How QR Codes Can Help You Grow Your Business

by Mike on December 12, 2011

2011 was going to be the year that Quick Response Codes (QR codes) were going to take over the world.

On the face of it the revolution has not yet taken hold but it’s likely that their widespread acceptance and use has been delayed rather than abandoned -certainly in my view because with creative thinking QR codes can be a helpful and inexpensive tool to many businesses, small and large.

Possibly one reason for the delay in acceptance was the rumour of QR code viruses that spread in the middle of the y

ear but it’s now accepted that QR codes themselves cannot be viruses and so this potential threat has passed.

What are QR Codes?

QR Code for marketingresultsacademy.com

QR Code for one of my other sites

For those not yet familiar, QR codes are similar to barcodes used by retailers to track stock and price items at the point of sale.

The key difference between QR codes and barcodes is the amount of data they can hold. One-dimensional bar

codes only hold up to 20 numerical digits whereas QR codes, which are two-dimensional, can hold thousands of alpha numeric characters of information.

As a result QR Codes can store website URLs, plain text, phone numbers, email addresses and pretty much any other alphanumeric data.

It’s the potential for sheer volume of information coupled with their ease of use that makes QR codes so exciting.

Colour QR code for Marketing Results Academy

They don't have to be in dull black and white!

How Do QR Codes Work?

First you need to generate a code and for this there are lots of free sites on the internet.

http://keremerkan.net works well for me, as does

http://www.qrstuff.com

Both can produce QR codes in colours (be careful because some lighter colours don’t scan very well, at least in my phone) and they can be downloaded as a picture file, emailed or printed. Subscribers can also get analytics.

In due course I’m sure all phones will have an inbuilt QR Code reader but this isn’t the case yet and on some that do (e.g. Blackberry) it’s quite hard to find!

In the absence of an inbuilt reader you can easily download a reader as an App and again there’s a lot of choice,

I-Nigma is the most popular App for iPhones and Optiscan is also very good.

I have an Android phone and use Barcode Scanner by ZXing which is available on the Android Market.

How Your Can Use QR Codes

Start on the basis that you can send offline traffic to an online resource of your choosing and the uses to which you can put QR Codes are limited only by your imagination.

The obvious starting point for most businesses is either their web home page or a VCard (which is often printed as a code on a business card) and whilst the first use is to me a bit lacking in imagination, the second use is certaiQR Code to like BSM Facebook pagenly valid as it means your details are more likely to be saved by the recipient.

Going up the scale of originality is to use QR Codes in conjunction with Facebook. You can also use Likify to create a QR Code that links to your Facebook Page and which allows a user to “Like” your page with one click.

Instead of linking QR Codes to a static home page, more imaginative businesses now link to a dynamic page (via a short code so that the target can be changed at will) which can then include a free offer or a coupon, both combined with email opt-ins to build a list.

Some Practical Uses For QR Codes

Here’s a few examples:

  • Directions to your business premises
  • A VCard with your business contact details
  • Coupons and special offers
  • Restaurant menus
  • Free downloads
  • Customer feedback forms
  • Other places for feedback (e.g. Google Places)
  • Instructions (e.g. how to put a product together)
  • Property details (e.g. on an Estate Agent or Rental agent board)
  • Sign up for newsletter
  • Other product information (e.g. codes on wine bottles to tell purchasers more about the wine)
  • Your own business App download (or any other App)
  • Reasons to come back!
  • Digital boarding cards
  • Link to fund raising pages
  • On car windscreens in dealerships with further details of the car

Remember that if you’re directing to a web page then that page should be mobile optimised and have a strong call to action. If it isn’t you’re wasting a huge opportunity…

The Future For QR Codes

The potential for QR Codes is unlimited.

At present as far as I can see the two things that are holding them back from catching on even faster are ignorance and the

Margaret River QR Code

It's a great part of the world too...

fact that downloading a reader is a bit complicated. So anything you can do to help to educate in these areas will help.

What’s most exciting is how QR Codes take the elements that social media is doing well – i.e. bringing people together with technology – and extending it to enhance the experience and in due course to make it easier.

Have you embraced QR Codes in your business yet?

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How to Use The Perfect Bait To Catch A Big Fish

by Mike on December 6, 2011

Moving on from my last post, in which I talked about how to learn about your big fish, this post considers how to prepare for the first contact you’ll make with them.

This first contact is vital to your success. You’ll want to instill confidence in them. They need to know you can fulfill exactly what you’re offering:

  • On time
  • At a good price and
  • At the quality you promise

Today we’ll actually go through the big approach and how to make that perfect first impression.

Before you put together your approach plan, you need to decide on which big fish you’re after. Take a look at your notes and the research you’ve done on potential fish. Then decide which one will be the easiest approach to start out with.

There are a series of things to go through in choosing which fish to start with. They are:

  • Position Yourself And Your Business
  • Compile Your Hit List
  • Select the Best Target

 

Position Yourself And Your Business

You need to position your business to make the first move by listing your income streams, identifying and listing your operational procedures, assessing where your fish is initially positioned, review your big-customer research, and pulling it all together.

Compile Your Hit List

Start with a list of all the companies you’ve been considering. Then narrow it down to the ones who know could use your products or services. Don’t overlook obvious choices, whether they’re big or small. Even small companies could be big fish in the future.

Select the Best Target

Once you’ve got your list narrowed down, you need to decide which one is the best fish to start with. You need to consider a number of things:

  • Which have the most purchasing resources to spend
  • Does their company vision compliment yours?
  • What are their employee incentive programs as they relate to your products/services?
  • What’s the company’s real need for you?
  • Will the partnership lead you off-course?

Now you should have a target in mind to start with. It’s time to plan your approach and execute that plan.

Here’s the step-by-step plan to help you make a good first impression:

  1. Build and analyze your database. Divide your leads into three different categories: hot leads, great fits and secondary leads.
  2. Send out introductory mailings to your target to introduce yourself, your company, services, products, and vision. They need to be short, clean and concise. Use a great headline in the letter – preferably one that gives them the benefit of working with you. A good postcard can work well.
  3. Follow up with your first phone call 2-3 days after they should have received the letter or card. During the phone call find out the name of the person you need to be speaking with in the future and try to set up a meet with the correct person.
  4. Follow up your phone call with another mailing and thank them for taking the time to speak with you and offer more details about your products/services. Use this letter and opportunity to set up a meeting to do a presentation.
  5. Follow up the letter with another phone call a couple of days after they would have received the letter. This phone call is to help you further develop your relationship with the prospective client. You should also be able to set up a presentation meeting with them.
  6. Call again a week later if they haven’t agreed to a meeting or presentation. Ask if they received your creative letter (the second one) and if they have a minute when you can stop by and introduce yourself in person.

Now, don’t be upset if you don’t seal the deal right away. Some fish simply take a little longer to land. This can all be a little intimidating at first, but when you know you are offering a quality product/service, you can’t go wrong.

Remember The Rule of Seven. The Rule of Seven is an old marketing adage that says that a prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy from you.

The Rule of Seven isn’t cast in stone by any means but far too many business owners give up far too easily in their small business marketing efforts. The real winners are those that don’t.

Once you’ve gone through this process and make first contact (and hopefully a good first impression) it’s time to put your best face forward, which means either seeing the prospect yourself or sending the right salesperson to seal the deal.

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