Use QR Codes to Sell More
Today, you need every sale you can get. Whether you do this with a blog, or you change your homepage with new promotions, coupons or new products, it is an essential part of your strategy to attract new customers and get established customers to come back and buy more. If you have a small business, this can be a real challenge. So you are doing everything you need to do to drive more sales?
QR codes are the latest trend in social media marketing as a way of attracting new prospects and as a way to get your existing customers back so they buy more.
What Are QR codes?
QR is short for Quick Response. They are used to take a piece of information from a web page, ad, rack card... anywhere an image can be shown... and scan it into your cell phone so it is informative and immediately actionable.
QR is short for Quick Response. They are used to take a piece of information from a web page, ad, rack card... anywhere an image can be shown... and scan it into your cell phone so it is informative and immediately actionable.
They began in technologically advanced Japan where they are very common. You now see QR Codes everywhere – in magazine advertisements, on billboards, on business cards and even in stores. Once a QR code is in your cell phone, it may give you information about that product, restaurant, business or house. It can also connect you to a website or landing page for that business or service giving you instant access to information.
The reason they are becoming more widespread that a barcode is because they can store much more information including url links, geographical coordinates and text. In addition, they are easily read by cell phones like the iPhone and Android smartphones which can then use those codes to go directly to a website, capture important information and claim bonus coupons. Their uses are endless and evolving.The reason they are becoming more widespread that a barcode is because they can store much more information including url links, geographical coordinates and text. In addition, they are easily read by cell phones like the iPhone and Android smartphones which can then use those codes to go directly to a website, capture important information and claim bonus coupons. Their uses are endless and evolving.
You can download QR readers for free and most come with capabilities to ready multiple codes including bar codes.
Here's how you can get started using QR Codes to boost sales...
Ways you can use QR codes
No matter the size of your business, from the large corporation to the one man show, QR codes can be used in a number of ways to help promote your business, service or product. You can have a code next to every product on your website which contains all the product details or you can have one on your business card which contains all of your contact information so that it is easily downloaded into someone’s cell phone.
You can add them to any print advertising, flyers, posters, invites, TV ads, etc. which contain any or all of the following:
- Product details
- Contact details
- Offer details
- Event details
- Competition details
- A coupon
- Twitter, Facebook, MySpace ID’s
- A link to your YouTube video
Here are ten uses of QR codes for real time marketing
- B2B companies can hand out postcards at a tradeshow with their logo on one side and a QR code on the other with contact information and a short company description. The QR code is for follow-up content delivery instead of the huge dead tree information packs that so many companies hand out only to be tossed by booth visitors at the next trash can.
- Speakers at conferences can pop up a QR code on a slide to point audience members to supplemental information to be downloaded. This makes understanding the slide deck and other handouts simple.
- Consumer marketers can add a QR code to offline advertising including magazines, newspapers, subway and bus placards.
- Restaurants could have a QR code so people can go from their yellow page telephone listing to a menu.
- Doctors, dentists, and vets could hand out a QR code on a card that corresponds to different medical conditions so patients can independently learn more about illnesses.
- Physical therapists, personal trainers, and chiropractors can create videos on how to properly do exercises at home and pass them along to customers so they can safely get in shape.
- Museums and art galleries can have a QR code for each of the major artifacts or artworks pointing people to more information on each. Some already do this such as Johnson Space Center in Houston.
- Rock bands can offer free music downloads to fans at gigs. Mickey Hart did this at a Rhythm Devils gig this summer, he passed out music download cards (a bit larger than a business card) with a QR code for free tunes.
- Businesspeople could have a QR code on your business card that links to your blog.
10. If you’re a single who wants to meet geeky people at bars, you could wear a QR code pin that then sends prospective dates to some interesting web based information site about you.
Talk about thinking outside the box!
Get QR Codes for Your Business for Free
QR codes can be generated for free or you can pay them. Free codes let you use them in your business with now outlay while fee based services give you more capabilities to track and manage your QR codes.
Google "QR Code Generator" and you'll find many choices with options galore. Or simply scan the QR code with your smartphone. If you do generate a code, don't make it smaller than about 1" x 1" or phones may have trouble testing it. If you are planning any kind of promotion using the code, test your QR code and be sure it works as expected!
Your customers can download a QR scanner from iTunes for the "i-Crowd" or the webmarts for android phones. ScanLife, Optiscan, QRApp are some of the better known readers. Most are free or can be downloaded for a buck or two from the vendor.
In today’s fast paced environment, everyone wants information now, QR codes are just another way to get your information and business out there quicker and driving more revenue.