From Memorial Day to Labor Day, foot traffic along sidewalks, boardwalks and storefronts surges as vacationers are out shopping and dining. These peak summer months are the best time for businesses to capture walk-by visitors, but only if your signage is designed to engage them instantly. By adding high-contrast, branded QR codes, you can turn any A-frame, window decal or menu board into a mobile landing page. This allows your customers to scan menus, find digital coupons or access wayfinding maps in seconds without slowing down your business. Here is how to make the most of QR codes:
Size and Contrast
Large QR codes may seem easier to scan on menus, but smaller, high contrast codes under 1 inch wide often scan better in bright sunlight. Incorporating a 30% quiet zone, which is the empty margin around the QR code, prevents camera confusion and reduces scan errors. A helpful tip for businesses implementing QR codes would be to pair their brand colors while maintaining contrast to keep the codes aligned with branding without sacrificing readability.
Placement and Accessibility
Vacationers juggling shopping bags and iced coffee will not be able to crouch down to scan a QR code. Test your QR code placement around 4-5 feet from the ground, at eye or chest level for most adults, so visitors do not have to get low to the ground while holding shopping bags or beach gear. This will help keep your line moving and encourages people to scan without missing a beat. This is ideal for skip-the-line ordering or mobile menu access.
Using QR Codes in the Real World
Imagine that there is a small beachside ice cream stand. In the summer, the line stretches down the boardwalk, and customers often leave when they see how long the wait might be. They call Bartush Signs to incorporate QR codes into some new summer signage. We added a “Skip the Line” decal to their new A-frame at chest level, paired with a high contrast, branded QR code that links directly to their order page. Now, beachgoers can scan the code while walking by, order their ice cream and get a text when it is ready. The lines shorten at the ice cream stand, but sales have increased and customers leave happier.
If you are ready to make your signs work harder for you this season, let Bartush Signs help you add branded QR codes that drive engagement, capture foot traffic and increase sales. We can handle the design, printing, and placement guidance to ensure your QR signage not only looks good, but works well. Contact us today to add QR codes to your signage before the summer rush ends.
