QR Codes: A Great New Marketing Technology

Written by: Milly Welsh

Published: February 2011

If you are always looking for creative ways to promote your business, there is a great new technology called QR codes that you need to know about! A QR code is a barcode that you can scan with an app on your Smartphone. The scanned barcode contains some sort of hidden content, either a text message, website URL or phone number. The QR actually stands for “quick response”, as it enables someone to access and execute the content stored in the barcode on the fly. Using QR codes is a fun way to engage your audience and it shows that your business is cutting edge.

A Few Simple Ways To Use QR codes:

• Add QR codes to your business cards with more information that won't fit on such a small space.
• Add QR codes to product packaging to promote your website or direct them to product support.
• Help people find your business by using a QR code with a link to your location on Google maps.
• Use a QR code as a coupon. The user can scan it to reveal a discount code.
• Place a QR code on your website with your email address or phone number.
• Put QR codes on all your business paraphernalia and swag.

 

Need more ideas? Here is a website with 101 of them: http://blog.greattv.com/2010/06/101-uses-for-quick-response-qr-codes-creating-audience-engagement-with-the-next-killer-us-app/

How do I create a QR Code?
Creating a QR Code is very simple. There are several websites that allow you to very easily generate your own QR Codes. To create the QR Code to the right I used Kaywa http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. It provides a form where you choose the type of content (either a website URL, text, phone number or SMS) then enter the corresponding information and click generate. Literally there is nothing to it. Your newly generated QR code magically appears to the left, where you can then left click or ctrl click (Mac) to save it to your computer. From there the possibilities are only limited to your imagination!

How Do I Read A QR Code On My Smartphone?
You need to add an application on your phone in order scan QR codes. Just access your app store and search “QR code.” I have an iphone and I had several QR code apps to choose from. Some were free but I decided to pay the whole $1.99 for quiQR because it received higher ratings. The quiQR app will both scan and generate QR codes. To scan a new QR code just click “scan QR code” then center it in the box, when it is lined up properly it will scan the code automatically. If a website URL is stored in the code, it will bring up your browser and go to the website entered. If it's a phone number is stored in the code it will dial the number. Obviously there will be differences depending on the app you choose and the operating system on your phone, but this basically shows how easy QR codes are to use.

As always, we welcome your feedback and we would love to hear about all the original ways you come up with to use QR codes!