QR Code Guide for Printing

For more than 25 years, the QR (Quick Response) Code has provided a fast link between a physical barcode and an online landing page. The codes began as a way to track products moving through assembly lines, tracking items through production while keeping dashboards and other databases up to date. It didn’t take long for the lightbulb moment to happen for marketers. Those same QR Codes seemed like a great way to link print and digital campaign elements—and they were right. 

While QR Codes started slowly in the US, their popularity is catching up to global usage. During the last two years, they became even more critical as offices, restaurants, and marketers in every segment adopted QR codes to make customer engagement easier and touchless. Today you see them in restaurants linking to menus, window clings linking to current operating hours and guidelines for interacting with the business, offices to check-in for appointments, and on signs of all kinds to connect to consumers with marketing experiences. Charities use them in campaigns to link to donation pages, but they are great for wayfinding signs and coupons, too. Some companies have even begun to use QR Codes to link to payment systems. 

Each of your clients will have different uses for QR Codes, but they may not realize how valuable they can be for customer engagement. Juniper Research tells us that consumers will redeem more than 5 billion coupons via QR Codes accessed by smartphones by next year. To make QR Codes as valuable as possible, help your clients understand the best design options for their use. 

Today, monochrome QR Codes are not the only option. With the help of a good QR Code generator, it can be colorful and even include an image or a logo. It’s a great opportunity to keep the company visible, and color always attracts attention. The size of the QR Code does matter, so follow this easy guide to determine the size of the code:

Now to the recommendations for using QR Codes effectively. There are dozens of options, and your clients may add some of their own. 

When and Where to Use QR Codes

• Direct customers to a landing page/website. Make sure their team knows that the landing page should be mobile-friendly so that customers stay and engage.
• Dial your business number. This is a great option for customer service or to add the personal touch to taking reservations. 
• Send a message. This can be a message to join a mailing list, participate in a loyalty program, or take attendance at an event. 
• Send an email. The link can open an email to allow freeform communication directed to the right person for engagement.
• Download apps. More businesses have their own apps in addition to their web pages. A QR code makes it easy for customers to download the app for the best customer experience. 
• View business location. This can be a link to a map or a virtual tour.
• Direct customers to social media pages. For customers with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok pages, LinkedIn, and What’s App pages, this is a fast way to encourage engagement.
• Shopping and E-commerce. More companies are making it easy to link to their shopping pages and take payment with one easy click of a QR Code. 

Quality counts with QR Codes. The team at 4over can help you design for the best placement and size for your application and make recommendations for even more applications to help your clients grow their businesses. Consider offering QR Code options for all the print you sell, and start scanning for success!

4over is always here to help you grow your business and deliver for your clients. And as a trade-only printer, 4over will never compete with you—the best measure of our success is yours!