qr codes for hardware stores

QR Codes (abbreviation for quick response codes) offer numerous advantages for hardware stores. Your customers can quickly scan and access information like video tutorials, product manuals, and others. At the same time, your staff can also benefit when QR Codes are used in asset management and customer purposes. In this article, let’s talk about how you can leverage the power of this technology to your business. Let’s talk about how you can use QR Codes for hardware stores.

What are QR Codes?

QR (abbreviation for quick response) Codes are upgraded barcodes invented by Japanese company Denso Wave in 1994. Primarily developed for asset management purposes, these two-dimensional barcodes rose in popularity during the global pandemic and continue to become a valuable asset for marketing and promotions. They have been used for directing customers to specific web pages, payments, and sharing files, among other things.

What are the benefits of QR Codes for Hardware Stores?

QR Codes offer various benefits for its users. These include:

Easy to Make

Because of technology, everyone can now easily make QR Codes. Knowledge in coding or programming is generally not required when making one. All you need to do is pick a QR Code generator, encode all the information needed, and download your QR Code.

Cheap/Free to Make

You can make static QR Codes for free from the many QR Code generators available in a simple Google search. For more complicated QR Codes or for the ability to track the success of your campaign, you would need a paid QR Code generator. The good thing is that subscriptions to QR Code generators are fairly affordable, especially given the different options available. For example, you can purchase a lifetime subscription to QR Cloud on Appsumo for as low as $60! We’re even on discount on Appsumo right now, so you can get the basic plan at only $19… and that’s for a lifetime!

Easy to Scan

Today, scanning QR Codes no longer need special devices. You can scan QR Codes only using the native camera of your smartphone or using a mobile application.

If you want to know more about the different apps for scanning QR Codes, check out this article.

Saves Money from Printing

And, QR Codes save you money from printing costs. Because a QR Code can contain over 7000 characters, image, audio, or direct you to a web page, you can save precious printing area on your signage and promotional materials. For a small square area, you can encode lots of information. And if you create a dynamic QR Code, you don’t have to worry about making errors because you can easily edit the contents anytime.

What kinds of QR Codes can I create for a hardware store?

There are several reasons why you should use QR Codes in your hardware store business.

Accept payments.

QR Codes are popular for allowing cashless and cardless payments. Just by scanning the store’s payment QR Code, customers can easily pay for their purchases with only their smartphone.

Here are a couple of articles to help you receive payments on PayPal or your cryptocurrency wallet.

Provide customers with product information such as pricing, specs, and reviews in just a scan.

QR Codes in hardware stores can be a great way to provide clients quick and easy access to information about products and services. Aside from pricing and specifications, you can also link your customers to product reviews and your social media accounts.

Offer promos and discounts to customers.

Promos and discounts are a great way to engage with your customers. This saves money from printing, and if you use dynamic QR Codes, you can also track customer interest and engagement. Read this article for a detailed tutorial on how you can create QR Codes for promos and discounts. 

Give your clients easy access to your store’s contact information.

Good customer service is the backbone of every good business. You retain clients and get new ones mainly through your relationship with the people you serve. Improve your customer service by providing an easy way to communicate with you. You can create QR Codes that get your clients straight to your phone number, SMS,  email, or instant messaging accounts, like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, FaceTime or WeChat. This way, they don’t have to spend time looking for your account through many other accounts.

Of course, make sure your customer relationship staff actually responds in a respectful and helpful manner. This is something that QR Codes can’t solve!

Manage your inventory.

Aside from marketing and promotions, QR Codes are also used in inventory management. They can be scanned instead of traditional barcodes during check out. They can also be scanned using an inventory app to counter check the amount of remaining items. This makes the tasks of your staff easier and aids in your automation efforts.

How can you create QR Codes for hardware stores?

It’s very easy to create QR Codes. To start creating static QR Codes, simply look for a QR Code generator. If you want to create dynamic QR Codes, on the other hand, you would need a subscription to a QR Code service such as QR Cloud.

Here are some reminders when creating QR Codes using any QR Code generator:

  1. If you’re going to use a QR Code for a long time, consider creating it using a paid generator. This will allow you to create reusable and editable QR Codes.
  2. The more complicated the design, the harder it is to scan a QR Code. Using different colors and gradients, for example, could result in QR Codes that take longer to read compared to black and white ones.
  3. Consider increasing error correction, especially if you plan to use the QR Code in print ads and billboards.
  4. Remember to do a test scan to make sure your QR Code works before incorporating it into your marketing campaigns.

Conclusion

Modernize the way you conduct business at your hardware store with QR Codes. Use these square matrix barcodes to receive payments, provide product information, offer discounts, and communicate with your customers. QR Cloud is a reliable and easy-to-use QR Code generator that will help you create beautiful QR Codes that reflect your hardware’s image.