Half of all smatphone owners have scanned QR Codes and 18% of them made a purchase after scanning a QR Code, according to a new survey by Chadwick Martin Bailey.

More statistics show that 21% of those who scanned a QR Code shared that information with somebody else.

Most find scanning a QR Code to be easy — 70% said so.  This statistic is surprising to me given that QR Codes are relatively new, but since they are currently the bastion of savvy smartphone users, I guess it’s believable.

Unfortunately, getting valuable information didn’t score as well.  Too many sites must simply be linking the QR Code to an unmobilized website.  Only 41% found the information they received to be partcularly useful.

“The fact that two in five found the information provided through QR code to be useful show there is a big opportunity for marketers is to create better directed information to consumers,” said Jeffrey McKenna, senior consultant, Chadwick Martin Bailey, of Boston.