Convert URL to QR Code: Engage users offline and increase online traffic

• Contents
• What is it
• How to create
• Use cases
• Dynamic QR Codes
• Customized URL for marketing campaigns
• Things to keep in mind
• FAQs
Website QR Code
URL to QR Code
Redirect a QR Code to a website
Reading a QR Code
BUY QR CODE SOLUTION

What is a URL to QR Code?

A URL to QR Code is a type of QR Code that can help you convert any URL into a QR Code. Upon scanning, users are redirected to any website linked to the QR Code, such as landing pages, marketing campaigns, or social media. A URL to QR Code also saves users from the hassle of manually typing the website URL on their smartphones.

How to create a QR Code for a link

Here are 5 simple steps that you need to know to change a URL into a QR Code.

• STEP 1: Copy the link of the URL

  Copy the URL that you want to create a QR Code for.

• STEP 2: Paste it in the QR Code generator

  Go to Beaconstac’s QR Code Generator, select ‘Website’ as the QR Code type, and paste the URL in the box provided.

• STEP 3: Customize your QR Code

  Customize your QR Code by changing the color scheme, adding a logo, and selecting a suitable frame text.

• STEP 4: Generate your QR Code and test it out

  Create your URL QR Code and ensure it is scannable.

• STEP 5: Download your QR Code

  Download your QR Code in PNG, SVG, or PDF formats.

Where can you use a URL QR Code?

OFFLINE

Personal Use

Create a QR Code from a link to share your blog

If you want to invite people to read and interact with your blog, use a URL QR Code generator to convert your blog’s website URL to a QR Code. You can print the QR Code on a poster, flyer or brochure.

Convert a URL to QR Code to promote your website

At networking events, you can share your work or portfolio either in the form of a URL QR Code or an image gallery QR Code. Instead of asking people to type in a lengthy URL in their smartphone browser, embed the URL QR Code on your business card. They can scan and view your portfolio easily.

As a tattoo

QR Code tattoos are becoming increasingly common to commemorate special moments captured on video. After generating the QR Code online, you can have a professional tattoo artist ink the QR Code on you.

OFFLINE

Businesses and Brands

Turn a URL into a QR Code to drive traffic online

Place QR Codes on posters, giveaway flyers, and brochures in and around your store to drum up business online. With a single scan of the QR code, consumers can visit your website and browse it.

In-store pickup

Several businesses facilitate in-store pickup, and you can implement this by attaching a QR Code to either the product packaging or on a receipt, allowing customers to shop online and come pick up their items.

Online contests and giveaways

Brands have several online contests and giveaways to keep consumers engaged. With QR Codes, all a business has to do is share the QR Code on either a flyer, poster or banner and billboard.

Tracking marketing campaigns

Converting a URL to QR Code is an efficient solution to track your marketing campaigns’ ROI, KPIs, and other metrics as it is dynamic in nature. You can retrieve granular data of your campaign based on the location, OS, time, and number of scans. Besides these QR Code analytics, you can also track QR Codes in Google Analytics to receive in-depth insights on your audience.

Learn more: How to track a QR Code

Flexibility to customize

A black and white QR Code is not only unrecognizable but also receives less traction. A URL to QR Code can be customized to change the QR Code’s eyes, template, pattern, add a logo, check its scanning ability, and even add a CTA frame to match your brand identity.

Enable multilanguage support

If your business is established in a geographical area that caters to users speaking a myriad of languages, switch to multilingual QR Codes to share your URL QR Codes easily.

ONLINE

Personal Use, Businesses, and Brands

Social media sharing

Add a QR Code to your posts online and let users scan it to either visit your website, blog or a giveaway.

Website QR Code

You can give desktop users a way to share your content online easily. Instead of having them sign in to their accounts, they can scan the QR Code on your website and share the content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Restricted access to sensitive information

If your website consists of sensitive information or exclusive access to only certain users, you can restrict access by enabling password protection or age restrictions with URL to QR Codes.

