QR codes are an excellent tool for business branding, website traffic, and attracting customer interest. Unfortunately, interest doesn’t automatically equate to an increase in sales. Once you have the customer base, you need to start hard selling your items using various techniques. QR codes have the potential to help you with increase your sales.

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that hold alpha-numeric characters such as website URLs, email addresses, and contact information. These barcodes are easily scanned with any smartphone. There are numerous free applications available for your customers to use to scan your QR codes.

Discounts & Coupons
Perhaps the biggest advantage to QR codes is the ability to offer discounts and coupons through them. It’s possible to create unadvertised sales pages and have prescreened customers directed to that page. Using their smartphone’s web browser, the website is immediately accessible to them. Use QR codes to re-direct your customers to discount or coupon pages on your website. They are more likely to purchase your product immediately if they receive an incentive for it.

Direct Marketing Campaigns
Many companies use direct marketing campaigns to advertise their services and products. These campaigns consist of direct mailing flyers, email campaigns, and newsletters that advertise their new products and highlight the reasons to use their services. QR codes strategically placed in these advertisements direct your customers through your sales funnel.

Increase Store Traffic
Bricks-and-mortar businesses benefit from an increase in foot traffic. You need to get people in your store in order to increase your sales. QR codes hold a significant amount of text which can include your contact information, driving directions, parking, etc. Place your contact information QR code on your advertisements, direct mailers, website and business cards. This guarantees your customers always know how to find you when they need your products because it creates a record in their smartphone.

Special Events
Not quite the same as coupons, special events work well for brick-and-mortar businesses. One-day sales and events often garner extra interest from your customers. This offers the opportunity create special deals for regular customers and not to the general public. Spend your marketing dollars where they will do the most good.

You can create advertisements on your online web presence such as Twitter or your Facebook page. Insert that URL into your QR code and place it on your direct market mailers or ads. Your customers scan it and become a follower online as well as learn about your business. You reap the benefits of a larger fan base as well as an increase in traffic and sales.

Related articles

• 4 Ways Restaurants Should Use QR Codes (mashable.com)
• The Top QR Code Fails of 2011 (mashable.com)
• How to Create a QR Code in 4 Quick Steps (hubspot.com)