By John Foley

As QR codes gain traction in the United States and marketing departments embrace the technology in new campaigns, the need to measure their success becomes even more important.

Once you take the plunge and add QR codes to your printed materials, implementing procedures to measure the code?s success is the next step.

With the right software, it is possible to track how many scans a code receives, the location the scan took place, and even the time of day the scan occurred.

Here are a several ways companies can measure the QR codes they include on their marketing materials to determine customer behavior:

Tracking and traceability capabilities
Knowing which products are being viewed, by whom and how often can help your business see what is selling and what is not. 

Various software programs have been developed that will also record the amount of scans per day, what time they took place, the location and the type of device being used.

Capture consumer interest data
QR codes let companies connect with consumers in real-time and gauge interest in a particular product or campaign immediately.

For example, a wine manufacturer may be launching a new product and incorporate a QR code directly on the label.

Upon scanning, the code will direct the consumer to a Web site that provides the history of the wine and offers pairing advice for serving.

The company can then determine, based on the number and location of the scans, which stores the wine should be sold at to receive the best selling rate.

Extend functionality to capture user information
QR codes can be taken one step further and actually help marketers capture contact information on the perspective buyer.

It is possible to direct users to a landing page, prior to sending them to a designated Web site, which will request their contact information before they proceed to gather the information they want.

Upon completion of the form, the company gets valuable knowledge that will help the sales team track and monitor interested prospects, and understand the product?s target audience.

Embracing QR codes is just a first step.

Equally important as a marketer is ensuring you are accurately and effectively measuring the success of implementing the QR codes in the first place.

John Foley Jr. is the founder of interlinkONE, Wilmington, MA. Reach him at .