How to Get a QR Code for My Business

Using a business QR code can bring in several benefits, such as:

• Blending online and offline marketing methods
• Increasing your advertising reach
• Increasing your online platforms’ traffic and user engagement
• Improving your customers’ experiences

One of the greatest elements of business QR codes is that they can be created for free. This means that there is almost no opportunity cost suffered by small businesses that want to use them.

Of course, this will depend on the QR code generator that you choose to work with.

Online Businesses

Online businesses can use QR codes to direct their target audience towards specific content. 

This could be explanatory content (e.g., a YouTube QR code that acts as an instruction video, etc.), a social media QR code that aims to increase user engagement, or a URL QR code that directs prospective consumers to a money-making website.

Airbnb Businesses

Airbnbs can use several types of QR codes. Some of the more common ones include:

• WiFi: Airbnb hosts can print WiFi QR codes for their visitors. This can allow them to connect to the WiFi without having to tediously type out long WiFi passwords. It also increases the network’s security, as owners do not have to disclose the password to any visitor. 
• Images: Airbnbs can share image QR codes. These direct users towards an image gallery and can be used to advertise the most eye-catching areas of a property.
• Contact information: Adding QR codes with an Airbnb host’s contact details (e.g., phone number QR code, email QR code, etc.) can ensure that visitors have a place to turn to if they need to quickly get in contact with someone quickly in case of an emergency or to leave feedback. 

Etsy Shops

You can use a business QR code to direct traffic to your Etsy shop. These work in a similar way to how you would direct traffic to any website.

For example, you can use a URL QR code to direct users towards your Etsy shop. This can be printed and shared using offline marketing methods (e.g., flyers, brochures, billboards, etc.), which can be great for expanding your reach and reaching a wider audience.

Ecommerce Businesses

If you own a business within the ecommerce industry, there are several ways that you can boost your traffic and marketing campaigns by using QR codes. These include:

• Direct traffic towards your website
• Increase user engagement in your social media accounts
• Include QR codes on your products’ packaging
• Post video QR codes on your online platforms
• Improve customer satisfaction and feedback. This can be done by including QR codes that share your contact details with your customers (e.g., phone number QR codes, email QR codes, vCard QR codes, etc.). 

Real Estate Businesses

If you work in real estate, you will likely know of the benefits of incorporating videos when advertising properties. This is because videos can — generally speaking — provide a much in-depth and holistic overview of a property. 

For example, a real estate agent or a property owner may choose to include several photos on the website that they are listing their property and then include a YouTube QR code that directs users towards a fully-immersive property tour video.

Similar to other forms of businesses, QR codes can additionally be used to blend offline and online marketing, as they can be included in objects such as brochures, billboards, and flyers. 

For interested or prospective buyers, a business QR code can additionally come in handy because it can ensure that your contact details are always available (e.g., through a phone number or an email QR code).

For more information about creating a QR Code for Real Estate, check out our How to Use QR Codes for Real Estate guide.

Restaurants

Restaurants can benefit significantly from incorporating a business QR code into their operations. This is because they can use them for:

• Customer convenience: This includes WiFi QR codes which allow customers to automatically join a network without having to enquire about its password, as well as QR codes that link to an online menu.
• Hygiene: Because QR codes can be used instead of physical menus, they can also make restaurants more hygienic for both the customers and the staff members.
• Advertising: Restaurants can use QR codes to direct customers towards their website or display images of their most sought-after venues and/or meals. 

For more information about creating a QR Code for Restaurants, check out our How to Use QR Codes for Your Restaurant guide.

Grocery Stores

One of the most common ways that QR codes are used in grocery stores is product packaging. This can be for both informative and aesthetic purposes. 

For example, a food product provider may include a QR code in the back of a food product that directs users to a gallery of images. This would allow them to advertise their products using images without detracting from the space required in order to include information that relates to the product’s content. 

At the same time, food products in grocery stores can include PDF QR codes that direct users towards online sources that provide further information about their contents (e.g., calories, preservatives, etc.).

Musicians

There are many creative ways that musicians can use business QR codes to increase their popularity. 

These include:

• Including a QR code on a CD cover: This could be a URL QR code, a social media QR code, or even an SMS QR code. 
• Printing QR codes on merchandise: This is particularly useful for musicians that perform live performances regularly. 
• Directing users towards a new song: For example, including a YouTube QR code could help increase traffic.

For more information about creating QR Codes for Music, check out our How to Use QR Codes as a Musician guide.

Marketing Agencies

The effect that QR codes can have on marketing is one of their largest selling points. 

Marketing agencies can incorporate several different forms of codes (e.g., URL QR codes, PDF QR codes, SMS QR codes, etc.) to direct traffic towards their client’s businesses. 

QR codes are also a great way to supplement other digital and non-digital marketing methods. 

Top marketing agencies include tailor-made QR codes that align with their clients’ brands in order to ensure that they reach a very wide range of customers.

QR Code Marketing Resources:

• How to Use a QR Code for Advertisements
• How to Use a QR Code on Billboards
• How to Make a QR Code for Videos

Marketing

QR code marketing can be used to blend online and offline marketing methods. This can be game-changing in any business because it allows businesses to increase their reach significantly.

Moreover, since printed advertising methods can be supplemented with QR codes, they are more likely to lead to increased:

• Leads
• Sales
• Revenue

Making Payments

QR codes can be used to make online payments even faster. 

As soon as a user scans a QR code for making payments, they will be instantly directed towards a page where they will be required to “confirm” the payment in question.

After this is done, payment is usually completed within a few seconds. 

Tracking Products

Tracking inventory products using QR codes is actually the reason that QR codes were invented back in 1994. 

You can manage your inventory by using QR code tracking through the following steps:

• Determine the label size(s) that you will need for your products
• Create your business QR codes using a QR code generator
• Add your codes into your inventory management software of choice

For more information about QR Code for inventory, check out our How to Use QR Codes for Inventory Management guide.

Social Media

QR codes can be used to direct traffic towards your social media profiles. 

This includes your:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

This can be very beneficial from a social media marketing standpoint, as a larger number of followers and a higher user engagement can translate into more advertising power and larger sponsorship deals.

Placing QR Codes on Products

Placing QR codes on products is an excellent way of offering additional information about them to your customers without detracting from their design. 

This could involve:

• Image QR codes for additional images about the product or other similar products that consumers may be interested in purchasing 
• PDF QR codes for more information about the product
• YouTube QR codes for providing in-depth explainer videos
• Phone number QR codes for obtaining feedback

There are many resources you can use when deciding which QR code generator to use. 

When deciding on the best options for small businesses, we have considered the following factors:

• Ease of use
• Number of features
• User experience
• Price
• Privacy

While there are many QR code generators to choose from, we recommend our free QR code generator for a simple experience with a variety of customization options.

For a look at some of our other favorite generators, see our in-depth review of the best QR code generators for 2024.