimensions, les bouteilles de vin de la Cave Giroud sont pourvues d’une intelligence intégrée et n’auront plus de secret pour les consommateurs...
Tout est dans la poche !

Dossier de Presse (in french)

PS: Cave Giroud and Cnoté use Kaywa's QR Code solution. As for the readers we currently recommend:
On Symbian and Java: Kaywa Reader
On the iPhone: Lynkee (App Store)
On Windows Mobile: Quickmark

See also:
Tea and QR Codes at Shui Tang
Cnoté on DokoDare

Update (25.1.10): I changed some names, notions that were not used in the right way.
I also changed the usage of SCR (Scan Rate) and made it the equivalent of CTR.
CTR = Clicks/Page Impressions (PI)
SCR = Scans/Page Impressions (PI)

SCR Web Example:
Top-Ad projection per month on http://qrcode.kaywa.com:
441'750 PI's
1'910 Clicks
1'401 Scans
Therefore: CTR 0.4% (0.004) and SCR: 0.3% (0.003), Scan2Click: 0.73

SCR Print Example (open for discussion):
193'601 Print Circulation of a sunday paper in Switzerland
520'000 People read it
950 Scans (first day)
SCR (Circulation): = 0.5% (0.0049)
SCR (Readers): = 0.18% (0.0018)

Update finished (25.1.10):

***

On December 14, 2009, I wrote the post Clicks versus QR Code Scans which I have updated with the latest figures since then.

Here is the short analysis of the two QR Code ads at qrcode.kaywa.com for approximately the last 20 days. Let's first start with the facts (as of today, 13:00 UTC)

Since 11.12.09 on top place, since 18.12.09 on second place
Clicks for Shui Tang Ad: 1'411 – 67 (earlier than 11th) = 1'344*
Scans for Shui Tang Mobile Site (http://m.shuitang.ch/...): 664 – 35 (earlier than 11th) = 629
Ratio Scans/Clicks for #shuitang: 629/1344 = 0.47

Since 18.12.09 on first place
Clicks for #leshalles: 892
Scans for #leshalles Mobile Site: 656
Ratio Scans/Clicks for #leshalles: 656/892 = 0.74

Ratio Scans/Clicks overall: 1285/2236 = 0.57

*If we would be very precise we should only count 1164, as the referrers from bit.ly show that only 1164 came directly via the ad which would give us 629/1164 = 0.54 and overall 0.63. But as we have also published the Shui Tang QR Code on mobile.kaywa.com, we leave it that way.
The #leshalles QR Code therefore is certainly the better example.

Conclusion
Both examples prove and especially the overall result proves, that you can get at least half of the number of clicks with scans – on the Web!

Maybe one can understand now better why Google is so interested in this market. Clicks are there daily bread, Scans will soon become it.

What Google recently did with favorite places and the QR Code Sticker, comes very near to our new product DokoDare:

Map, Address, Opening hours etc. + QR Code Sticker see an example

***

Now I think this is very good for QR Codes as now many more people become aware of them. On the other hand, I think that there is still a lot of improvement to do from the Google side, so that it's valuable for the business owner and the user.

On DokoDare: Places, People, Me, we are working on this for some time now and we came to these conclusions so far:

DokoDare must be highly useful for the business owner. So we did this:

• s/he can publish short news for one or more places
• s/he can push the place and news to her/his clients
• people can follow place news.
• s/he can edit address, description, add photos etc.

And DokoDare needs to be social, so that people might check the page several times:

• People can checkin and checkout
• People can write kaykus and retweet them at the same time
• People can bookmark their favorite places
• People can open new places
• People can follow other people and place news

Here is also the link to the DokoDare powerpoint which explains free and commercial use in more detail.

PS:
See also:
DokoDare Retweets
DokoDare Events, ISMAR 09 Example
Momo Switzerland 11: Presentation: Creating an Ad Hoc Social Network with DokoDare (PDF)

Update: See also new post about Scans/Clicks


Especially Marketing people ask us often why somebody would want to scan a QR Code from a computer screen, if it might lead to the same destination as a simple click. We explained already that this isn't necessarily the case, as the QR Code will bring you probably to a different page then the click. We also say that, as long as there aren't enough QR Codes in the real world, people will continue to look for them on the web.



To illustrate this we put up an ad on http://qrcode.kaywa.com which includes a QR Code pointing to the mobile A Li Shan tea order page.



Whereas the link brings you to a page where the use of QR Codes for Shui Tang is better explained.

***

THE CLICK/SCAN (QR CODE SCAN) DATA

We wanted to do a comparison regarding Clicks versus QR Code Scans on the web. The tea ad would only target a niche audience ("it's not everyone's cup of tea" and currently the ad and site are only available in german), that was clear. Nevertheless it was worth trying it out.

PS: @qrable proposed the name SCR for Scan Trough Rate on Twitter. We immediately started using it: SCR now stands for Scan Through Rate, similar to the use of CTR. See: here (updated!).

