QR Codes Aren't Going Anywhere
Remember when people said QR codes were dead? That aged well. Today they're on restaurant menus, product packaging, event tickets, real estate signs, and just about every conference badge you'll ever wear. Over 80% of smartphone users have scanned a QR code at least once, and that number keeps climbing.
The real question isn't whether QR codes work. It's whether you're making ones that work well. A surprising number of QR codes in the wild are poorly designed, untracked, and point to pages that weren't built for mobile. Let's fix that.
Quick Primer: What's Inside a QR Code
A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional barcode that stores data — usually a URL — in a grid of black and white squares. Your phone's camera reads the pattern, decodes the data, and opens the link.
What makes them powerful is density. A QR code can store several thousand characters in a square inch of space. But for marketing purposes, you'll almost always encode a single URL. That's where things get interesting, because the URL you choose to encode determines everything else — whether you can track scans, change the destination later, or customize the experience.
Static vs. Dynamic: The Decision That Matters Most
Before you create a single QR code, you need to understand this distinction. It'll save you headaches down the road.
Static QR codes encode the destination URL directly into the pattern. The URL is baked in. If you want to change where the code points, you need to generate a new code entirely. There's no tracking, no analytics, no flexibility. For a Wi-Fi password or a vCard, static is fine. For marketing? Not so much.
Dynamic QR codes encode a short link that redirects to your destination. The QR pattern stays the same, but you can change the destination URL whenever you want. Every scan is tracked. You get analytics. You can A/B test. You can update a campaign without reprinting a single poster.
Always use dynamic QR codes for marketing materials. Always.
Making Your First QR Code — Step by Step
Let's walk through the actual process of creating a QR code in Acturity. It's faster than you think.
Step 1: Create your short link
Every QR code in Acturity is tied to a short link. Start by creating a link to the page you want people to land on. Give it a descriptive slug — something like /menu or /spring-event — because this slug can double as a URL people type manually if they can't scan.
Step 2: Generate the QR code
Once your link exists, generating a QR code for it is a single click. Acturity's QR code generator creates the code instantly, tied to your short link so every scan is tracked automatically.
Step 3: Customize the design
This is where most people stop too early. A plain black-and-white QR code works, but a branded one works better. You can:
- Change colors. Swap the default black for your brand color. Just make sure there's enough contrast with the background — a dark foreground on a light background scans best.
- Add your logo. Place your logo in the center of the QR code. This is possible because of error correction — the code contains redundant data that allows part of it to be obscured without breaking functionality.
- Adjust error correction. Higher error correction levels (Q or H) make the code more resilient to damage or obstruction. If you're adding a logo, bump this up. If the code will be printed small and clean, a lower level (L or M) keeps the pattern simpler.
Step 4: Download in the right format
Choose your export format based on where the code will live:
- PNG for digital use — social media, email, websites
- SVG for print — scales to any size without pixelation
- PDF for direct handoff to print vendors
Step 5: Test before you publish
Scan it. Scan it with multiple phones. Scan it at the size it'll actually be printed. Scan it in the lighting conditions where it'll be displayed. This step takes thirty seconds and prevents embarrassing failures.
Where to Use QR Codes (With Examples)
Here are the spots where QR codes genuinely earn their place.
Product packaging. Link to setup instructions, recipe ideas, or warranty registration. A QR code on a box of pasta that links to a recipe page gets scanned constantly.
Event materials. Conference badges, event posters, table tents. Link to schedules, speaker bios, or feedback surveys. Track scan rates with analytics to see which sessions generated the most interest.
Business cards. A QR code that links to your bio page or portfolio. Use an Acturity bio page so visitors see all your important links in one place.
Print ads and direct mail. Include a QR code in your magazine ad or postcard, and suddenly you can track exactly how many people engaged with a print campaign. That's data you never had before.
Retail and point of sale. Link to loyalty programs, review pages, or exclusive offers. Position the code where people are already standing still — checkout counters, fitting rooms, waiting areas.
Mistakes That Kill Scan Rates
These are the errors you'll see everywhere once you start looking for them.
Not enough contrast
A dark gray QR code on a medium gray background? Good luck scanning that. You need strong contrast — dark on light is the standard for a reason. If you want to use brand colors, test extensively.
Printing too small
Rule of thumb: no smaller than 2 cm x 2 cm for close-up scanning. For a poster viewed from a few feet away, go at least 10 cm x 10 cm. The further the viewer, the larger the code needs to be.
No call to action
A QR code sitting by itself is a mystery box. "Scan for 20% off," "View the menu," "Get the full schedule" — a short line of text next to the code makes a measurable difference in scan rates.
Linking to a non-mobile page
Someone scans your QR code and lands on a desktop-only page with tiny text and horizontal scrolling. They bounce immediately. Every QR code destination must be mobile-optimized.
Using static codes for marketing
If you can't track scans or update the destination, you're leaving value on the table. Dynamic codes — backed by trackable short links — are the only option for marketing.
Tracking Your QR Code Performance
Once your codes are in the wild, Acturity's analytics give you the full picture:
- Scan count — total and unique scans over time
- Geography — which cities and countries your scans come from
- Devices — iOS vs. Android breakdown, which tells you about your audience
- Time patterns — when people scan most, which helps with campaign timing
- Referrer context — was it a direct scan or did they reach the link another way
Use this data to iterate. If a QR code on a product insert gets three times the scans of one on a shelf talker, that tells you something about placement. If scans spike on weekends, schedule your campaigns accordingly.
For deeper campaign tracking, pair your QR code links with UTM parameters so the traffic flows cleanly into your web analytics tool alongside everything else.
Getting Started
Creating a QR code takes about a minute. Creating a good one — branded, trackable, properly sized, with a clear call to action — takes maybe five. The difference in results is enormous.
Start with Acturity's QR code generator. Create a short link, generate the code, customize it with your brand colors and logo, and test it before you print. From there, check your analytics and read our complete QR code marketing guide to go deeper on strategy.
Every QR code you put into the world is an opportunity to learn something about your audience. Make sure you're actually capturing that data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do QR codes expire?
Static QR codes don't expire — the data is encoded directly in the image. Dynamic QR codes last as long as the short link behind them is active. In Acturity, your links don't expire unless you specifically set an expiration date, so your QR codes will keep working indefinitely.
Can I change where a QR code points after printing it?
Yes, if it's a dynamic QR code. Since the QR pattern encodes a short link (not the final destination), you can update the destination URL anytime without regenerating the code. This is why dynamic codes are essential for anything you're printing.
What's the best size for a printed QR code?
It depends on scanning distance. For something people will hold in their hand (a business card, a product label), 2 cm x 2 cm is the minimum. For a poster or sign viewed from a few feet away, 10 cm x 10 cm or larger. When in doubt, go bigger — nobody ever complained that a QR code was too easy to scan.
Does adding a logo make the QR code harder to scan?
It can, if you're not careful. QR codes have built-in error correction that lets them remain scannable even when part of the pattern is covered. When adding a logo, use a higher error correction level (Q or H) and keep the logo to about 15-20% of the total code area. Always test after adding a logo.
Are QR codes free to create?
Many tools offer free static QR codes. Dynamic QR codes — the kind with tracking and editable destinations — typically require a paid plan. Acturity includes QR code generation with trackable short links, so every code you create is automatically dynamic and fully tracked.
