You probably won't be able to read this well, but this sign is in the window of the Hugo Boss store in the Meatpacking district in NYC. That pattern on the right is a Microsoft tag, that you can use with your phone to get additional info on the store. It's the MS version of a QR code.
But what you can't really read are the instructions. OK, I had it wrong, they actually direct you to go to their website from your cell phone. I still think it would be easier to direct you to an app store rather then the multi-step process of going to the web site to download the software.They direct you to go home, go to the Hugo Boss we site and download the software to read the MS tag from there. So, I'm standing in front of the store and you're directing me to go home, download the software and then come back to the store to try it out.
But what you can't really read are the instructions. OK, I had it wrong, they actually direct you to go to their website from your cell phone. I still think it would be easier to direct you to an app store rather then the multi-step process of going to the web site to download the software.
But, I was able to download the software needed right from the Android Market, so directing me there would've made this something I could do right away and then experience the value of the tag immediately. I have to think that if I'm good with this whole downloading barcodes readers to my cell phone thing, I know how to do that from either the Android or Apple app stores.
I'll go back and try it when I'm in on Friday, but there's a few, very important lessons here:
- It's got to be easy and immediately actionable. If it's a multistep process
that I need to remember when I get somewhere else, I'm not likely to do it. - I need to clearly understand the value proposition. And if the value proposition is better for you then it is for me, I won't do it at all. What's the value of shopping online from in front of your store, when I could just walk in the store?
- Know your audience. A smart phone person who uses a barcode reader will visit the app store anyway, let them go there.
There's lots of good tools out there and there will be a day when most people use a phone-based, barcode reader to comparison shop. But, today, if it's not executed properly, it just makes it harder to drive adoption.