How to Use QR Codes Effectively

In the previous piece I wrote about QR codes, I mentioned how beneficial integrating them into your marketing plan can be.  What I didn’t mention, however, was just how simple it is to do so.  QR Codes can be generated for free by a variety of websites, one of the most popular being Kaywa.  The basic process is easy – all you need to do is input the URL in the form that’s located on the first page of the site and it does all the hard work for you.  After inputting the URL, the website translates it into a QR code which you are then free to use.  While the process of generating the code is virtually the same regardless of the content you chose to upload, there is a range of possibilities for what that content can be.

Useful ideas for QR Codes

• Use the code to send people to your website
• Have the landing page be a place to sign up for your email newsletter
• Link it to your Twitter, Foursquare or Facebook account so that you can easily gain more followers, check ins, and fans
• Special coupons that only QR code users have access to can become unlocked
• Upon scan, have it input your business’s contact information [such as phone number, address] into the users contact list

The other plus of QR codes is they can be placed on just about anything you can think of, and while I wouldn’t suggest tattooing them on yourself, here are a few options which are just as beneficial but a little less painful:

• Business store front
• On a business card, here would be a great place to utilize the ability of the code to save your contact information in the customer’s phone
• Included in your email signature line
• In your menu, perhaps to bring up pictures of food you can’t fit on the paper
• The back of your cash register

These lists are not exhaustive, the possibilities for QR codes are virtually only capped by your creativity, so don’t be afraid to try something out of the box.  The unlimited possibilities and the ease at which they can be created should make these incredibly attractive for every small business owner.