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5 QR Code Uses For Your Business That Really Work
| Guest post by: Gary Shouldis |
Article Overview: For small business owners, incorporating QR codes into their marketing and customer service mix can be confusing. With smart phone adoption on the rise, the use of QR codes for your business can be a great way to interact with potential customers in a unique and fun way. Here are 5 uses for QR codes that will add some creativity to your marketing mix and give you a leg up on your competition.
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Free Download - 5 Ways to Find Clients for Your Consulting Business By Gary Shouldis |
5 QR Code Uses For Your Business That Really Work
QR codes are popping up everywhere. From billboards to product packaging, those weird looking black and white boxes seem to be making their way into mainstream marketing.
By now you should be familiar with them. But as a small business owner, you are missing out on a great opportunity to engage with your customers if you are not using them for your business.
With the ever increasing army of smart phone users, QR codes can be a great way for your business to reach and interact with customers in a way that can set you apart from your competition. Below are five tips on how you can use QR codes to market, engage and wow the pants off of potential customers.
Storefront Windows. Place a 12 inch by 12 inch QR code window cling on your front window. Why? People walking past your shop off hours can scan your window cling and instantly see:
- A video of you speaking directly to the potential customer explaining in detail why they should come back tomorrow when you are open
- An instant download of your menu or digital brochure. Better yet, an article download titled, "The Top Ten Reasons You Should Come Back Tomorrow"
Some good uses for QR codes on your business card are:
- Vcards. Let people scan your QR code and instantly import your contact information into their phone.
- Newsletter sign up. Have the code take them to a sign up box where they can join your newsletter. Better yet, give them something valuable, like an E-Book for signing up. If it is already on their phone, they just might read it next time they are commuting to work.
Brochures. This one is pretty standard these days. The mistake most people make is simply sending people to a website. Tip......Smartphones are not really meant to surf the web, hence the widespread use of mobile applications.
Why not do something different like:
- Send them to a video of your product or service in action. Visuals like this are perfect for smart phones.
- Show a customer testimonial or a 30 second collage of customer testimonials. Social proof in action!
Stickers. Print stickers with your QR code on them. Why? Let's see:
- Place the stickers on older printed materials you have lying around. It's a great way to jazz up old materials that were collecting dust.
- Use them for contests. If you are running a contest, slap them on your printed posters and other marketing materials. Doing a joint venture with another business? Ask them to place the stickers on their brochures while to contest is running.
- Put them everywhere. Sending a letter to someone or just paying a bill? Place your QR code on the outside of the envelope, I guarantee you people will scan it out of curiosity.
Product Information. Place QR codes next to the products in your store, it's a great way for consumers to find out more about a product before purchasing. Some ideas are:
- Link to a review site where they can get independent reviews before they buy. Afraid to do that? Don't be, consumers are already doing it, you're just making it easier for them.
- Launch a video of you or one of your employees going into more detail about the product and answering frequently asked questions about the product. In person customer service is king but this is great for big stores or if it is during really busy times.
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About the Author: Gary Shouldis RSS for Gary's articles - Visit Gary's website You can find out more on his small business blog, thesmallbusinessplaybook.com and can request consulting services at garyshouldis.com Click here to visit Gary's website   5 QR Code Uses For Your Business That Really Work 5 Ways to Find Clients for Your Consulting Business |
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These maybe the coldest franchises out there:
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WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure %
1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56%
2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94%
3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18%
4 COPY CLUB 36.36%
5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71%
6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71%
7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59%
8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78%
9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48%
10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33%
11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33%
12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33%
13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33%
14 BLIMPIE 31.39%
15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77%
Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005
My entry
- 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read
- this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody.
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Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Books for Women Entrepreneurs
- There's a thread for good books in the Resources folder, but it doesn't target books for businesswomen particularly, so I figured I'd start such a thread here.
It doesn't matter how successful you are in your business - it's always possible to learn something new.
In subsequent posts I give Table of Contents and brief descriptions for various titles - most of them devoted to the businesswoman - and sometimes a review. If anyone else has read a review, or has read the book and found it useful, please comment!
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Google landing page tips
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In "The AdSense Code", Comm also suggests the following landing page tips (67 & 68 ):
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Exclusive: Interview with Results
- Hi Forum Members,
I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles).
As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business.
This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business.
I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months.
At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews.
I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum.
If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM.
Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.
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