Assigning codes to anything makes things more simple, easy, and quick. Instead of grabbing all the information in a hurry or taking time to type long links, a code can help a lot in getting all the information with ease and convenience. There are different types of codes with barcodes being the older ones that are only used in supermarkets and stores now.
However, a rather improved and latest version of codes is QR Code. While the name might be a bit confusing for you, a QR code means a Quick Response Code which speaks for itself. You just scan the code with your smartphone’s camera and within a moment you will get all the information.
It is a square shape in white color with black squares in it creating a unique pattern every time a new QR Code is generated. The issue here is that even if some people know the basics about QR Codes they do not know how they can generate QR Code. So, here we have our Step by Step guide for you to generate QR Code.
What is the process of creating a QR Code?
When you are looking to generate custom QR Code you need to follow some steps to ensure that you are doing everything in the right manner. The following are those steps:
1. Choosing your content type
When you are going to generate QR Code there are a lot of different tools and methods that you can use. One thing that will be similar in almost all of them will be the content type. There are several different types of content that you can easily get in a QR Code, so you need to be sure that you are choosing the right content type because otherwise, the performance is not great.
Some types of content that you can select when you generate QR Code are:
- URL
- Text
- vCard
- Images
- App Stores
- MP3/Audio
- SMS
So, you need to carefully select the type of your content whenever you are going to create a QR Code.
2. Filling the data
As soon as you select your content type a corresponding form will appear in front of you. You need to fill that form for your QR Code to work as it should. There will be different fields according to the type that you have selected.
For example, if you select the URL then there will only be one field to paste the link and nothing instead. Similarly, the fields will differ according to the content type that you have selected.
3. Selecting the type of your QR Code
Even if you know a lot about the QR Codes, this is a point where you might be going to know something new. Did you know that there are 2 different types of QR codes according to their performance? Well, yes, one of them is Static while the other one is Dynamic and, in this step, you need to decide whether you are looking to keep your QR Code static or dynamic.
- Static QR Code
It is the type of QR Code where once you create and save the code there is nothing that you can do with the code. Using it in an intended way is possible but editing anything about the QR Code is not possible at all.
- Dynamic QR Code
It is the same QR Code, but it comes with the additional benefit of being editable. So, when you generate QR Code you can still edit it whenever you need to change something. Consider an example where you created an email QR Code.
Now you need to change your email so you will not need to create a new QR Code from the beginning. All you need to do here is to edit the old one that you just created.
4. Customizations matter a lot
When you are giving a message in the form of an image or a text there is some sort of message that comes from them in the first impressions. However, it is not the case with the QR Code. You cannot let one be around and expect people to get to scan it. Instead, you can use some sort of customizations for your QR Code to work.
Things that enhance the design and bring some message to the first impressions of the QR Code matter a lot. These little things include the frame and the text below the QR Code. In addition to these, you can select the type of output format so that sharing never becomes an issue for you. While you are going through this customization phase you mustn't overdo things.
Some things like adding useless logos, changing colors, and other things can make the QR Code difficult for the application to scan. So, either you can skip the part where you are doing a lot of editing and customization. Or you can make 2 versions, one will be the basic one while the other one will be edited.
5. Testing will ensure that everything is working
Once you have created everything you need to create it is time for some hands-on testing. Before you spread your QR Code your QR Code must work, and you can use different QR Code readers to see if your code is working. There are a lot of things that can help in this regard including the following:
- Your phone’s camera
- Google Goggles
- QR Code reading applications
In this way, you will know all about the working and efficiency of your QR Code.
6. QR Code distribution
Things are not over yet. Some other steps are necessary for you to ensure that your QR Code never goes to waste, and it is to share the QR Code. You can use any of the efficient QR Code sharing and distribution techniques. It can be digital or print but you need to ensure that your QR Code reaches every location where people can see it and scan it with ease.
