We are used to seeing QR codes everywhere around us – from menus, billboards, and business cards to the walls of buildings and the sides of cars. Yet, most people never really even wonder how these QR codes are made exactly? And the ones who do, usually the ones who need to make new QR codes for their business or another project, they are in for a world of thousands upon countless thousands of QR code generators, each seemingly promising the same thing.
With many of these QR code generators being free, while others charging a hefty subscription fee for their services, choosing the best QR code generator for your business marketing strategy can be difficult. What’s worse, the more you start reading and researching into things, it turns out that there are a lot of very major differences in how QR code generators work, which offers what, which is better for what marketing strategy, and which is a waste of time and/or money.
So, to help you figure out what exactly to look for in a QR code generator and find the right tool for your business marketing strategy, here’s our quick breakdown on the main criteria to note.
Both free and paid QR code generators can work if they have the right tools for you
With many software services, the rule of thumb is that “if it is free, it is not worth using.” This isn’t completely the case with QR code generators, even though there are a lot of free QR code generators that are certainly not worth using and exist simply to show ads to people.
However, depending on your needs, both a free and paid QR code generator service can do quite a good job. In other words, the best QR code generator can be different for different businesses and people. Overall, however, the factors we would say everyone should consider before picking their QR code-generating service are:
1. It should support both dynamic and static QR codes
Not everyone needs a dynamic QR code for their business marketing strategy. In fact, not everyone even needs long-lasting QR codes, so, very marketing strategies can be done even just with 14-day free trial versions of most QR code generators.
However, for a QR code generator to be considered “good” or even “premium,” it is expected as a bare minimum that it will support both dynamic and static QR codes.
2. It should offer plenty of data insight
This is something newcomers to this niche can easily overlook or have trouble figuring out at first. However, people with a tad more experience dealing with QR code generators know to look for ones that offer a lot of data insight, as this helps you measure the performance of the service.
3. It should be easy to work with
Many paid QR code generators offer a ton of different features and mechanics, which is great in and of itself, but it can also make their apps too difficult and frustrating to use. Whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced user, it’s smart to look for generators that are easy to use and that focus most of their attention on the creation and deployment of QR codes, rather than on constant fidgeting with minor details everywhere on the UI.
4. There should be a lot of customization options
This can sound contradictory to the above, but, at the end of the day, a good QR code generator should also have a good bare minimum of customization options to help you create the exact QR code you need for your business and marketing strategy.
Such customization options can include things, such as different colors and patterns, adding logos, and so on. At the end of the day, a good QR code isn’t just functional but also works with the overall brand and its marketing.
5. The QR codes should be trackable.
Dynamic QR codes are trackable by definition. However, the code generator should also allow you to know where and when each scan has taken place, what device was used for the scan, and other useful information. Really good code generators can even tie such statistics to your Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, or UTM parameters.
6. The code generator should be secure
Scammers love QR codes, so, a good code generator must always offer strong data security. Look for generators with GDPR certification, SOC® 2, and other such certificates.
7. Good customer support
Dealing with a QR code generator very often involves contacting customer support, so, make sure you pick a service that has a fast, competent, and responsive 24/7 customer support team.