Quick Response (QR) codes are those weird-looking black and white symbols that seem to be popping up everywhere nowadays.
Their basic designs are similar to bar codes only that they have the capacity to hold a lot more information. Let us look at how small business can benefit from these codes.
Quick Response Codes are created for the mobile phone world.
They are meant to be scanned using smartphones with onboard cameras.
The only other thing your customer needs is a QR reader, which is easy to download and is usually free.
The market has a large number of QR reader applications; especially for common mobile phone models.
Most of these readers are free of cost and are readily available on the internet.
Why QR codes?
The reason QR codes are gaining massive popularity so fast is because of the fact that they can be used to do a number of things.
A simple scan can lead a customer to a business’s website and any other digital destination.
This is all determined by the information embedded in the code by the business.
Some of the more common uses of QR codes include links to:
* Email and websites
* Promotions, coupons and special offers
* Event details
* Product descriptions
* Contact details
* Mobile websites and social sites
Now that you know what Quick Response codes can do, you need to understand where to use them.
You should choose a method that will ensure a lot of people see and use them to access the information you want them to have.
Some of the places your customers will easily see them include:
* Stickers
* Nametags
* T-shirts
* Product tags
* Brochures, catalogs and fliers
* Business cards
How to create QR codes
There are a lot of websites that allow business owner to create quick response codes free of cost.
All you have to do is search for “free QR code generator” and you will have a wide range to choose from.
However, you may want to consult with a professional Mobile Marketing specialist to assist you in generating the best QR codes for your business.
Understanding QR codes
The small, funny-looking black and white squares you have been seeing on fliers, magazines, newspapers or billboards may not mean a lot to you.
However, they are on their way to being the next big in the advertising and marketing industry.
With a simple scan using a smart phone, these codes send valuable data to consumers, which can make a big difference in sales for small businesses.
Quick response codes are similar to the popular barcodes that have become a common thing in retail businesses.
The difference is that QR codes are more than just codes: they are more advanced and can be an access point to websites and other media pages.
This is considered to be a simple, yet advanced method of information-sharing through the integration of multimedia and print capabilities.
QR codes engage your customers through devices that they carry around most of time; providing you with an affordable advertisement and promotion tool.
The use of Quick Response codes to market businesses is rapidly on the rise and small businesses are expected to embrace method to increase their traffic and sales over the next several years.
It is not a matter of whether other businesses are using it or whether people know about these codes; eventually everyone will be using them and you will be at an advantage if you start using these codes early enough.
Consumers are always hungry for information and will surf the internet way before they visit a store to make a purchase.
With the astonishing rise in mobile phone usage over the past few years, small businesses should start implementing mobile marketing methods that will allow them to maintain stable communication between them and their customers.
If you’re looking for an exciting way to keep in touch with your existing customers as well as reach out to new customers, QR codes could be the edge you need.
QR Codes vs. Traditional Advertising Methods
While some people still wonder exactly what a QR (Quick Response) code is, many businesses are taking advantage of this effective marketing tool to increase their sales and profits.
QR codes are simply black modules designed on white backgrounds using square patterns that can be decoded at high speeds.
QR codes can be scanned using phone cameras and decoded with a QR code reader, which is free.
Once the code is scanned, the user will be redirected to the location embedded in the code.
Traditional advertising and marketing strategies are becoming financially unreachable and small businesses are the ones on the losing side. Companies like SoFi are innovating new techniques every day that offer you brand new options every single quarter for your investing and loan opportunities. Dont miss out on anything that could improve your business.
There is a need for marketing methods that are effective, but will not cost a fortune; the use of QR codes is one way to go.
Your business can be in constant communication with potential customers, as well as existing customers through the use of these special codes.
For instance, smartphone users can instantly access your website with a quick scan of a QR code.
They no longer have to write down your website address and remember to look at it when they get home.
The same goes for your contact information… put your QR code on your business card and you don’t have to worry about your contacts losing your card.
Once they scan your code with your contact information embedded, they can save it in their phones right then and there.
You can also direct your target audience to coupon offers, videos, surveys, articles, and just about any other digital media of choice.
One of the best QR code features is the fact that it can be re-used and the destination can be changed on the fly.
So when you need to change your promotions, there’s no need to have your materials re-printed.
Using QR codes as a marketing strategy will not only help your business get more sales and customers, but it will also save you a ton of money that would otherwise be spent on conventional marketing methods that are losing effectiveness.
Using QR Codes to Promote Your Small Business
Before you learn how to use Quick Response Codes (QR Codes), it is important to understand what they really are.
These are black and white squares that you see on brochures, fliers, newspapers, magazines and business cards.
They are 2 dimension barcodes with back modules that are arranged in a pattern on white backgrounds.
They are descendants of the ISBN code that you see on books and the UPC codes on groceries.
While QR codes will look like gibberish, they will prove to be an effective marketing plan when used correctly to promote business.
You might be wondering what special aspects are in these strange small codes that can help your business.
Well, QR codes can convert data such as website addresses into a format that is friendly to mobile devices.
They are an easy and fast way to lead your customers to places you want them to be whether it is a contest page, online video, menu, coupon or email address.
can even be used to drive traffic to your official website.
QR Codes make it extremely easy to inform your target audience about new offers, discounts, products or services available in your store.
All your customers need is a smart phone with a camera to decipher the quick response codes.
The phone should also have a quick response code reader application to enable this process, which is free and simple to get.
The customer will scan the QR codes and will be quickly taken to the location embedded in these codes.
Think getting a QR code is difficult? It’s not. There are sites that can allow you to create QR codes for your business, services or products without much hassle at all.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to consult with a professional Mobile Marketing consultant to get your QR codes created as they have extensive knowledge in this area.
QR Codes are one of the more technically savvy ways to promote your small businesses in this modern world that depends heavily on mobile phones.