Junk mail is something that I’m not a fan of but for some reason I decided to look at all the junk in my mail box. They were all what you would expect from a typical junk mail dump but, the Dick Smith material caught my attention because it had QR codes plastered all over it.
The first page of the flyer has a QR code with “SCAN TO BUY NOW” next to one of the products and I was curious to see just how they were using QR codes to achieve this. After a quick scan of the code, I wasn’t overly impressed with the result.
The scan directed me to a landing page with a detailed product description at the end of which was a call to action to download the Dick Smith app on iTunes or Google Play.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the result for two reasons. The main reason was convenience and the second (and somewhat minor) was data,
Convenience
In my mind, it really wasn’t the “scan to buy now” I was hoping for. My expectation from the experience would have been that I’d be taken to a landing page that would allow me to fulfill the order with little or no fuss. I am one of the many consumers out there in the world who love convenience and would be more inclined to go with a service that allows me to complete a task with a minimum number of steps. This steps that I would have liked to follow would have probably looked something like this:
- Scan QR Code
- Be directed to the product landing page
- Add to cart
- Checkout
Data
The other gripe that I had with their process was that before I can make the purchase, I have to download the Dick Smith app. If I’m at home, this isn’t much of an issue as it can be downloaded via wi-fi but, if I’m out and about, I would have to use cellular data. I go through a lot of cellular data each month and if I don’t really need to download something on the go, then I won’t.
What Could They Have Done Better?
Yes, as you flick through the flyer, you are promoted to download the app and then scan the QR codes to buy but something else that comes to mind is that I already have more than enough apps on my device and I really don’t need another one that I will hardly ever use.
That said, this is not a campaign to discredit the use of QR codes and their app for their mCommerce strategy. I’ve already outlined above the process flow I would have liked to follow to place an order especially for someone like me who would only maybe make one purchase a year at Dick Smith.
For those who would want to download the app, this is a call to action that could probably be put at the end of the initial order process.
What are your thoughts on the Dick Smith “scan to buy now” strategy?
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