QR (short for “quick response”) codes are 2D barcodes that can be scanned and read by smart phones. Once scanned the phone’s web browser is directed to a website, without the user having to type a URL.
You’ve probably seen the boxy, black-and-white images in advertisements, on paper cups of coffee, on the sides of buses and elsewhere; they are an established marketing tool for large, national businesses. For example, a QR code on a Starbucks cup of coffee might bring smartphone users to the company’s website for a special coupon.
Can QR codes be used effectively by small businesses?
Since QR codes are perfect at bridging the offline with the online, they can be used anywhere it makes sense to link a print marketing piece with expanded information, a video, a calculating tool, or anything else that lives on your website.
For example, a real estate agent could include a QR code on a for sale sign that takes people to a video of a walkthrough of the property. A graphics design firm could place QR codes on employees’ business cards, making it easy for people to connect with them on multiple social networks. A store that runs an ad in a weekly circular can include a QR code that links to in-depth product information, exclusive content, and deals.
QR codes are a great way to educate. Last summer, the city of New York wanted to inform and update residents on recycling. Recycling trucks displayed QR codes on them that linked to an educational video about recycling.
You can put a QR code on anything you can print on, from business cards, flyers, brochures, and even t-shirts. Shrink them down to the size of your little fingernail, or fill up a billboard with one. As long as there is the right distance between the QR code and the phone, so that the square fits in the screen, it can be read.
And, as needs change, the material that the QR code links to can also be changed. This keeps the QR code useful over the long term and keeps print costs way down.
How can you create QR codes?
There are plenty of sites that will allow you to create QR codes for free. You just need to provide the URL you want to send people to, the message you want to share, or whatever other information you’d like to put into the QR code.
What QR code “mistakes” should you avoid?
Some businesses are missing the point of QR codes by using them to lead to content that is really just expanded advertising. QR codes should enrich the customer experience, not annoy customers by luring them in only to present them with a harder sell. They also shouldn’t be used purely for the “cool” factor.
It also doesn’t make a lot of sense to use a QR code in a website, email newsletter or other online content. A simple hyperlink is more user-friendly and accomplishes the same thing.
As with any marketing or advertising, a QR code is only as good as the thought and creativity that goes into it.
Using QR Codes to Market Your Business
QR (short for “quick response”) codes are 2D barcodes that can be scanned and read by smart phones. Once scanned the phone’s web browser is directed to a website, without the user having to type a URL.
You’ve probably seen the boxy, black-and-white images in advertisements, on paper cups of coffee, on the sides of buses and elsewhere; they are an established marketing tool for large, national businesses. For example, a QR code on a Starbucks cup of coffee might bring smartphone users to the company’s website for a special coupon.
Can QR codes be used effectively by small businesses?
Since QR codes are perfect at bridging the offline with the online, they can be used anywhere it makes sense to link a print marketing piece with expanded information, a video, a calculating tool, or anything else that lives on your website.
For example, a real estate agent could include a QR code on a for sale sign that takes people to a video of a walkthrough of the property. A graphics design firm could place QR codes on employees’ business cards, making it easy for people to connect with them on multiple social networks. A store that runs an ad in a weekly circular can include a QR code that links to in-depth product information, exclusive content, and deals.
QR codes are a great way to educate. Last summer, the city of New York wanted to inform and update residents on recycling. Recycling trucks displayed QR codes on them that linked to an educational video about recycling.
You can put a QR code on anything you can print on, from business cards, flyers, brochures, and even t-shirts. Shrink them down to the size of your little fingernail, or fill up a billboard with one. As long as there is the right distance between the QR code and the phone, so that the square fits in the screen, it can be read.
And, as needs change, the material that the QR code links to can also be changed. This keeps the QR code useful over the long term and keeps print costs way down.
How can you create QR codes?
There are plenty of sites that will allow you to create QR codes for free. You just need to provide the URL you want to send people to, the message you want to share, or whatever other information you’d like to put into the QR code.
What QR code “mistakes” should you avoid?
Some businesses are missing the point of QR codes by using them to lead to content that is really just expanded advertising. QR codes should enrich the customer experience, not annoy customers by luring them in only to present them with a harder sell. They also shouldn’t be used purely for the “cool” factor.
It also doesn’t make a lot of sense to use a QR code in a website, email newsletter or other online content. A simple hyperlink is more user-friendly and accomplishes the same thing.
As with any marketing or advertising, a QR code is only as good as the thought and creativity that goes into it.