QR codes are no longer a novelty
A few years ago, QR codes were that odd thing nobody scanned. Then the pandemic arrived, they started being used for restaurant menus, and suddenly everyone knew what a QR code was. Now you scan them without thinking.
And that's a huge opportunity for any small business.
Where to put a QR code?
The question isn't so much where to put it, but where it makes sense for a customer to scan it. Some spots that work really well:
- At the counter or checkout: while the customer waits to pay or be served, they have a perfect idle moment to scan.
- On tables (if you have a restaurant or café): it's already normal. People do it without being asked.
- On your business card: instead of just putting your phone number, add a QR that goes straight to your app or catalogue.
- In the shop window: someone walks past, something catches their eye, they scan and now they have all your info.
- On stickers or flyers: if you leave promotional material somewhere, a QR turns a passive piece of paper into a communication channel.
What matters is what happens after the scan
A QR that leads to a generic webpage… works, but you can do much better. Ideally, the QR should lead to something the customer wants to keep. That's where an installable app comes in.
When someone scans your QR and gets the option to install your app on their phone, you're achieving something social media can't give you: a direct, permanent channel with that customer. It doesn't depend on algorithms, it doesn't depend on them following you on Instagram, it doesn't depend on anything. Your app is right there, on their screen, and next time they need what you offer, they won't search Google.
A real example
A barbershop in Madrid did something very simple: they printed a QR on a small sign and placed it next to the mirror. The customer, while getting their hair cut, doesn't have much else to do besides look at their phone. Many scanned out of curiosity, saw the app, installed it, and from then on booked their next appointment from their phone.
The barber told us that within two weeks he stopped receiving phone calls to book. Everything came through the app. Free. With a piece of card and a QR code.
Costs nothing and it works
That's the best thing about QR codes: they cost nothing. Generating one is free, printing it costs pennies, and the benefit can be huge. If you're not using one in your business yet, honestly, you're leaving it on the table.