How to put a website QR code on your work van

To put a website QR code on your van, choose a web address you'll keep, create a code for that address and ask your signwriter for a full-size proof. Scan the proof with different phones before approving the vinyl. Keep your phone number and readable web address beside it.

Plan it for someone walking past your parked van. The code gives them a way to look at your work and contact you there and then. Keep a note of enquiries so you can see whether people use it.

Choose the page before making the code

Open your website on your phone using mobile data. Can a new customer quickly find:

The work you do and the areas you cover?
A few clear photos of your own jobs?
A phone number or a straightforward way to send an enquiry?

If your homepage already does that, use it. You don't need a separate page just because the visitor came from a van. If your website is still a holding page, finish the useful content before paying for a sticker.

Use a public page, not an editor preview, a temporary offer or a link that needs a login. If you're still choosing a provider, our tradesman website checklist covers domain control and what happens when you move elsewhere.

Know which address the code stores

A static QR code stores a fixed address. You can change the text and photos on that webpage without changing the code, as long as the address stays the same.

A service selling a dynamic QR code generally puts its own redirect address in the code, then forwards visitors to your website. That lets you change the destination through the service, but adds another provider to look after. Adobe's explanation of static and dynamic codes covers how this works and why you may need to keep paying a subscription.

Before choosing a service, ask:

Does the code contain my website address or the provider's redirect address?
Is there a trial, subscription or scan limit?
What happens to the link if I stop paying?

For a simple website link, choose a code that contains the address directly. Keep the website and any domain subscription active. If you later move the site, ask the new provider to preserve the printed address or redirect it to the replacement page.

Make the code and keep the original file

One way to make a code is through Chrome on a computer. Google's current instructions are:

Open the webpage you want customers to visit.
Open the three-dot menu, then Cast, save, and share.
Select Create QR code, then Download.

Scan the downloaded code and check the address it offers to open. Then open it and confirm you reach the right public page.

Send the original download to your signwriter and ask whether it's suitable at the proposed print size. If they need a vector file, which can be enlarged without blurring, ask them to generate the code from the exact same address. Test any replacement file too.

Give the code enough space

Ask for a black code on a solid white panel as a simple starting design. Keep the code square, with its clear border intact. Put your business logo beside it rather than over its squares.

That border matters. DENSO WAVE, which developed the QR code, specifies a clear margin of four small squares on every side. Those squares are called modules. Lettering, coloured graphics and panel edges should stay outside the margin.

There isn't one sticker size that suits every van and scanning distance. DENSO's size guidance explains that readability depends on the size of the individual squares and the equipment used. A code that scans on a business card held close to a camera hasn't passed a test for your van.

Ask your signwriter to propose a size and position you can test from the pavement. Keep the whole code on one flat area, away from door gaps, handles and folds. Check the proposed material for glare when you try the sample.

A brief to send your signwriter

This sample brief is an example to adapt. Replace the bracketed details before sending it.

Please make a website QR sticker for my work van.

Destination: [full public website address, including https://]

Wording beside the code: “See our work and get in touch”.

Please also show [readable web address] and [business phone number].

Keep the code square, black on white, with the required clear border. Please keep it clear of door gaps and handles.

Please confirm the finished dimensions and send a full-size proof for scan testing before printing. I'd also like to test a sample of the proposed material before fitting.

Choose wording that matches the page. “See our work” needs to lead to job photos. “Book now” only fits if someone can actually make a booking. Keep the printed phone number for people who prefer to call or can't scan the code.

Test the print, then the enquiry

Print the proof at its intended size and place it where the sticker will go while the van is parked. Use a paper proof to check layout and size, then repeat with the printer's material sample.

Try an iPhone and an Android phone if you can borrow both. On an iPhone, Apple's instructions are to open Camera or Code Scanner, frame the code and tap the link that appears.

Work through these checks:

Scan from the place a passer-by would stand, without stepping into the road.
Try daylight and shade, and check whether reflections make scanning awkward.
Check the offered address, then open the page over mobile data.
Tap the phone link or send a test enquiry with contact details you control. Confirm it reaches you.
Read the printed phone number and web address without using the code.

If you have to keep moving the phone around to get a scan, change the size, position or material before approving it. Scan the fitted sticker again and recheck it after wear or damage.

Find out whether it brings useful enquiries

Start with a simple question when a new customer gets in touch: “Where did you find us?” Note whether they mention the van, the QR code or something else.

If you already use website analytics, a separate campaign link can help distinguish visits from the sticker. Ask whoever looks after your website to set that up before generating the final code, then test it again. Visits alone don't tell you how many jobs came from the van, and a quiet week isn't enough to judge the result.