QR Codes: What Are They and Why Your Business Needs Them

What are QR Codes?

Chances are you've seen those nifty little QR codes online, in magazines, on movie posters or product packaging. Quick Response codes are the little squares with a pattern of black dots that encode text and numbers. Similar to bar codes, these codes are also able to be scanned. Except, Quick Response codes are more powerful and can contain much more information than the traditional bar code.

Smart phones users can snap a photo of these codes and automatically be directed to a specific website, e-mail address or download page, the possibilities are endless.

How to Create a Quick Response Code?

Although it may look fairly complicated, it is actually quite easy to create your own QR code online. Do you have a website or a social media account? If you answered yes, then these codes could be very beneficial to you or your business.

The first step in creating a Quick Response code is deciding what you want to encode. Once you've determined what you want to encode, you can get someone to create the QR code for you, or you can do it yourself! There are countless websites online that allow you to easily generate an image of this code. You take the image they give you and print it on whatever you want, place it wherever you want.

The mesmerizing part of creating QR codes online is customizing the design of the code to your brand. Want your code to look like your logo? Go for it. Want it to reflect your website's design scheme? Choose it. The code can be small or it can be large, however be careful when shrinking it too small or enlarging it too much due to pixel issues.

Advertise Your Business

Almost every business can find a way to take advantage of QR codes. Whether you are promoting a product or a special service, incorporating an interactive QR code will hopefully intrigue consumers enough to give it a try. Many business owners strongly believe if they can get consumers to at least try their product, they will be hooked. A QR code may just be the key ingredient to growing your business and selling more products.

Finding Proper Placement

QR codes are a non-threatening, non-pressuring way to advertise your business. But where must you place the code? Is there an allotted location? Well, the choice is yours. You can place them on nearly anything your target audience comes in contact with, so get creative. Put one on the back of your cash register, your menus or brochures, t-shirts, business cards, banners, books, magazines, coffee mugs, napkins, posters, website, social media profiles, and any other promotional product! The initiative as to where you want to place your generated code depends on what pleases you… Your audience can then scan your code at their own leisure. Just make sure the placement is in an area that doesn't make the item unattractive.

It's a good idea to inform people of what they'll get when they scan your code. If you're directing them to your website or a download page, let them know that with some simple text above or below the QR code. People are more likely to scan your code if they know where it's going to take them.

Takeaway

Be unique and go with the latest trend of marketing your services and products. Be wise in generating your QR code online and be clever in choosing for code generators. The idea and creativity lies in your hands!