Posted by Steve Cebula on April 26, 2012 at 10:59am
I saw some mentions of QR codes in another posting. We have the QR codes for our website, Facebook & Twitter on the back of our business cards. I enlarged the images from the card and laminated it to use as a small sign on the booth wall at shows. Even put some Velcro on the back so I can just slap it up on the pro panel wall. You would be surprised at how many people scan it with their phones. I been thinking of making more use of QR codes by maybe placing one on each piece so patrons could go directly to it on our website. If you want to get started with the codes you can simply google qr code generator, it is quite easy to type in the text to get a picture of the code and then copy and paste it wherever you want it to be seen. The codes are starting to show up in magazines, newspapers and ads for many products.
Linnea that is a great idea. No matter how much you tell someone something, they forget. A QR code with instructions or video is a great way to connect with your customers. Plus, if they give it to someone else, they now have a way to view the instructions or ideas for use.
QR codes can be used for just about anything. They don't have to link to a URL. The tool I use, QREncoder, can use the code to refer to text, a calendar event, a contact vCard, an email address, and any number of other strings, including a URL. And frankly, bar codes have been with us for a while now. You wouldn't have to use a QR code at all. You could use any number of bar codes for inventory control. The only reason you'd want to use a QR code is if the item tag was scannable by the customer themselves for later reference on an individual piece. QR was designed for inventory control initially, but has evolved into a consumer solution.
Having a bar code refer to a specific inventory item is a great idea, but it requires a bunch of work. First, you have to create a unique QR code for each item, and link it to your inventory software somehow. If your inventory already has a unique identifier for each piece, use that string and generate a QR code from it. Then you have to print the label and affix it to the piece.
When you sell the piece, you can either remove the QR tag and the pricing info (if you use string tags, this would be fairly easy). You can then scan them at the end of the show. Or you could scan the code using an iPhone or other smart phone. If they are just text strings, collect them in an Excel sheet and input them back into your database.
The piece that's missing, so far, is the link between the inventory software and the QR code itself. Obviously, there are developers that provide plug-ins for the databases commonly in use, such as Filemaker Pro and Access. If you're using a proprietary inventory control system, it might be a little harder.
For example, a quick search of Filemaker Pro + QR code turned up these solutions:
Ideally, you could use Filemaker Go on an iPad or an iPhone and use the built-in camera to capture the QR code. Once you have the data record on display, a check box could be used to indicate that the product had been sold. Then it's up to the database software (again) to create the report based on whatever criteria you set (date range of sales, out of stock inventory).
Is there an easy way? Not that I know of, yet. Since artists all use different methods of tracking inventory, a solution that fits all is virtually impossible to create. But the more you read, the more you find that people are starting to implement QR codes into various applications.
Linnea's comment made me wonder something about the QR codes. Is there any software that interacts that would help with inventory? For example, if we had QR codes for each item in our booth and scanned them when we sold them, is there an easy way to create a sold report or show what is now missing from inventory?
I just bought an order of Jewelry findings, and every little bag came with one of those on it! I don’t have a smart phone. So it’s probably just a link to the catalog page…. I thought maybe it was to a page of ideas/instructions for how to use something, which would be quite worth while.
Hi Jackie. It's like a link to whatever URL address you choose (ie. your website, or a specific page of it; Facebook page/"Like"; Twitter, etc), Go to www.QRstuff.com, and you can create free codes. Select the type of link you want, type in the address and then a unique code will be generated for you. You can download it and save it on your hard drive. It can be printed out and enlarged to whatever size you need. If you hang it in your booth someone with a smartphone (and the free "QR Reader" app) can quickly scan the code and be sent to your website/FB page/twitter page or whatever. Hope that helps.
Ok, I am behind the times. I have seen that code although I didn't know what it was called. Would one of you kind people please explain what the code is used for. What does it actually do when people scan it with their phones.
Rich thank you for introducing this idea to me and instructions on another post and Steve thanks for the follow up. I used a laminated QR code today for the first time at a show. MANY of the young ones and the introverted folks used it. Really easy to do.
if you're going to use a QR code on the different products, you can send them to a web page with a broad category, e.g., if they bought a watercolor seascape, then use a QR code that sends them to the watercolor or seascape portion of your website.
Or another suggestion. Have QR codes printed on flip cards for different products or categories that you may or may not have at the show. When you are talking to them and they say they like watercolors of mountains, but you don't have any more remaining at the show, then you can flip to the QR code of the specific section of the website, Facebook, Pinterest, ETSY, etc. That is better than just sending them to the homepage of your site.
