What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free analytics tool by Google that helps you track and get a detailed look at your website or app's performance.
You can use it to access a wide range of data and performance reports on your website's traffic and behavior.
Understanding the process of Google Analytics
Google Analytics uses a tracking code, which is a small snippet of a Javascript code, to track your business's online performance.
Think of this code as a digital microchip that tracks and stores all the relevant information. When a user visits your webpage, this chip will record all information about their activities and send it to Google analytics dashboard.
Google Analytics can track and monitor extensive data about your online presence, such as :
- How many users visit your website
- How these visitors or users interact with your website's content and features.
- The behavior and preferences of your visitors.
- Track important actions such as purchases, sign-ups, or subscriptions.
You can use the data collected from Google Analytics to track purchases and conversions, the performance of your marketing campaigns, and improve your content to increase viewer engagement.
QR code tracking Google Analytics: A step-by-step process
At this point, we all have an idea about quick response or QR codes. Those black and white square barcodes that you see everywhere.
While these customize QR codes can store a great deal of information, this information needs to be tracked and organized in a proper manner.
Google Analytics (GA4) is a simple and straightforward process that helps you get complete information about your QR campaign progress through a single platform.
We have outlined the process in a way that both expert marketers and newbies can easily track QR code usage by following it. Let's start!
Login to Google Analytics account
First, you need to sign- into your Google Analytics account. Create a new account if you don't have one already.
- Sign in to the Google Analytics website.
- Choose the account you want to link with it.
- Click on Admin to proceed further.
Create property and tracking ID
Property means a group of data or information from a website. It helps you view reports and manage data in Google Analytics.
- Click on 'create property' to add a new data stream.
- Once you have created and named the property, click on the data stream. Here, you will find your unique ID for tracking data.
- You will need this ID in the later steps, so make sure you note it somewhere.
Enable user consent
Respect your viewers privacy by enabling user consent pop ups. Check if your target audience lives in the region that requires the European Union consent policy.
This makes sure that users have given you the permission to track and use their data for research purposes.
- Create a consent form that is compliant with Google's user consent policy.
- Choose a consent mode that helps you communicate with your viewer's choices. If a user denies consent, the tags will not store cookies but send pings to Google. This means you can't store any information related to these users.
UTM parameters for tracing QR code scans
This is the most important step for QR code tracking Google Analytics. It involves creating a UTM (Urchin Tracking Model) for the QR codes you want to track.
- Go back to your Google Analytics account and open Google's Campaign URL Builder Tool.
- Enter all the relevant details of your campaign, including the campaign name, source, medium, or content that you wish to track during the campaign. The medium can be 'QR code,' and the campaign might be 'New Year sale.'
- This builder will give you a unique URL. Embed this URL in a clickable QR code generator to create a trackable QR code.
Create a dynamic QR code
Now, your next step is to create a QR code generator with analytics. While there are different platforms available online, choose a URL QR code generator that lets you create dynamic QR codes.
- Go to Free QR Code Generator. Click the More button and sign up for an account.
- Click on 'Dynamic QR code' and fill in all the necessary details
- Embed the URL to QR code. This URL will be the landing page you want your users to visit after scanning the code.
- Preview your QR code's final design and then press ‘Generate.’
- Download your QR code and check if it works properly.
Track QR code usage on Google Analytics
After launching your QR code tracking Google Analytics, you can track and monitor its performance in the Analytics dashboard.
- Go back to your Google Analytics account and visit the GA4 dashboard.
- Click on 'Acquisition' to see the details about the viewer's traffic.
- Click on a campaign ( New Year sale) to filter the specific data and reports from that campaign. Google Analytics offers more than 500 metrics to choose from. From landing page performance to conversions, you can track almost all kinds of data.
Free QR Code Generator: A must-have
Now since you understand how you can integrate QR code with Google Analytics, you must be thinking to generate a free QR code.
The best choice is the Free QR Code Generator.
It’s a must-have tool for creating and managing your QR codes easily. The tool offers a range of features, including customizable designs, dynamic codes, and easy tracking capabilities— all at no cost.
This makes it an ideal choice for businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts without breaking the bank.
Now we will look at some of the key metrics that can help you measure the performance of your QR campaigns.
- User acquisition: Tracking QR code scans tells you how many visitors the QR code brought to your website. You can also track their demographics and the time of visit.
- User engagement: Check out 'Engaged Sessions' to see what people find most interesting in your website and where they spend most of their browsing time.
- Conversions: How many visitors were successfully converted into customers? By setting up goals in your campaigns, you can see how many customers are making a purchase or subscribing to your services.
- E-Commerce transactions: As an e-commerce business owner, you can track the total revenue, sales, and transactions made directly by QR codes.
Benefits of tracking QR code scans with Google Analytics
Customer segmentation
QR code tracking is not just about counting scans. It helps you know and understand your customers better.
Customer experience trends show that 46 percent of customers expect more personalized communications from brands. Collecting data on a free QR code generator enables you to segment your customers into groups with similar interests and demographics.
Let's say a clothing brand uses QR code branding on product tags. By tracking scans, they could identify people who are interested in sustainable fashion.
This helps them to send targeted promotions about eco-friendly products to their customers.
Improve customer experience
Customer experience stats show that Brands with a customer-centric approach report 60 percent higher profits than their counterparts.
QR code tracking Google Analytics tells you how your customer interacts with your business. Understanding their journey will help you tailor the landing pages as per their preferences.
For instance, if many people scan a QR code and then leave, you can add product reviews or comparisons on the landing pages. This improves customers' trust and experience with relevant information.
Identify and resolve issues
QR code tracking online helps you identify problems quickly. If a particular code is not performing well, analytics can reveal why.
A high bounce rate might mean your content is not engaging. Experiment with different content placements to improve the results. Real-time data by Google Analytics helps you make changes on the go and optimize your campaigns.
Start tracking QR code Google Analytics with a QR code generator
QR code tracking Google Analytics is a unique combination of collecting and organizing real-time data in one platform. Tracking QR Code usage helps you with data-driven decisions and boosts your business growth.
Follow the above process to track the success of your QR campaigns with Google Analytics and never miss a scan.
To achieve the best marketing results, choose a QR code generator with an analytics plugin.
Solutions like free QR code generators offer advanced QR creation and integration options to elevate your marketing to the next level. Sign up and start creating dynamic QR codes today!
Frequently asked questions
Is QR code lifetime?
QR codes don't have an expiration date. Once created, they can remain valid for an indefinite period of time, regardless of the number of scans. This makes them a reliable and sustainable tool for information sharing.
Can QR codes be deleted?
A QR code doesn't disappear, but you can delete it by removing the contact info. For example, if a QR code is directed to a web page, deleting that page will make the QR code useless.
