Whether you have the latest smartphone handsets at your disposal or not, you can’t help but notice the growing use of QR codes in retail outlets. One of the beauties of QR Codes is that they are easily produced and don’t require any special software or anything more than a computer and a printer in order to produce and display them in your store. They are easily created and you have full control over their content. Better still with no real outlay you can put a wealth of knowledge and endless product demonstrations in the palm of your customers hand, helping sell products, linked products or upselling products.
So what is a QR Code?
A QR code effectively is a 2-dimensional barcode consisting of a series of blocks which can store URLs, string of text or contact information within the code, this can then be read and translated by a QR code reader. QR codes have been around and used in industry for a number of years but recent developments in smartphones have turned them into a fantastic marketing tool, used in ad campaigns, posters, instore and even on billboards to facilitate online ordering of products.
How do QR Codes work?
A QR code can be generated using many free online generators and printed out to be displayed near a product or used on an advert or a poster. A customer with a smartphone and a QR code reading app could then scan the code into their phone and if the QR code contained a URL for a website or a link to a YouTube video then it would automatically take them to the website or video using their phone. If you’ve stored contact details in the QR code this can also be saved straight into your customers contact list.
A Few examples of how you could use QR Codes in your Store?
There is endless possibilities on how you could use QR codes to boost sales in your store and the more creative and innovative they are, the more likely it will be that someone scans one.
First of all, directing people to product demos. These days everyone is on YouTube, many of the products you have in your store will certainly have product demonstrations or product videos on YouTube, simply copy the URL of the video into a QR code and your customer will be able to scan it and watch the product demo.
Secondly, providing more product information. Sometimes the packaging doesn’t say enough about what a product does, and perhaps there is a webpage out there which does, why not link a QR code to the product information web page and display it on front of the product so the customer can read more about it. On larger items such as Aquariums and Kennels, it may be as simple as dimensions that a customer needs to know, if they scan a code they may see that a product is available in a more suitable size that you don’t have in-store and they could order it in.
Thirdly, getting people onto your social networks. Many of us these days are on social networks such as facebook, and stores should be too. If your store has a social network page or group then why not link a QR code to one, print it out and put it in the window or somewhere people can scan it and come to your page.
Finally, placing a QR code in adverts. If you flick through a paper, magazine or catalogue these days you’ll find a number of QR codes in them as you go through it, if your placing an advert in your local press, why not put a QR code on it and link it to details of your store, or your stores website if you have one.
What if you don’t have a Smartphone?
You don’t need to have a smartphone to put QR codes up in your store, although it would be handy to check they work, but you can simply rely on the technology that others bring with them into your store. The use of QR codes is predicted to rise as more and more people get Smartphones and more people become switched on to the technology, whether you yourself have the technology or not, someone that comes into your store will and they might just be impressed that you have QR codes on display.
If the whole concept of creating and printing QR codes for in-store use seems like a lot of work, each of our Reps has QR codes for each of the YouTube videos which we have produced, speak to them next time they are in and they can leave you some to display.
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