How to Create and Use a QR Code for a Small Business

Alexandriavwilson
QR TIGER QR Code Generator
11 min readJun 11, 2024

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A QR code for a small business is a tiny square for big ambitions. There is no more need for sticky fingers all over printed menus; exclusive discounts can be found in product packaging, and social media engagement can grow to extraordinary heights.

Intrigued? You should be! This sleek and exciting technology is a competent tool for propelling your small business from being relatively unheard of to becoming a household name.

You don’t need super fancy gadgets and expensive marketing campaigns to enrich customer experience, increase sales, and leave competitors dumbfounded.

A trusted QR code generator with logo is your secret weapon for harnessing your small business’ potential, and we’re here to show you exactly how to do it. The cherry on top is we’ll give you useful ideas for applying your business’s QR codes.

Keep on reading to learn more!

How to create dynamic QR codes for your small business using a QR code generator with logo

Wondering what QR code generator platform to use for your business? We’ve got you covered. Stand out from the crowd and increase awareness of your brand by creating a professional-looking and unique QR code by including your logo.

Here is a simple five-step guide to making this happen:

  1. Go to the QR TIGER homepage and sign in to your account.

Pro-tip: If you want to make dynamic QR codes with a logo for free, you can sign up for a freemium account, no credit card required, and generate up to three dynamic QR codes, each having a 500-scan limit.

  1. Pick the QR code solution you want for your business and fill in the necessary information.
  2. Click Dynamic QR, then select Generate QR code. Here, you’ll be shown a QR code containing your information.
  3. Customize your dynamic QR code to your heart’s content. Choose one of the provided logos or add your brand logo by clicking ‘Upload image,’ and change your QR code’s color and pattern until you’re satisfied.
  4. Test-scan your dynamic QR code to make sure it works, then click Download to save it.

Another free option you can try to generate free QR codes is using a free QR code generator online.

11 Ways to use a QR code for your small business

Turn any surface into a portal with a QR code for a small business, placing them on business cards, menus, receipts, and more!

Together, let’s explore 11 creative ways to use QR codes to transform your small business into a haven of accessibility and interactive experiences:

Connect with clients

Say hello to the future of networking: a vCard QR code! Share your small business’s contact details instantly by simply entering your information into a QR code maker, choosing an attractive design, and downloading it.

Instead of fumbling around for a pen and paper, you can impress potential clients with tech magic. With a quick scan, their phone instantly saves your business’ name, number, email, website, and social media.

No typos and no lost connections. Better yet, use a dynamic QR code for your QR code business card, allowing you to update your information without making a new code and track scans that give you insights into who’s scanning and from where.

Pinpoint your location

If your business is going to be a first-time visit for someone, you want them to be able to find it with ease. Help curious customers ditch the confusion by offering them a Google Maps QR code to lead them straight to your doorstep.

Imagine a potential customer hearing about your new bookshop from a friend of a friend, but alas, they have virtually no sense of direction. Don’t let them be the ones who got away.

Go to Google Maps, look for your business location, click “Share,” and select “Link to share.” Copy the link and let a trusted QR code generator do the rest. Place your QR code on flyers, your storefront window — anywhere the wind might take them.

Digitize small business payment

Forget lines and long waits; a contactless payment PayPal QR code is here to lead the cashless revolution!

Just link your PayPal account to a QR code and display it at the front counter or anywhere you think will draw the most attention. Customers can scan and be greeted by the familiar PayPal interface for a smooth and secure transaction.

Listen to your customers

Tired of rifling through mountains of paper surveys and suggestion boxes full of comment cards? Don’t worry, small business owners, we’ve got your back.

A Google Form QR code can be a short and engaging way for customers to provide feedback while their experience is still fresh in their minds.

If you’re selling pizza, for instance, they can rate your food, service, and ambiance instantly and anonymously. Most people have a smartphone these days, making this an accessible way to collect your customer’s thoughts.