7. Performance analysis
The last thing to do here is to check the performance of your QR Code. It is the part that will increase the value of your QR Code when you create dynamic ones. The reason is that you will be tracking the performance and it will tell you whether the code is working well or not. So, if your code is not working as it should you can always edit it dynamically.
Questioning yourself by the following questions can be the right way to do the performance analysis for your QR Code:
- What amount of traffic is your QR Code generating?
- Can people redeem the intended offer when they scan the QR Code?
- Is the QR Code being scanned as easily as others?
If the QR Code seems to fail these simple checks then you need to do proper analysis and tracking of the QR Code by using different marketing analytics techniques.
While this is a general process of creating a QR Code, things can be different depending on the application or tool that you are using. So, make sure to get your QR Code created only according to your requirements for an experience like never before.
What are some different ways you can use to Generate QR Code?
You can generate QR Code in different ways as different applications and tools support the process. However, the steps for each of them are going to be different. So, here are some of the best ways for you to create a QR Code.
1. Creating QR Code with Google Chrome Browser
The first one is to create a QR Code with help of the Google Chrome browser. It is the simplest and the most common way to deal with things and it is your best choice if you are going to use the QR Code for directing people to your website or a specific page on your website. So, here are the steps that you need to follow:
Looking for the share option
The first thing you need to do after you are present on your target webpage from a website is to look for the spare option. In the desktop versions, it is present on the right side of the address bar. In case you are using android or iOS versions of Chrome browser, you need to go to the options menu and look for the Share or QR Code option.
Downloading the QR Code
Once you find the QR Code all you need to do is to download it. In the Desktop or Android versions, it is pretty simple. However, in the case of the iOS Chrome browser you need to save the QR Code to your device by using the “save image” or “save to files” options.
With these simple steps, you will be done with creating the QR Code using a Chrome Browser
2. Using Social Media applications to create QR Code
Did you know that you can use your Social Media applications to generate QR Code? If you are looking to share your social media information for people to conveniently get to your public accounts, then creating and sharing the QR Code right from the Social Media applications will be the best choice for you.
Although it is not possible in all applications, it is still a feature integrated into some of the applications including Twitter and LinkedIn. In this way, you do not have to mess with things in your browser or anywhere else when you can do it right from your application. All you need to do here is to look for the QR Code option in the application and share it.
The best part is that it makes things pretty easy as you do not have to deal with any customizations or settings, and you can select to use a device from your mobile phone and your computer.
3. Creating QR Code with QR Code Generator
This is a website that can help you with the best experience of generating a QR Code. This can be your best choice because it provides the best options and the best features to make your QR Code even more valuable. So, here are the steps that you need to follow.
Opening the website
So, the first thing you have to do is to open the QR Code Generator website in any of your browsers. You can do it on any of your mobile or computer devices as well.
Selecting the type of QR Code
Once you are at the website you need to select the type of QR Code that you want to create. This will unleash some fields in front of you according to the type that you have selected. Make sure to fill all of them according to the content that best suits the field.
Editing and customization
As soon as you are not filling the content you need to check if you want to do any editing or customizations there. There are several pre-built options that you can select. So, it is now up to you whether you want to do anything or not.
Download and share
After you have done everything that you wanted to do when generating the QR Code the last thing left to do is to download and share. While you can simply download the QR Code from the Download button, you can share that as many times as possible and on any of your platforms according to your preferences.
With all of these benefits and an easy process for creating QR codes, it is the best way for everyone on any of the devices as it works online so you don't need software support for your device.
4. Creating QR Code with QRColor
It is another way to generate QR Code that comes with a lot of options. Speaking of options available you can start with things like a web application or downloadable applications for your smartphones. The web application is free while the smart application for both Android users and iOS users has different choices.
They can get the basic version for free as well as there is a pro version that is available as a paid application for both types of users. As expected, the Pro version is known to bring more value for the users by adding some extra features which are not available in most of the other tools, platforms, and generators.
Creating QR Codes here
You can add things like Wi-Fi connection, Sending emails, making calls, and such action things with any of the details that you think are necessary to be there. After you have added all the actions and information then you can simply download and share your QR Code.