Don't forget coupons are a great way to get future sales or LIKES, e-mails etc. for your mailing list?
Comments
Linnea that is a great idea. No matter how much you tell someone something, they forget. A QR code with instructions or video is a great way to connect with your customers. Plus, if they give it to someone else, they now have a way to view the instructions or ideas for use.
Thanks. I plan to use this idea this week.
QR codes can be used for just about anything. They don't have to link to a URL. The tool I use, QREncoder, can use the code to refer to text, a calendar event, a contact vCard, an email address, and any number of other strings, including a URL. And frankly, bar codes have been with us for a while now. You wouldn't have to use a QR code at all. You could use any number of bar codes for inventory control. The only reason you'd want to use a QR code is if the item tag was scannable by the customer themselves for later reference on an individual piece. QR was designed for inventory control initially, but has evolved into a consumer solution.
Having a bar code refer to a specific inventory item is a great idea, but it requires a bunch of work. First, you have to create a unique QR code for each item, and link it to your inventory software somehow. If your inventory already has a unique identifier for each piece, use that string and generate a QR code from it. Then you have to print the label and affix it to the piece.
When you sell the piece, you can either remove the QR tag and the pricing info (if you use string tags, this would be fairly easy). You can then scan them at the end of the show. Or you could scan the code using an iPhone or other smart phone. If they are just text strings, collect them in an Excel sheet and input them back into your database.
The piece that's missing, so far, is the link between the inventory software and the QR code itself. Obviously, there are developers that provide plug-ins for the databases commonly in use, such as Filemaker Pro and Access. If you're using a proprietary inventory control system, it might be a little harder.
For example, a quick search of Filemaker Pro + QR code turned up these solutions:
http://www.cssw.biz/qrcode.html
http://www.cnsplug-ins.com/Plug-ins/CNS_Barcode -- allows you generate the code directly from a string within FMP and read barcodes from within the application.
Ideally, you could use Filemaker Go on an iPad or an iPhone and use the built-in camera to capture the QR code. Once you have the data record on display, a check box could be used to indicate that the product had been sold. Then it's up to the database software (again) to create the report based on whatever criteria you set (date range of sales, out of stock inventory).
Is there an easy way? Not that I know of, yet. Since artists all use different methods of tracking inventory, a solution that fits all is virtually impossible to create. But the more you read, the more you find that people are starting to implement QR codes into various applications.
Linnea's comment made me wonder something about the QR codes. Is there any software that interacts that would help with inventory? For example, if we had QR codes for each item in our booth and scanned them when we sold them, is there an easy way to create a sold report or show what is now missing from inventory?
I just bought an order of Jewelry findings, and every little bag came with one of those on it! I don’t have a smart phone. So it’s probably just a link to the catalog page…. I thought maybe it was to a page of ideas/instructions for how to use something, which would be quite worth while.
It's on my ever-lengthening to-do list for my pieces. I just gotta figure out how to use them to best effect.
Here's an interesting take on it, and although this particular one is for ceramic artists, I'm sure it can be adapted for just about anything!
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-illustrated/pottery-maki...
Hi Jackie. It's like a link to whatever URL address you choose (ie. your website, or a specific page of it; Facebook page/"Like"; Twitter, etc), Go to www.QRstuff.com, and you can create free codes. Select the type of link you want, type in the address and then a unique code will be generated for you. You can download it and save it on your hard drive. It can be printed out and enlarged to whatever size you need. If you hang it in your booth someone with a smartphone (and the free "QR Reader" app) can quickly scan the code and be sent to your website/FB page/twitter page or whatever. Hope that helps.
Ok, I am behind the times. I have seen that code although I didn't know what it was called. Would one of you kind people please explain what the code is used for. What does it actually do when people scan it with their phones.
Rich thank you for introducing this idea to me and instructions on another post and Steve thanks for the follow up. I used a laminated QR code today for the first time at a show. MANY of the young ones and the introverted folks used it. Really easy to do.
Thank you so much Steve! Just made up a couple for my show next weekend. So cool.
if you're going to use a QR code on the different products, you can send them to a web page with a broad category, e.g., if they bought a watercolor seascape, then use a QR code that sends them to the watercolor or seascape portion of your website.
Or another suggestion. Have QR codes printed on flip cards for different products or categories that you may or may not have at the show. When you are talking to them and they say they like watercolors of mountains, but you don't have any more remaining at the show, then you can flip to the QR code of the specific section of the website, Facebook, Pinterest, ETSY, etc. That is better than just sending them to the homepage of your site.
Don't forget coupons are a great way to get future sales or LIKES, e-mails etc. for your mailing list?
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