Launch immersive experiences

Think beyond bland billboards and static flyers. Want to create experiences that keep your customers coming back for more? Because a video QR code is just the small business software you need to captivate an audience.

Carry your customers away on a virtual tour of your establishment by embedding it within a video QR code so that when scanned, the video launches directly on a user’s smartphone.

You can also make your products come to life by applying short video clips showcasing unique features and answering FAQs, making it a personalized journey all at the same time.

Amplify your online presence

In the new age of social media, one thing we can be certain of is this: people and stories stand the test of time. More than quickly fleeting trends and dance crazes, consumers crave authenticity.

Build an online presence that embodies your brand, your story, and everything you wish to achieve with your customers. Think about your target audience and the kind of content they’d like to engage with.

Once you’ve settled into a good rhythm, you can use a social media QR code — an essential tool for any small business to connect with more people and foster loyal relationships.

You can have all your social media profiles in one place with this small business dynamic QR code, allowing users to choose which platform they want to explore, whether it be your Instagram stories, your TikToks, or your Facebook page.

Provide Wi-Fi access

One of the first things anyone will ask when entering a business is, “Can I have the Wi-Fi password?” Save everyone some time and instantly connect customers with a Wi-Fi QR code.

Let people know about your Wi-Fi service’s convenient access by printing your QR code on table tents, coasters, menus, etc.

With these neat little squares, your customers will thank you (and stay longer), your engagement will soar, and your small business will thrive.

Make event sign-ups easy

Planning an event? Leave your guests buzzing by letting them register in seconds. You can work with competent event check-in software and connect attendees with a ticket QR code.

This means instantaneous and clean sign-ups. You can even track registrants in real time and gather insights from your QR code’s tracking and analytics, informing future events. With QR codes, your small business’s event planning can only get better.

Simplify food orders

If your small business is in the food service industry, creating a QR code menu is the perfect way to transition from germ-ridden paper menus to a hygienic and touch-free experience for customers.

MENU TIGER, an interactive restaurant software, can help small businesses seamlessly improve customer service and cut costs, allowing you to create both a website and a menu.

It also translates your online menus, makes order-taking efficient, and helps you streamline your small business payment method by connecting customers to various online payment options.

Offer loyalty cards

Some small businesses with a steady customer flow probably already have loyalty programs in place to reward customers for their patronage.

But if you’re just starting to build trust with your first few customers, you’ll have to put a lot more effort into nurturing the new relationship. Using a QR code for loyalty programs is a wonderful way to show customers you value and appreciate them.

If you want to offer limited-time discounts, you can use the expiry feature of a dynamic QR code (e.g., URL, file, and H5) so they can be available to scan for a specific time or after a certain amount of scans.

You can even include a sweet message explaining why they’re the recipient of your QR code loyalty cards and thank them for their support.

Drive app engagement

Developing a mobile app, especially for small businesses, can be more on the pricey side. But if you’re in the position to do so, having an app and using QR codes for marketing can be a strategic and worthwhile move.

While having a website is helpful, a mobile app helps your business by creating a digital footprint that customers can access from anywhere. Your app can be customers’ one-stop platform to share ideas, review products, and more.

How do you promote app downloads and engagement? Simply use an app store QR code to lead users to your app with a call to action like “Download Our App Here” so its intention is clear.

Then, you can make unique dynamic QR codes for marketing, track which campaigns drive the most app engagement, and continue to use and develop strategies to grow your business.

The upside of using a small business dynamic QR code

Inventory management and tracking

You can improve your small business operations by assigning QR code inventory management free for the taking with a free QR code generator, to each of your products. When an item’s status changes (i.e., received, moved, sold, or damaged), you can simply scan the code to update.

This reduces the chances of human error, identifies low stock levels, prevents lost sales, and keeps accurate inventory records.

Reduces paper usage

A 2019 study by The Nielsen Company reveals that 73% of consumers worldwide are open to changing their consumption habits to reduce negative environmental impact.

