How QR Codes Can Help Promote Your Veterinary Practice

Scan the QR code on our banner above, for a free template that you can adapt to fit your branding and use to boost Google reviews for your clinic! Enjoy!

The fall and rise of the QR code

The origin of the QR code

The QR code, otherwise known as a quick response code, was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, chief engineer of Denso Wave, and was originally used to track vehicles and parts as they moved along an assembly line. By 2010, although popular smartphone manufacturers introduced QR scanners and created some traction with the general populace, they quickly died down and were considered more of a fad than a business necessity.

QR codes in 2022

Fast-forward to 2022, a suddenly touchless world (thanks to COVID-19) in which nearly all industries communicate with customers using QR codes. A once-forgotten piece of matrix barcode has now become a staple in driving traffic toward businesses that now attract customers without having to spend millions on advertising.

How to use QR codes with veterinary marketing

Direct customers to online booking

With QR codes, you can enable pet owners to access your website to book an appointment simply by scanning a QR code. This eliminates the hassle of having to search for the website manually.

Note: In order for this to work correctly, it is important that your QR code is linked to a unique URL.

Vetstoria generates unique QR codes that can be easily integrated into your website, social media pages, and marketing material to ensure clinics like yours are at the top of their game!

We give clinics the option to either embed a link or a unique QR code into their website, which directs pet owners to the booking screen.

Leave a review

Give pet owners the opportunity to rate your business and mention the best parts of your services using QR codes linked to Google reviews or Facebook pages. The QR code can be placed on countertops, business cards, receipts, brochures, and basically any other promotional material!

Download a free editable template which can be used to get customers who visit your clinic to leave a review here.

Reminders for pet owners

Your QR code can be placed onto any printed postcard /digital reminders or provided to your marketing partner to incorporate into the assets they produce.

Clinics using Vetstoria have the option to include a link or a unique QR code on the reminders they send out to pet owners. The link or QR code directs the pet owners to the booking screen, where they can book their appointments with you.

Below is an example of a reminder booking postcard that includes a QR code:

Wellness plans

Create and share a QR code on your marketing materials that directs pet owners to fill out a form or learn more about the wellness plans and advice your clinic offers.

Social media

Include QR codes on your social media content and pages to direct pet owners to book an appointment on your website or redeem offers.

Does your clinic have a Facebook page? Clinics using Vetstoria can embed a link or unique QR code as a ‘call to action’ that directs pet owners to the booking screen.

Note: The QR code can also be used on social media content in order to drive traffic to your booking screen.

Offer discounts

Using discount coupons in physical marketing materials like flyers, posters, and even digital marketing channels can help maintain pet owner loyalty and bridge the gap between traditional and online marketing.

Paid promotional campaigns

Paid promotion of content involves paying for any media space or placement on digital media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Paid promotions are also specifically targeted to an audience segment alongside a ‘call to action’ to ensure potential customers either click or engage with the ad.

To promote or not to promote? The answer is usually to promote, especially if your practice suffers from days of low footfall. This is where Vetstoria’s digital marketing feature comes in. It allows veterinary practices to take control of their promotional campaigns and track results, leading to impactful promotions that deliver positive returns on investment.

Once a digital marketing campaign is created, a unique link and QR code will be generated which can be used on your paid promotions.

Things to remember

Always test your QR code

After creating and generating your QR code, always make sure to test it on smartphones (Android and iOS) to ensure it works correctly. The last thing you need is potential traffic failing to reach your landing page due to an error. You can learn more about how to test your QR code here.

Optimise your clinic’s landing pages for mobile

Pet owners who scan QR codes to visit a landing page on your clinic won’t return to a non optimised website if they see hard-to-read text, misaligned images, and unclickable links. Google also deprioritises pages that are poorly optimised for search results so it’s extremely important to optimise your landing page for mobile devices to avoid these issues.

Will your customers scan the QR code?

The use of a QR code in 2022 still remains relevant and will continue that way into the future. The important task, however, is to ensure that the placement of your QR codes is easily reachable for customers to access and scan.

Clearly communicate what will happen post-scan

Consider your pet owner’s comfort with scanning QR codes. Make sure your QR code provides a clear ‘call to action’ that informs pet owners what will happen post-scan and how they will be directed. For e.g. – “Scan to book!”

Are QR codes here to stay?

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, QR codes once again rose to fame, but now they are incredibly popular because people are quite accustomed to using them, which makes QR codes one of the most effective marketing tools available today.

With the widespread use of smartphones with cameras for quick scanning and the increasing global use of contactless payments, it is safe to say that QR codes have come a long way from their inception and are definitely here to stay.