Pro features
As mentioned above the pro version or the paid version comes with some additional features. These features let you do the following things:
- You can adjust the colors of your QR Code
- You can select any theme from the available themes
- You can add a custom logo to your QR Code to make it more meaningful and relevant.
These features are great, but they are not available for free. However, QRColor is still an amazing choice for you if you are looking to generate QR Code.
5. Creating QR Code with Barcode Generator
If you do not prefer using online tools, then it is the right choice for you. This is an application available on the Microsoft store and it is available for Windows users. It comes with a lot of operations and functions which will make the whole QR Code-making process pretty easy for you.
It is not a dedicated tool for creating QR Code as there are other options available as well which include:
- QR Code
- Barcode
- Datamatrix
- PDF417
Creating QR Code with QR Color
When you are creating your QR Code with this application you can create them for email, Facebook, Twitter, Wi-Fi, SMS, YouTube, and a lot of other options. All you need to do is select the type of code which in this case will be QR Code and then select the action from the 12 available options. After that, you will fill in the details and you will be done.
QR Color codes are the application that has got your back as it provides an amazing QR Code generating experience. It comes with the following features and benefits to start with:
- Quick QR Code creation
- Fill-in-the-blank mode of filling the information
- Create QR Codes for almost every action that you want automated
- Editing the QR Code as you like
If you are thinking that it is a free application, then you need to rethink as it is not a free application at all and it charges you to download. They say that you get what you pay for, and this application brings some features that are not available in any other application. Although those features look great, they are not the best choice for an average user.
Unique feature
The tweaks or the unique features that you get from this application on macOS include corner type changer, resolution changing, pixel style changing, background and foreground color, and other customizations with the basic design of the QR Code.
Testing feature
While it is only a QR Code generator application, it comes with the feature to test the readability. So, whenever you are creating a QR Code you can test if it is easily readable or not. Likewise, you can use the tips presented to ensure that your QR Code gets in its best form
How not to use your QR Code – Things that you must avoid when using QR Codes.
While most people know how they can use QR Code they do not know the things that must be avoided when using QR codes. So, here we are. The following are all the things that you must not do when you are using a QR Code for any of the purposes.
Do not place QR Code where it is inefficient to scan
Placing QR codes too low or high is not the best choice. Similarly, making the QR Code too big or too small will make scanning it harder than ever. What you need to do instead is to make it right the size that everyone can see it and scan it from their comfortable distance. Only in this way, your QR Code will be efficient by all means.
Do not use websites or web pages without optimization
You need to understand that people are always going to scan the QR Code with their smartphones so the website must be optimized for mobile phones as well. If you do not use websites without mobile optimization, then the experience for your traffic will not be good at all.
Do not restrict the QR Code to a specific scanner
Some people restrict the QR Code to a specific scanner. It is not a good practice at all. All of your traffic will not have that same scanner application. So, make sure to keep things generic so that everyone can scan them with ease.
Do not leave your QR Code empty or alone
A simple post or page with a QR Code on it will rather look shady instead of looking attractive or calling to some action. So, you need to make sure that you add some CTA and some details along with the QR Code so that your QR Code becomes efficient instead of not providing any traffic at all.
Do not be focused on your ease only
Sometimes you use QR codes only for your ease when things can get done without them and it will be easier for others. So, make sure that you are concerned about the experience of others. For example, if your café has an open Wi-Fi network then instead of providing a QR Code you can simply write that “connect to XYZ network”. It will be easier for everyone as compared to some people who do not know how to use a QR Code.
Verdict
QR Codes bring a lot of ease to our life. There are many things made simple with this simple code. For example, you can easily let someone open your website by scanning a code while it had to be done by typing a link in the older times. However, for this, you must know all about how to generate QR Code.
We hope that by now you know all about how to create a QR Code and how to make things efficient. So, make sure to create the best QR Code while ignoring all the things that must not be done for better performance and more efficiency.
