If you're not familiar with them, they are like the bar codes you find on all types of products. Bar codes can only hold 20 numeric digits; QR codes can hold thousands making them practical for use by small business owners. Any consumer can use a QR code if they have a smartphone app and an Internet connection.
QR codes most commonly link to URLs. You can use it to direct your customers to many things like coupons, visits to your Facebook page, visits to your Web site, your contact information, etc. The only limit is your imagination. This would be a great way to get feedback from your customers by linking to a place where they can provide a review or take a survey/poll.
Practical uses for QR Codes:
- Business card
- Marketing brochures and materials
- Receipts
- Event name tags or tickets
- Products
- Car or business vehicle
- Signs
How can you adapt the QR code strategy to engage customers? (...on products, in e-mails, in direct mail...for directions to your business, a map to your business, product instructions, coupons/offers, downloads, and more.)
QR code that links to my Web site
Don't make the mistake I saw a small business owner in Wisconsin making. Be logical about how you use it. Instead of listing their hours on the door of the business, he simply had a QR code where it said "Store Hours". That's all well and good if your only customers are tech-savvy individuals with smartphones! But what about the people with regular cell phones or no cell phones? They'll never know when your open and will most likely leave and never come back. Be sure to provide information for as many customers as possible. Having the actual hours on their door along with the QR code would have been much better!
Free QR Code Generators:
- http://beqrious.com/generator (this is the one I used to generate the QR code above)
- http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
- http://2tag.nl/index.php
- http://www.morovia.com/free-online-barcode-generator/qrcode-maker.php
- http://www.azonmedia.com/en/qrcode-generator
Microsoft Technology also has a similar code called a Tag. So far, it doesn't seem as widely used, but is showing up in many retail markets. It can only be read by a Microsoft Tag Reader and is just as flexible as the QR code.
Free Mobi Tag Generator: http://tag.microsoft.com/my-tags/getting-started.aspx
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| Link to my Web site |
I hope you have fun using this new technology in a way that will drive more traffic to your business. :-)
Ciao for now, Paula
UPDATE: After going to print, I received a trade magazine in the mail.(The article is not online yet or I'd link to it for you.)
On the cover was a GNC store using QR codes on the face of their storefront and in their windows advertising "Deal of the Day". A quick scan takes the customer to a mobile-optimized page detailing the QR-exclusive content.
Source: Internet Retailer
