Every business owner today wants to grow their company exponentially. To do just that, they’ve started selling to global audiences. However, tapping into international markets comes with its own set of challenges, the biggest one being the language barrier. Effective communication is crucial for building trust, and credibility, and ultimately converting prospects into customers. Traditional methods of providing language services, such as printed translations or clunky website localization, often fall short of offering the experience the user of today expects. In this article, we will learn how QR Codes in replace the traditional methods of offering language services and what are some of its best use cases.
Why QR Code is a Smart Choice for Language Services
QR codes have emerged as the ideal choice for language services as they address the limitations of traditional translation methods.
They fill the gap between a large number of languages and your offering. As a result, you can improve your user experience and sell effectively to global markets while driving growth.
Let’s delve deep into the primary advantages of using QR Codes for language translations.
Multiple Prints and Reprints are not Required
With traditional printed materials, you would need to produce separate brochures, manuals, or documents for each language, leading to increased printing costs and resource consumption.
QR codes eliminate this need, as a single code can direct users to digital content in multiple languages. Moreover, there’s no need to reprint when certain content updates are required. This saves money and reduces environmental impact by minimizing paper waste.
Multilingual QR Codes for Local Content
QR codes act as a centralized hub for redirecting users to web pages in the language that is set on the device they are using to scan the code.
All you need to do is embed a single language webpage/document into your QR Code. Once scanned, your QR Code provider will auto-translate the embedded piece of information and enable users to access local language content quickly.
This makes it easy for your global audience to find the information they need in their native or preferred language without any hassles.
Uniqode’s QR Code solution allows the generation of QR Code content in up to 221 different locales.
Monitor Scans and Interactions
Many QR code generators offer powerful analytics and tracking capabilities. By monitoring scans and interactions, you can gain insights into which languages are most popular, identify areas where content or language services need improvement, and make data-driven decisions to better serve your global audience.
Now that we know why QR Codes make sense in language services, let us understand different ways to make the most of it in this industry.
Best Use-cases of QR Code in Language Services
We will now be exploring the potential and innovative applications of QR Code translation and its role in language services.
Event Programs and Schedules
Conferences, exhibitions, and events that target international audiences can greatly benefit from QR codes. By incorporating QR codes into event programs and schedules, attendees can easily access localized information, such as session descriptions, speaker bios, and venue maps, in their preferred language.
For example, a global trade fair could print a single brochure with a QR Code, allowing visitors from different countries to access content specific to their language preferences.
Tourist Guides
The tourism industry thrives on offering unique and memorable experiences to visitors from all around the world.
QR codes can make tourist guides more accessible by offering instant access to audio tours, historical information, and practical tips in multiple languages.
Imagine visiting a famous monument and being able to scan a QR code to instantly access an audio guide in your native language. It will simply enhance your understanding and appreciation of the site.
Language Learning Materials
QR codes also play a role in the way language learning materials are delivered and consumed. Instead of relying on bulky textbooks or printed resources, language schools and educators can include QR codes that link to interactive digital content, such as video lessons, audio files, and practice exercises.
Students can scan the QR codes to access language learning materials in their target language, allowing for a more engaging and immersive learning experience.
For instance, a QR code on a language workbook could provide access to pronunciation guides or conversational dialogues in the target language
Multilingual Menus and Descriptions
Restaurants and cafes can employ QR codes to provide multilingual menus and dish descriptions. By scanning a QR code, the diners can access menu items and detailed descriptions in their preferred language, ensuring a seamless dining experience.
This approach eliminates the need for printing multiple language versions of menus, reducing costs and waste.
As someone not fluent in Spanish, wouldn’t it be difficult to order if you go to a restaurant and the entire menu is in Spanish? This is exactly where a QR Code in Spanish can add convenience.
Surveys
QR codes can simplify conducting multilingual surveys, making it easier to gather feedback and insights from audiences of different backgrounds.
Instead of printing survey forms in multiple languages, businesses can simply display a QR code that links to an online survey platform. Respondents can simply scan the code and complete the survey in their native language, ensuring accurate and meaningful responses.
QR code-based surveys are particularly useful for market research, customer satisfaction surveys, and employee feedback initiatives targeting global audiences.
