The market for new homes has been on a roller coaster ride that analysts predict will be on the upswing in many areas of the United States in 2012. Now the challenge is marketing for the home builder more effectively with less marketing dollars available, due to lower sales in recent months. Traditional advertising has higher costs and a blended approach is needed to spend marketing dollars wisely.
Web-based information is more affordable and more home buyers are searching online than in print for a home purchase. With that said, many builders have achieved success with newspaper and magazine print ads in past years. Here is the challenge. Print ad space has higher costs but a builder wants the company message to be seen by the prospective buyer.
Enter QR Codes
One solution is QR codes. QR codes are in essence, a printed link to web information. Smart phones are becoming more and more the norm instead of the exception and the phones come already loaded with the program to read the QR codes. The program takes a picture or scan of the code which takes the user to online information. If the codes are new to you, they are not new to prospective buyers. Overall, 44% of Americans now own smartphones.
Marketing is Timing
Many areas in the US have limited building seasons so a home builder must not gamble on missing leads by sticking with print or web marketing exclusively. My suggestion here is to have a smaller, more affordable print ad with a QR code linked to the larger message. On the print ad, have the builder logo, contact information, slogan, etc. and a QR code linked (preferably to a mobile website) to the builder biography, building standards, available lots, available homes, testimonials, etc. Get the picture? Less print cost but the message is still found by home buyers with smartphones.
Have you are anyone in your team used QR Codes? If so, where did you have the link go? Was it readable on mobile devices?
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Wayne Sturm is the Owner and Virtual Tour Photographer at Alaskarama.com and mobile marketing specialist and developer at MobilePlusLocal.com.