Dynamic URL QR Codes

Imagine you shared a URL QR Code but the link to it is broken. Either the website has been shut down or you no longer have the same offer or the video has been taken down. With static QR Codes, there is absolutely no way to change the content of the QR Codes. Your only option (if at all) is to reprint and repost a new QR Code.

But, if you were to get a QR code tattoo, the situation would be much worse, as an Argentinian football fan discovered. He got a QR code tattoo that links to a YouTube video highlighting his favorite team, River Plate, winning. The video got numerous copyright strikes by the opposing team's fans, resulting in the video being taken down.

There is a simple solution to all these issues: Dynamic QR codes.

Using a dynamic QR Code generator, you can change the content in a QR Code at will. For instance, if you change your landing page or your website domain, you can easily redirect the existing QR Code to a different URL.

You might also like: The difference between static and dynamic QR Codes

Beaconstac’s QR Code solution offers more than just dynamic QR Codes. You can also retarget users who have scanned your QR Code online on Facebook and Google.

QR Codes for Marketing: How to leverage QR Codes to do a lot more

Make use of a customizable short URL to QR Code to drive your marketing campaigns

Populated QR Codes not only look messy but also slows down the scanning speed, and make it unrecognizable for users. With dynamic URL to QR Codes, you can customize your URL to a short one so users can easily recognize the website the URL is linked to.

You can also personalize these short URLs further using Beaconstac’s custom domain feature. To learn more about how it works, you can talk to our experts!

Make use of the customizable short URL to -

1. Improve the scanning speed
2. Enhance QR Code security by making it easily recognizable
3. Help with easy brand recognition
4. Make the QR Code precise and neat
5. Ensure safety as opposed to other online URL shorteners

5 things to keep in mind before converting your URL to QR Code

1. Size of the QR Code

QR Codes can be embedded in any marketing material, online and offline. Although a QR Code can be sized up, it is important to remember the minimum size of a QR Code to deem it as scannable. Ensure to print the QR Code no less than 1 cm x 1 cm to scan it without any hassle.

2. Customization

A URL to QR Code can be customized in order to help users recognize the QR Code easily. You can change the QR Code’s eyes, template, add a logo, background color, and a CTA frame. Ensure the QR Code is not heavily customized, making it unscannable. Make use of our dashboard’s scannability level to check if the QR Code is scannable or not.

Learn more: How to customize a QR Code

3. Printable format

Depending on your marketing campaign, print the URL to QR Code in the required format - PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, or EPS.

4. Error correction level

Depending on which materials you place your URL QR Code on, they can be subject to natural wear and tear. Selecting the right error correction level is crucial to ensure that your QR Code is still scannable after experiencing some damage. A suitable error correction level is M. This means that even if 15% of your URL QR Code is damaged, it’s still scannable by mobile devices.

5. QR Code placement

Avoid placing your URL QR Code on uneven surfaces since it can distort the QR Code and affect its scannability. It’s a good practice to place the QR Code on flat surfaces and on parts of your marketing materials that have minimum clutter.

FAQs

Can a QR Code take you to a website?

Yes. Copy the link of the website and paste it in the QR Code generator. Customize your QR Code with colors and add your logo or choose from a number of options.

How do you turn a URL into a QR Code?

You can turn any URL into a QR Code by grabbing the link and pasting it in the QR Code generator to create your very own customizable QR Code.

How do I direct a QR Code to a website?

To direct a QR Code to a website:

1. Go to Beaconstac’s QR Code generator.
2. Fill in the details and add the URL to which you want the QR Code to be directed to.
3. Customize the QR Code to add a logo, change its eyes, template, and a CTA.
4. Generate and test the QR Code.
5. Download the URL QR Code.

LEARN: How to redirect an existing QR Code to a new destination

How do I read a QR Code?

To scan a QR Code, open your smartphone’s camera application and point your camera to the QR Code. If your smartphone does not support QR Code scanning, download a QR Code scanner to scan QR Codes for Android and iOS.