A grand opening QR code for every week
The same code on the window and the flyers shows a countdown, then the opening offer, then asks for a review.
A grand opening QR code works best as one editable code that changes its target with the weeks. Before the opening it shows the date and an offer to claim, on opening day it opens the offer or the menu, and a week later it asks for a Google review. The poster and the flyers never change.
Claimed before the doors open
A neighbour scans the poster in the papered window and claims a free pastry for opening day.
How to run an opening with one code
Two weeks before
Point the code at a page with the opening date, the hours and a simple offer, such as a free coffee with the first order. Print it on the window poster.
The flyers
Hand flyers to neighbours and shops nearby with the same code. One code across every print keeps the plan simple.
Opening day
Switch the target to the offer itself or the menu, so people scanning in the queue see what to order.
The week after
Switch to your review page with a line of thanks. First customers are the most willing reviewers.
Worked example: a bakery opening on a Saturday
- T minus 14 days
- An A1 poster in the papered-over window reads "Opening 14 March. Scan for a free pastry on day one" above a 12 cm code. The page collects 230 e-mail sign-ups.
- Opening day
- The code now opens the menu with today's bakes. People in the queue choose before they reach the counter, and the line moves faster.
- Day 8 onwards
- The same poster, now in the open window, asks "Enjoyed our first week? Tell others" and links to the Google review form.
Fixed or editable for an opening?
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Fixed QR code (static)
A fixed code holds one link forever. It works for an opening if one page carries the whole story and you update that page yourself.
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Editable QR code (dynamic) Our pick for this job
An editable code is made for this job: switch from countdown to offer to reviews without reprinting, and see scans by day to judge the flyers. We recommend it. From $9 a month after the 14-day trial, or a pass paid once: $12 for 3 months.
What makes people scan a closed shop
Date and reason in large type
"Opening 14 March" and "free pastry on day one" must read from across the street. The code can be smaller than the date.
Light the window
A papered window at night hides the poster. A small lamp or a light box keeps the code readable for evening walkers.
Count the flyers
Give the street flyers their own code if you want to know whether they worked, and keep one code for the window.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
What should a grand opening QR code link to before we open?
A short page with the date, the hours, the address and a reason to come on day one, such as an offer to claim with an e-mail address.
Can the same code show different pages over time?
With an editable code, yes. Change the target in the app on opening day and again a week later, and every poster and flyer follows.
How big should the code be on a window poster?
About a tenth of the reading distance: 12 cm for a poster read from just over a metre, more if it must read from the pavement edge.
Is a pass enough for an opening campaign?
A three-month pass covers the run-up, the opening and the first weeks of reviews. It is paid once and never renews by itself.
How do I know how many people the flyers brought?
Give the flyers their own editable code. The scan count by day shows when they were picked up and how many people looked.
What should the code open after the first month?
Your review page, your booking page or a loyalty card. The poster can stay up as long as the code leads somewhere useful.
One code, the whole opening
Paste your countdown page and print the coming soon poster today.