A few years ago, QR codes looked like a fad. Today they are on restaurant tables, shop windows, delivery boxes and business cards, because they solve a simple problem: they let a customer move from the physical world to a web page without typing anything. For a small business, that can mean a digital menu, a quick way to leave a review or an easier way to share your contact details. This guide explains how to use QR codes well, how to make them for free and how to avoid the common mistakes.
What a QR code actually is
A QR code is a square pattern of black and white modules that stores a small amount of data. When a phone camera reads it, the phone decodes the data and offers to open a link, show text, call a number or join a Wi-Fi network. The most common use is a web address.
Most codes you create for free are static. The content is written directly into the pattern. This means the code never expires and does not depend on any service, but it also means you cannot change where it points after you print it. Services that offer dynamic codes redirect through their own address so that you can change the destination, usually for a fee. For many small businesses, a static code pointing to a page you control is enough: if the destination changes, you update that page.
Ideas for small businesses
Menus
A code on each table links to a page with your menu. It saves printing costs when prices change and makes it easy to show photos, allergens and daily specials. Keep a few printed menus available for people who prefer them.
Business cards and flyers
A code on the back of a card can open your website, portfolio or contact page, so a new contact does not have to type anything. On a flyer it can lead straight to a booking or sign-up page.
Wi-Fi for guests
A code can contain the network name and password so guests join by scanning. Use the format WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;;. Anyone who scans the code can read the password, so use a guest network, not your main one.
Reviews
Reviews are valuable to a local business. A code on receipts or packaging that opens your review page makes it easy for happy customers to leave one.
Product information
A code on packaging can lead to a manual, warranty registration or how-to video. It keeps the packaging small and the information current.
Payments
Take care here. Our generator makes a general-purpose code from the text you type. Payment systems and banks usually provide their own codes in a specific format, so use the code issued by your payment provider rather than creating one yourself.
How to make a QR code
With our QR Code Generator, type or paste the link or text, press Generate and download the result as a PNG file. The code is 256 by 256 pixels with a medium level of error correction, which lets it still scan when a small part is dirty or damaged.
Use the full address, starting with https://, so that phones recognise it as a link. If you want to measure how many visitors come from a particular poster, add a tracking tag to the link, such as ?utm_source=poster. Your analytics will then show visits from that code. Use a different tag for each location so that you can compare them.
Making sure it scans
- Keep the content short. More text means a denser pattern that is harder to read. A short link scans far better than a long one.
- Use strong contrast. Dark on light is best. Avoid pale colours or dark backgrounds.
- Keep the white border. Leave blank space around the code and do not crop it.
- Do not stretch it. Resize it in proportion, so it stays square.
- Print it big enough. As a guide, about 2 cm by 2 cm is the minimum for close scanning, and larger for scanning from a distance.
- Avoid shiny surfaces. Glare from lamps and windows can stop a phone camera from reading a code.
Where to put it
A code is only useful if people notice it and can scan it comfortably. Put it at eye level or on the table, not behind glass in a reflection, and add a line telling people what they will get, such as "Scan for our menu". A code with no explanation gets far fewer scans than one with a clear reason. Make sure the page it opens is designed for phones: fast, readable and without pop-ups.
Safety for you and your customers
Criminals sometimes stick fake codes over real ones, so that customers land on a fraudulent page. Reduce the risk by placing codes where staff can see them, checking them from time to time and printing them on materials that are hard to cover with stickers. As a customer, check the address your phone shows before you open it, and never enter passwords or payment details on a page you reached from an unfamiliar code.
What our generator does not do
- It creates a black and white code only. There are no colours or logos.
- The code is static, so it cannot be edited or tracked.
- Very long text may fail to generate, because a QR code can only hold a limited amount of data.
- It needs an internet connection the first time, to load the library that draws the code. What you type is not sent with that request.
Frequently asked questions
Does the code expire?
No. A static code stores its data in the pattern, so it works as long as the page it points to exists.
Can I change the link after printing?
No. If the destination might change, point the code at a page you control and update that page.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, watermark or limit on how many codes you make.
Why will my code not scan?
The common causes are text that is too long, a printed size that is too small, low contrast or a missing white border.
Final thoughts
A QR code is a small tool with a big payoff when used with care: short link, strong contrast, enough size, a clear call to action and a test before printing. Make your first one with the QR Code Generator, scan it on two phones and put it where your customers will see it.