Small businesses, particularly, have a competitive advantage when they establish sustainability practices, as it increases reputation, customer satisfaction, and customer retention.

Incorporating dynamic QR codes in your small business is a great alternative to constantly replacing paper materials due to outdated information while showcasing your commitment to eco-friendly actions.

Cost-effectiveness

With dynamic QR codes, you can test different marketing campaigns without worrying about excessive advertising costs and analyze the scan data to understand which areas need improvement, boosting small business Saturday engagement.

And once more, no wasteful reprinting costs on physical materials like flyers or brochures because you can easily update information whenever you want.

QR code for a small business: tips and tricks

Add a call to action

It’s important that your customers know what they’re getting themselves into when they scan your QR code. Include a call to action under your QR code, such as “Let’s Connect” for a social media QR code or “Scan For Menu” for your digital menu QR code.

Make sure your code works

Making sure your QR codes work is crucial in maintaining customer satisfaction. It only takes a few seconds to test-scan your QR code and avoid unleashing any faulty ones into the world.

Use proper placement

Position your QR codes in easy-to-spot places. No sense in wasting a perfectly good QR code when it can shine on your storefront window, counters, product packaging, or on your website.

Why does your small business need a QR code?

From 2018 to 2020, QR code usage grew by 94% showing how much recognition it continually gets, wherein consumers are scanning more and more frequently.

Small businesses can increase brand awareness by creating QR codes with their logo, adding a recognizable element that unifies their marketing strategies and embeds their brand identity in people’s minds.

Dynamic QR codes also benefit small businesses by storing large amounts of data based on time, location, or scanning behavior, leading to targeted promotions and personalized experiences.

Real-life small businesses using QR codes

QR codes have a plethora of real-life applications for small businesses; here are just a few examples of QR codes being used to gain a competitive advantage:

Green Thumb Plant Care

This plant haven in Seattle, Washington, strategically places QR codes near their greenery to offer useful information, such as plant care instructions, watering schedules, and even fun facts about each plant.

This offers an intuitive way for plant enthusiasts to keep their green friends happy and healthy.

Blackwell’s Bookshop

Blackwell’s Bookshop in Broad Street, Oxford, uses QR codes in response to the COVID-19 restrictions to create an interactive and contactless window display.

Book lovers and passersby can scan the QR codes and discover new titles, while global readers are able to enjoy these titles online through Jellybooks’ cloud platform ‘DISCOVERY,’ letting readers peek inside the books of independent bookshops.

Blackwell’s uses their window display QR codes to highlight featured authors and give personalized book recommendations.

Your secret weapon is a QR code for a small business

Leave the outdated marketing tactics in the past, and propel your small business into the modern world of QR code software, uncovering creative ways to surprise your customers.

Tell your brand story in a way that resonates with people, track and analyze your campaigns, and boost your customer engagement by using a QR code generator with logo.

If you’re thinking, “Which generator should I use?” QR TIGER is the obvious choice. Thousands of global brands trust this advanced QR code platform; let your business be one of them!

FAQs

Which QR code is best for a small business?

Although it depends on your small business’s specific needs, a dynamic QR code can be incredibly useful for tracking your marketing campaign metrics, including scans, location, and demographics.

This lets you improve your current marketing campaigns and the ROI of your business.

What is a QR code for a small business?

It is a QR code designed to streamline small business operations and connect with customers in a new way. Dynamic QR codes, for example, save money and resources for up-and-starting businesses by making content changeable.

What is an example of a business using a QR code?

The Louvre Museum, a business in the tourism industry, provides guests with audio guides and historical information through QR codes located near exhibits. This offers both an immersive experience and a deeper understanding of the art.

Is a small business QR code free?

Creating a QR code for a small business can be free, depending on its designated purpose. If you need to generate more complex QR codes that require more storage, you’ll need to invest in paid plans offering dynamic QR codes.

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