QR Codes for Small Business: A Beginner's Marketing Guide

Why Small Businesses Should Care About QR Codes

Big companies plaster QR codes on everything from billboards to beverage cups. But the real magic happens when small businesses use them—because the gap between offline and online presence is often where smaller operations lose ground.

Think about it. A local bakery can't afford a Super Bowl ad, but they can put a QR code on every bag and box that walks out the door. That code bridges the moment of purchase to an ongoing relationship: a review request, a loyalty signup, a social media follow.

QR codes are cheap to create (free, actually), easy to print, and solve a very specific problem: getting customers from the physical world into your digital ecosystem. Let's talk about how.

Getting Reviews Without Being Pushy

Online reviews make or break local businesses. A restaurant with fifty 4-star reviews will pull traffic from a competitor with three 5-star reviews, simply because volume builds credibility.

The challenge: asking for reviews feels awkward, and most customers don't bother unless you make it trivially easy.

A QR code linked directly to your Google review page (or Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook—wherever matters most for your industry) removes every friction point. The customer doesn't have to search for your business name, navigate to the review section, or remember to do it later. Scan, write, done.

Where to place review request codes:

On receipts (catches people right after purchase)
On a small tent card at the checkout counter
On packaging and bags
On the thank-you note that ships with online orders
On follow-up cards handed out with service completion

A tip: Link to the review input page, not just your business listing. On Google, the direct review URL opens the review box immediately. That one extra step of tapping "Write a review" loses a surprising number of people.

Menu Digitization (Beyond COVID)

Restaurants adopted QR menus during the pandemic out of necessity. But there's a good argument for keeping them even now—especially for businesses with frequently changing offerings.

A printed menu locks you in. Change a price, add a seasonal dish, run out of an ingredient? Reprinting is expensive and wasteful. A digital menu linked via QR code can be updated in real time.

Plus, digital menus can do things paper can't:

Show photos of dishes
Include allergen and nutrition information
Offer translations for tourists
Link to online ordering or reservation systems

Some restaurants use both: a physical menu for the browsing experience, plus a QR code for updates or expanded details. That hybrid approach gives you flexibility without forcing customers to use their phones.

Turning Packaging Into a Marketing Channel

Every product you sell is a potential touchpoint. The box, the bag, the label—these are surfaces your customer is already looking at. A QR code turns passive packaging into active engagement.

Ideas for product packaging codes:

Instructions and tutorials. Link to a video showing how to use the product. Especially useful for anything that requires assembly or has a learning curve.
Reorder page. For consumables, make it one scan to buy again. Reduces the friction of "I need more of this, what was it called?"
Loyalty program signup. Capture the customer in your database while the product is literally in their hands.
Social media. "Tag us with your creation!" works well for anything people make or customize—food, crafts, fashion.
Product origin or story. Small businesses often have compelling backstories that big brands can't match. Link to a page about your sourcing, craftsmanship, or founding story.

The key is linking to something valuable, not just your homepage. Give people a reason to scan.

Window and Storefront Codes

Your storefront window is advertising space—even when you're closed. A QR code visible from the sidewalk can keep working after hours.

Use cases:

Restaurant menu viewable before you open (people checking options before committing)
After-hours contact info or booking page for service businesses
Event calendar for bars, clubs, or community spaces
Real estate listings with full details (realtors have used this for years)
"We're hiring" links to your application page

Make sure the code is large enough to scan from a reasonable distance. A code inside your window needs to work through the glass, from several feet away, in varying lighting. Test it before committing.

Flyers, Posters, and Print Ads

Print advertising isn't dead—it's just evolved. A flyer without a clear call to action is decoration. A flyer with a QR code linking to a signup page, coupon, or booking system is a conversion tool.

The structure that works:

Attention-grabbing headline
Brief value proposition (what you're offering)
QR code with clear label ("Scan for 20% off")
Short URL as backup for non-scanners

Local businesses distributing flyers at community events, posting on bulletin boards, or buying ad space in local publications can track response by using unique landing pages for each campaign.

Table Tents and Point-of-Sale

Service businesses (salons, clinics, repair shops) often have waiting areas. Customers are sitting there, bored, scrolling their phones anyway. Give them something relevant to look at.

A table tent or counter card with a QR code can prompt:

Google review requests
Newsletter signup (offer a discount for subscribing)
Appointment booking for their next visit
Links to your service menu or portfolio

Restaurants can use table tents to promote specials, upcoming events, or loyalty programs. Cafes can link to their Wi-Fi info (see our Wi-Fi QR code guide).

Business Cards That Actually Work

Covered in more depth in our business card guide, but the short version: a QR code on your business card can link to your full portfolio, booking page, or link aggregator. It turns a static piece of paper into a portal to everything you do.

For service providers who rely on referrals—consultants, contractors, freelancers—this is especially valuable. Someone hands your card to a friend, they scan, they see your full professional presence instead of just a name and phone number.

A Few Practical Reminders

Keep destinations mobile-friendly. The vast majority of QR scans happen on phones. If your landing page isn't optimized for mobile, you're wasting the interaction.

Make the code large enough. On print materials, 1 inch (2.5 cm) is a reasonable minimum for close-up scanning. Larger for anything viewed from distance.

Test before printing in bulk. Scanning failures are common with low contrast, small sizes, or complex URLs. Print one test copy and verify it works.

Use short, stable URLs. Long URLs create complex codes. The destination page should also be something you control—don't tie your print materials to a third-party service that might change or disappear.

Getting Started

You don't need a marketing budget to start using QR codes. You need a free generator, a clear idea of what you want customers to do, and the willingness to print a small square on things you're already creating.

Start with one application—maybe review requests, maybe a menu link—and see how it performs. Expand from there based on what actually drives results for your specific business.

Create your first QR code and start turning physical touchpoints into digital connections.