Customer Support
Lastly, remember the customer is the king today. To keep them coming back, you have to make things easy and convenient for them every step of the way.
QR codes can greatly improve customer support by allowing access to product manuals, troubleshooting guides, and other support resources in various languages. By scanning a QR code on a product or its packaging, customers can access support materials in their preferred language, allowing them to resolve issues independently.
This approach adds to customer satisfaction and also reduces the workload on support teams. QR codes can further be used to connect customers directly with customer support channels, such as live chat or helplines, in their native language leading to clear and quick resolutions.
How to Create Multilingual QR Codes?
Now that we understand why QR Code is one of the best choices for language services, let us delve into how you can create a multi-lingual QR code.
Step 1 – Choose the QR Code Type
Go to the Uniqode dashboard, click on the QR Code option in the left-side menu, and select the type of QR Code you want to create. Depending on your requirements you can choose website, mobile landing page, PDF, location, app download, etc.
For now, we will be creating a multi-lingual PDF QR Code.
Step 2 – Convert the QR Code into a Multilingual QR Code
After selecting the type of QR Code, you will be asked to enter the relevant details. For a PDF QR Code, you will need to upload the PDF document that the QR Code will lead to. Now, to convert this into a multi-lingual PDF QR Code that links to multiple language versions of the same document, turn the ‘Multi-language support’ button on.
Step 3 – Select Language/Locale
Next, add the languages and locales you want to support. Then, add the document you want to deliver for each language or locale. Your users will then be shown the relevant PDF based on their device language.
You can also choose which one of these PDFs you want to make your default PDF. In case the device language doesn’t match the PDFs provided, the user will be taken to the default document.
Step 4 – Customize your QR Code
Now, customize your QR Code to align it with your brand identity. You can use existing templates to get started or create your own by adding/changing different elements like logos, colors, shapes, eye shapes, backgrounds, frames, and more.
Step 5 – Download the QR Code
Tada! Your multi-lingual QR Code is ready. Download and make the most of it.
Real-life Examples of QR Code in Language Services
With the QR Code all set, let us share some real-life examples of multi-lingual QR Codes for you to get inspired.
The Nanjing Museum Uses QR Code for Self-guided Tours
Nanjing Museum used a QR code in 2012 for the first time wherein visitors could use their mobile phones to scan the exclusive QR code of “animal-patterned bronze cymbals” to check the relevant introduction.
All the 40 displayed items in the collection of Nanjing City Museum had QR codes to give enough context to the visitors. All they had to do was scan the QR code of a specific cultural display with their mobile phone camera which would automatically take them to the official website of Nanjing City Museum.
The application of QR codes to display museum collections allows for tour guides at the visitor’s convenience. It also boosts the audience’s interest, especially the tech-savvy younger audiences, to learn about the museum’s displayed artifacts.
Canley Vale Public School Uses QR Codes to Reach More Parents
Canley Vale Public School in southwestern Sydney used QR Codes during COVID-19. After transitioning to the online mode of education, they realized that not every notice they shared was understood by the students’ parents. This gap existed because most parents were from low socioeconomic families where English is a second language.
Their solution was to record the text of important letters and embed the notes with QR codes in seven community languages. Parents can then scan the QR code on their mobile phones and the information is read to them.
This improved the access of important information to a wider audience, ensuring that all parents, regardless of the language, could easily understand important notices and updates from the school.
Cross Language Barriers with QR Codes
QR codes have reimagined the way we share information across languages. These easy-to-create codes have bridged communication gaps allowing people to instantly access translated content just by scanning with their mobiles.
From museums and restaurants to businesses and institutions, QR codes provide an effortless and cost-effective solution to convey the same message in multiple languages without complex translations or linguistic expertise.
By embedding data in a universally scannable format, QR codes allow richer cross-cultural engagement and more inclusive experiences for global audiences. This has completely changed how we approach language barriers in our multicultural world.
Note investing in a QR Code generator that allows you to create multi-lingual QR Codes is important if you want to target a global market without any friction. User-friendly QR Code generators allow users to effortlessly create customizable, trackable, and branded multi-lingual QR Codes within minutes.