Regarding Clicks, you can follow it live via the Bit.ly info link to get a live update.

Regarding Scans, we will update the figures for some time here:

11.12.09, 19:00 UTC till 24:00 UTC: 27 QR Code Scans
12.12.09: 58 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.68
13.12.09: 44 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.56
14.12.09: 54 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.47
15.12.09: 48 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.59
16.12.09: 38 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.33
17.12.09: 37 QR Code Scans = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.35

Today at 19:00 UTC till 24:00 TUC: we added another ad (for Clicks, see here):
18.12.09: 23 Scans (NEW: DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.72
18.12.09: 38 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.56
18.12.09: 61 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.61

19.12.09: 33 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.73
19.12.09: 15 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.6
19.12.09: 48 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.69

20.12.09: 38 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.9
20.12.09: 24 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.77
20.12.09: 62 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.87

21.12.09: 33 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.4
21.12.09: 11 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.18
21.12.09: 44 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.31

22.12.09: 50 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.67
22.12.09: 20 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.54
22.12.09: 70 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.62

23.12.09: 35 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.65
23.12.09: 23 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.7
23.12.09: 58 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.67

24.12.09: 41 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 1.03
24.12.09: 16 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.46
24.12.09: 57 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.76

25.12.09: 33 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.91
25.12.09: 12 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.31
25.12.09: 45 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.6

26.12.09: 31 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 1.0
26.12.09: 11 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.31
26.12.09: 42 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.63

27.12.09: 32 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.63
27.12.09: 10 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.26
27.12.09: 42 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.47

28.12.09: 32 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.62
28.12.09: 12 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.43
28.12.09: 44 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.55

29.12.09: 42 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.76
29.12.09: 25 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.56
29.12.09: 67 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.69

30.12.09: 44 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.98
30.12.09: 23 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.55
30.12.09: 67 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.77

31.12.09: 30 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.73
31.12.09: 14 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.52
31.12.09: 44 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.65

1.1.10: 25 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.81
1.1.10: 9 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.31
1.1.10: 34 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.57

2.1.10: 28 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.61
2.1.10: 16 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.73
2.1.10: 44 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.65

3.1.10: 35 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.74
3.1.10: 15 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.38
3.1.10: 50 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.57

4.1.10: 55 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.92
4.1.10: 18 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.35
4.1.10: 73 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.66

5.1.10: 35 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.52
5.1.10: 24 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.51
5.1.10: 59 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.52

6.1.10: 49 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.78
6.1.10: 26 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.52
6.1.10: 75 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click: 0.66

7.1.10: 40 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (40/70): 0.57
7.1.10: 37 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (37/45): 0.82
7.1.10: 77 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (77/115): 0.67

8.1.10: 59 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (59/59): 1.0
8.1.10: 26 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (26/42): 0.62
8.1.10: 85 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (85/101): 0.84

9.1.10: 31 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (31/43): 0.72
9.1.10: 14 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (14/34): 0.41
9.1.10: 45 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (45/77): 0.58

10.1.10: 31 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (31/54): 0.57
10.1.10: 14 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (14/35): 0.4
10.1.10: 45 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (45/89): 0.51

11.1.10: 73 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (73/59): 1.24
11.1.10: 24 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (24/45): 0.53
11.1.10: 97 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (97/104): 0.93

12.1.10: 56 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (56/76): 0.74
12.1.10: 23 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (23/48): 0.48
12.1.10: 79 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (79/124): 0.64

13.1.10: 47 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (47/93): 0.51
13.1.10: 24 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (24/50): 0.48
13.1.10: 71 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (71/143): 0.5

14.1.10: 66 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (66/90): 0.73
14.1.10: 32 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (32/64): 0.5
14.1.10: 98 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (98/154): 0.64

15.1.10: 62 Scans (DokoDare) = Ratio Scan2Click (62/80): 0.78
15.1.10: 39 Scans (Shui Tang) = Ratio Scan2Click (39/46): 0.85
15.1.10: 101 Scans Total = Ratio Scan2Click (101/126): 0.8

Here we stop with the current system (using bit.ly for Clicks) and we switch to our own microad system which gives us also the Page Impressions (PI's).
To make things a bit easier, we only look at the ad on top for #leshalles:

Saturday, 16.1.10: 41 Scans (DokoDare) / 49 Clicks / 10078 PI's
Ratio Scan2Click (41/49): 0.84 = 84%
Ratio CTR (=Click/PI) (49/10078): 0.005 = 0.5%
Ratio SCR (=Scan/PI) (41/10078): 0.004 = 0.4%

Sunday, 17.1.10: 34 SCR (DokoDare) / 51 CTR / 10031 PI's
Ratio Scan2Click (34/51): 0.67 = 67%
Ratio CTR (51/10031): 0.005 = 0.5%
Ratio SCR (34/10031): 0.003 = 0.3%