If you have been keeping up with technology lately you probably already know about QR Codes(Quick Response Codes). But what you probably dont know is why you need one, and how it can actually help your business.
First of all let me explain what a QR Code is; for those that are not up to date. Oh and FYI they are not “new” they were created in Japan almost 10 years ago.
They are a 2 dimensional code that look similar to a bar code on products in a store (but they can hold way more information due to their design). The purpose is to allow mobile phone users the ability to simply scan the code and have it direct them to your website. They are intended to be placed on any kind of print graphics; such as business cards, fliers, magazine ads, etc. In fact they are very popular right now in the magazine world, I see them everywhere I look. You can also add them to sales receipts, on the side of work vehicles, and even sites on the web such as Facebook and Twitter.
All you need to be able to scan these codes is find the free app in the app store within your phone. Scanlife is one of the more popular apps to use for QR Codes, but there are dozens of other programs you can choose from.
So… how can they help your business??
The simple answer is that they can easily link to digital content on the web, email, IM and SMS; and connect the mobile device to the web. This means that consumers can now interact with your business easier and faster then ever. And people are getting lazy these days, lets just admit it. The best way to use the codes is to have them set to link to a custom landing page that provides business information as well as stating a “call to action”. You can create multiple codes that link to various places, depending on the campaign that you have in place.
Most QR Code generation programs offer an analytics system so you can track the traffic that the code brings in.
In conclusion QR Codes are going to bring people and technology closer together similar to the ways that social media is doing it….. but BETTER!
