• If you have a retail business, place a QR code next to a new product on your shelf. Customers can read more information about the product like sizes, colors available, see the product in action, or pictures of best uses and ideas for the product. Try this in an Art Gallery-show other art from same artist, history of piece and pricing.
• Place a QR code on unassembled products that show a video of someone putting the product together step-by-step. I think IKEA could benefit from this one (at least I would).
• Business Card information-Simple way, just place the QR code on any of your marketing materials. This works when there is limited space
• Phone calls and SMS Text Messages- get your customers to listen to recorded messages, advertise for a teleseminar/webinar, even send them a text message about a secret special.
• Special Deals and Promotions- Advertise your own group-on-like specials on a QR code
• Send your customers to your website-This can easily be combined with the above process, sending your customers to the website to get the special deals, etc. Increases your website traffic.
• Maps- Help your customers find you. You can provide directions and even a map. This can also work with contests that include scavenger hunts, or at events like trade shows and fairs to make it easy for your customers to find you.
• Feedback after the sale – you can give your customers a coupon for complimentary material or products similar to what they've bought. You can provide a survey or questionnaire for your customers to complete once they've made the purchase.
• Recipes – if you provide food products, this is a good way to give your customers special recipes using that product.
• T-shirts – put a QR code on a T-shirt giveaway to your customers.
• QR codes are good for social media as well.what does that mean? Yes, get your fans to like you on FaceBook and Twitter.
• E-books/Whitepapers– why not give away free e-books or White papers. These can be written by you or shared from some other source that pertains to your business or cause.

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These are just a few ideas for using QR codes. But I hope you can see how powerful they can be in your marketing program. Once you start you can think of many other ideas that you can implement through QR codes.  Start by getting a QRcode reader or scanner.  I have an Android telephone so I have the QR Droid App.

Once you get the app design your QR code using a QR code generator.  Here are two that I use regularly:

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ and http://www.qrstuff.com You can choose the size you need and you can place your choice of information inside.  Go crazy with it! Get creative!  Send a message that will engage your customers!

Now for some quick rules:

There may be a chance that your readers/customers will be viewing your QR code from their mobile device.  So it is a good idea to make your website mobile friendly.  How? you may ask...,  The simplicity of mobilizers.

http://www.google.com/gwt/n?u=

You can place this text before your URL and Google will mobilize your website for you.

Like this http://www.google.com/gwt/n?u=http://www.thefoodiepreneur.com/
This is what you would put into the QR code generator.

There are other mobilizers available for you to use, or if your website is already setup for mobile viewing, then you are all set!

Another rule is to make that URL shorter. This practice makes the QR code smaller and gives a higher level of error correction. There are lots of URL shortener websites, but the one I use is http://goo.gl.  You can also visit TinyURL to shorten your URL.

Lastly, I have to say that once you get the customer to read your QR code, you had better have some good information on the other end.  If not, there is a good chance you will not get that visitor to come back again.