How I Removed Friction from a Google Reviews QR Code
A QR code can look like the perfect way to collect more Google reviews.
A customer finishes their meal, haircut, repair or appointment. They see a small sign on the counter:
“Enjoyed your visit? Scan here and leave us a review.”
They scan it.
Job done, right?
Not always.
I recently looked at a real setup where the QR code worked correctly, but the customer journey behind it was weaker than it needed to be.
The interesting part was that the QR code itself was not the problem.
The problem was what happened after the scan.
And this is a good example of something I see more and more with technology:
A system can technically work and still create unnecessary friction.
The original setup
The business already had a QR code printed and placed where customers could see it.
Scanning the code opened a page with a link to Google.
From there, the customer had to continue through Google before reaching the place where they could actually leave a review.
Nothing was broken.
But every additional step created another chance for the customer to stop.
Someone scans the code.
Then they see another page.
Then another link.
Maybe they need to open Google.
Maybe they are not logged in.
Maybe they get distracted.
Maybe they simply decide:
“I’ll do it later.”
And “later” usually means never.
That made me ask a very simple question:
Why are we making the customer do all of this?
The QR code was not the real problem
This is where the research became more interesting.
At first, it looked like a QR code problem.
It was actually a customer journey problem.
Google already allows businesses to create a direct review link and a QR code from their Business Profile. Google specifically recommends using these links on receipts, emails, WhatsApp messages and in physical locations. Google Business Profile Help
So the first lesson is simple:
Do not create a QR code that only sends people to your website, Google homepage or another unnecessary page if your real goal is to collect a Google review.
The destination matters more than the QR code.
Every extra step costs attention
Think about this from the customer's point of view.
They are not sitting at home thinking:
“I would really like to spend the next five minutes reviewing this business.”
You usually catch them during a very small window.
They have just paid.
They are leaving.
They are waiting for something.
They are standing next to the reception desk.
You might have 20 or 30 seconds of their attention.
That means the process should be as short as possible.
Ideally:
scan → Google → review
Not:
scan → landing page → button → Google → search for business → reviews → write review
The difference looks small when you design the system.
It feels much bigger when you are the customer using it.
Can you open Google Maps directly?
This was the next question I researched.
Instead of simply opening a generic Google page, could the system recognise the customer's phone and send them to the best destination?
For example:
Android user → Google Maps
iPhone user with Google Maps installed → Google Maps
user without the app → browser fallback
Google supports universal Google Maps links and also documents a specific URL scheme for opening Google Maps on iOS. Google recommends cross-platform Maps URLs for most cases because they can work across different devices. Google Maps URLs · Google Maps URL Scheme for iOS
That means you can build a small page between the QR code and Google.
Its job is not to show content.
Its job is to make a decision.
Something like this:
QR code
↓
small redirect page
↓
detect device
↓
choose the best destination
↓
Google Maps / Google review page
And if the preferred method does not work, the system should always have a normal web link as a fallback.
That last part is important.
Trying to force an app can behave differently depending on the phone, browser, operating system and whether the app is installed.
So the goal should not be:
“Force Google Maps at any cost.”
The goal should be:
“Get the customer to the review process with the least friction possible.”
The simplest version might be enough
There is another important lesson here.
Not every business needs a custom technical system.
Google already gives businesses a direct link specifically for collecting reviews. You can create it inside your Google Business Profile under the option for getting more reviews. Google Business Profile Help
For many businesses, replacing an old QR destination with Google's direct review link may solve most of the problem.
That should always be tested first.
Only after that would I consider building a more advanced redirect system.
This is something I am learning repeatedly when working with AI and automation:
Do not build the complicated solution before testing the simple one.
How to check your own review process
You can test this yourself in five minutes.
Take your phone and scan the QR code that customers currently use.
But do not test it as the business owner.
Pretend you are a customer in a hurry.
Count the steps.
Ask yourself:
What happens immediately after I scan?
Do I see another page that I do not need?
Do I need to press another button?
Does Google open immediately?
Can I clearly see where to leave a review?
What happens if I am using an iPhone?
What happens on Android?
What happens if Google Maps is not installed?
What happens if I am not logged into Google?
Is there any step that can be removed?
You can do the same exercise with almost any customer process.
Booking.
Payments.
Contact forms.
Newsletter signup.
Restaurant menus.
Appointment reminders.
Quote requests.
Sometimes the biggest improvement is not a new AI system.
Sometimes it is simply removing one unnecessary click.
This is also why small improvements matter
The interesting thing about this project is that the final change can look almost too simple.
Someone might look at the result and say:
“So you just changed where the QR code goes?”
Yes.
But that is looking at the solution after the problem has already been understood.
Before reaching that point, you need to know:
that a better option exists
how Google review links work
how Google Maps links behave
how iPhone and Android may handle them differently
which parts of the journey are unnecessary
what should happen when the preferred option fails
The implementation might take five minutes.
Finding the right five-minute implementation might take two hours.
That difference is important.
It is also one of the areas where I think AI becomes especially useful.
Not because AI magically fixes the business.
It helps you research, test options and question processes that everyone else has simply accepted.
I have not measured the final conversion rate yet
I could make this article more impressive by saying something like:
“This increased reviews by 47%.”
But I do not have that data.
So I am not going to invent it.
The next proper step would be to measure:
QR scans
clicks to Google
completed reviews
drop-off rate
results before and after the change
That would turn a useful improvement into a measurable business experiment.
And that is something I want to do more often.
Not just:
“I automated something.”
But:
“I found a problem, changed the process and measured whether it actually worked.”
The bigger lesson
This small QR code problem changed the way I look at business automation.
When people hear the words AI or automation, they often imagine something complicated.
Agents.
APIs.
Chatbots.
Large systems.
Sometimes those are useful.
But sometimes the better question is much simpler:
Where is your customer wasting time?
Or:
Where are you asking a customer to do something that your system could do for them?
That is often where the best improvements start.
And sometimes the solution is AI.
Sometimes it is automation.
Sometimes it is a small piece of code.
And sometimes it is simply a better link.
Related questions
How do I create a direct Google review link?
Open your Google Business Profile, go to your reviews section and choose the option to get more reviews. Google allows you to copy a review link or create a QR code for customers. Google Business Profile Help
Should a QR code link directly to Google Reviews?
If collecting a review is the only purpose of the QR code, removing unnecessary pages usually creates a simpler customer journey.
Can a QR code open the Google Maps app?
A QR code contains a link. Google supports Maps URLs and mobile URL schemes that can open Google Maps in supported situations. The exact behaviour can depend on the phone, browser and installed apps. Google Maps URLs · Google Maps URL Scheme for iOS
Do I need a custom website for this?
Not necessarily. Start by testing Google's own direct review link. A redirect page becomes useful when you need more control over device handling, fallbacks, tracking or other logic.
Can I give customers a discount for leaving a Google review?
Be careful. Google says reviews should reflect real experiences and prohibits offering incentives in exchange for reviews. Google Business Profile Help
What process should I look at next?
I am building a series where I take small business processes that look normal, break them into individual steps and check whether AI, automation or a simpler system can improve them.
If there is a process in your business that feels unnecessarily slow, repetitive or annoying, tell me what it is and what industry you work in.
I may use it as the next case study.
And if you already know that something in your business is inefficient but you do not have the time to spend hours researching and testing possible solutions, that is exactly the kind of problem I am interested in working on.
