When you’re looking to boost your online presence or get more engagement on your marketing campaigns, creating a QR code is a great way to reach people who don’t use social media or haven’t yet converted from search to direct sales. QR codes are square-shaped barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones to pull up websites, contact information, and other types of content. From restaurant menus to bathroom stall doors, you can see these little codes everywhere.
If you’re new to the world of QR codes, here are some tips to help you create a great one and get the most out of it:
Establish what you want to achieve with your code. QR codes can be used for a variety of purposes, but many marketers use them to connect people with web pages that have a specific call-to-action. This could be a sign-up form for a newsletter, a link to a free product sample, or a coupon for your store. Whatever the goal, be sure to provide a clear and engaging description of what people will find on the destination page so that they’re motivated to scan your code.
Use a free online tool to create your QR code. A few quick Google searches will bring up a range of options. Look for a QR generator that offers customizable design options, such as the ability to upload your own logo or customize colors and style. Some also offer analytics features that let you track the performance of your code. Some require you to sign up for an account, but others don’t.
Once you’ve settled on a tool, open it and input the URL you want to share. The generated image will instantly change to show your QR code. Pro tip: Paste the URL rather than typing it to avoid making mistakes. Then choose whether to download the file as a jpg or png. If you’re using the code in a print campaign, consider selecting a vector format that will scale without losing quality.
Make a custom QR code in minutes.
With a few taps, you can create a custom QR code that matches your brand or personality and add it to posters, flyers, and other print collateral. You can even customize the color and style to make it stand out. Choose a file type to download and save it to your device, or select the “Save for Later” option to keep your code available for whenever you need it.
Alternatively, you can use the Google Chrome mobile app on iOS or Android to create a QR code from any website. To do this, navigate to the website you want to share and click the more icon (three vertical dots) in the upper right-hand corner. On mobile, this is the menu button. In the menu, tap Share and then QR Code. You can then either hold the code up for someone to scan or tap Share again and save it to your files. create qr code