The gender split (69% male, 31% female) and the OS split (53% Android, 43% iOS, 4% other) are slightly surprising.

he latest ABI Research report has shown that mobile commerce will make up about 24.4 percent of all of the online revenue by the close of 2017.

Last year, the size of the mobile commerce marketplace doubled, reaching $65.6 billion.

Unfortunately, many of the consumers find that even when they do know what QR codes are and they use their mobile devices to scan them, they rapidly discover that the mobile marketers didn’t take the time to make the scan worthwhile. For example, if all the code does is direct the user to the homepage of a website, there will be a far poorer response than if scanning the code allows the smartphone owner to gain access to an exclusive discount coupon.

Among the main problems are that while they have become highly popular among companies, many consumers still haven’t figured out what they are. This is a slow learning process that is catching on, but that hasn’t included the majority of smartphone users quite yet.

Giving the consumer an option to scan a QR code which leads them to a website that is not optimized for the device they use to scan it is like sending someone with a broken arm in to get a full-body physical. People use QR codes to take action directly, so don’t make them jump through hoops, pinching, zooming and navigating through a messy desktop site. Give them what they want: a mobile experience.

the QR codes that perform far better are the ones that offer consumers a benefit for scanning.  This means providing a discount, special offer or inclusion in some sort of exclusive program in order to provide customers a return on investment for their time. Of course, clever marketers can find plenty of ways to provide a reward for scanning while still integrating plenty of branding as well.

The Pew survey also showed that the majority of cell phone users experiencing glitches are African Americans and Hispanics. “This might be tied to the fact that African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than whites to rely on their cell phones as their primary or exclusive phones for calling and for Internet access,” a note in the survey said.

The survey revealed that 72% of mobile phone users have complained about dropped calls, with some of them having the problem more than once a week. Some 68%, on the other hand, reported spam messages and unwanted sales and marketing calls. When it comes to mobile web browsing, 77% of people surfing the Internet using their cellphones have been struggling with slow download speeds.

1. Immediacy

2. Compatibility

3. Find-ability – Mobile sites can be found easier

Provide a meaningful call to action.

Make the interaction worthwhile.

iOS and Android are neck and neck when you look at web usage on cellular networks. So the question becomes not why do Android users not browse the web as much as iOS users do, but why don’t they browse the web on Wi-Fi connections?

It found that Android devices lead the way in overall popularity at 51% followed by iPhones at 38%. 

The numbers for Android devices are skewed even higher for the young age group at 58%, showing that marketers must ensure that their sites are equally optimised for apps and web browsers via Android devices as they are for iOS devices.

88% of consumers who shop using mobile apps on Android tablets report the highest levels of satisfaction compared to 71% of iPad users. Similarly satisfaction among Android smartphone users is 69% versus 66% on iPhone

Where your visitors are coming from – very important if you’re targeting a specific audience.How your visitors found your website – this is very important for determining which of your efforts are paying off. It shows if visitors found your site directly, through a referral from another website (ex: Twitter, Facebook), or from search engines.Web browsers used by your visitors – knowing which web browsers your visitors use allows you to know which browsers you should be focusing on.What keywords were used by visitors in the search engines to get to your website – this is very crucial for SEO. Knowing which keywords people are searching for to get to your site determines if you are on the right track.

• USPS – the Postal Service is now running its second campaign that uses a QR code. In this case, it is offering discounts of 2 percent to companies choosing to use their mailers with the barcodes printed on them. This benefits both the companies and shows that there is still a place for snail mail in this increasingly digital and mobile world.

• Coca-Cola – the soft drink giant placed a QR code on its containers throughout the 2012 Europe Cup soccer tournament, giving scanners exclusive videos from the tournament, as well as an easy way to obtain the free SmileWorld social app.

• Proctor & Gamble – PGMobile shopping trucks were launched last month by the beauty and home products corporation, distributing free samples as they patrolled New York City. Both the samples and the truck were emblazoned with quick response codes that could be scanned by smartphone users.

When the customers used the QR codes to reach the portal, they now have many options available. Those who scan the QR codes are able to pay their bills on the internet, but they can also have a look at detailed information regarding their energy use, and read about rebate programs and energy savings tips that can help them to reduce the amount they are spending on this service. House added that “It’s a kind of one-stop-shop for members.”

New program helps visitors to learn more about the city.

QR code use is the ideal way to share this information.

It allows visitors to the city to play a game where they must scan the barcodes at various different locations found throughout Dallas. When they perform a scan, they are provided with a trivia question or a task that must be completed. Each time they answer correctly or finish the required activity, they gain points. Those can be accumulated in order to earn prizes.

Sports teams begin to explore the possibilities of technology

According to the report, mobile search is gaining momentum amongst consumers. As smart phones and other mobile devices become more widely used, consumers are beginning to use their mobile tools to conduct searchers on the Internet.