What are QR Codes and how can I use them?

by Andy Carroll, 12 Mar 2012

What are QR Codes

QR is short for Quick Response, they are similar to bar codes which visually represent data using lines but QR codes can hold much more data. The code is an arrangement of black block patterns on a white background. They were first designed for the automotive industry by the Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994 so have been around for many years. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the automotive industry due to its large data capacity compared to standard UPC bar codes. Marketing professionals have now started using QR codes, they are very common in consumer advertising, printed materials and packaging. This is largely due to the massive uptake in smart phones such as iphone and Android. Many free QR Code reader "Apps" are available for these devices which use the camera to scan the code and display the encoded text or visit the encoded link.

Why use QR Codes

QR Codes provide quick and effortless access to your website
QR Codes are convenient to your customer, improving conversion rate
QR Codes provide a sense that your company is leading edge
QR Codes can contain additional data such as unique url parameters to record the source of your visitors and conversions or sales for performance tracking.

How can I use QR Codes

Business Cards

QR Codes can be printed alongside your logo and address providing a quick access to your website or email address.

Posters, Adverts, Multimedia

QR Codes can be printed or displayed in advertising or posters and multimedia to provide an easy way for customers to link to your site. Taking it further you can also embed unique url parameters to track the source of your visitors to determine which materials visitors used to find you and even which ones actually resulted in conversions or sales.

Coupons

Your website's discounts and promotion can be encoded and promoted by QR Code and visitors vCard or Business Information Your company's information such as address and related information alongside its alpha-numeric text data as can be seen in ads, business cards and brochures

Product labelling

In additional to providing customers with promotional information, QR Codes could be generated and used for your internal inventory systems to replace bar codes. Tracking stock and providing product details perhaps linking to your website. For example this might provide shoppers a mechanism to view and same products they like from your physical store and purchase later when they have finished shopping around or are otherwise ready to buy. Marketing professionals understand that customers can vary from impulsive buyers to buyers that take much more time to research and decide before purchasing. QR Codes provide the mechanism for these customers to revisit your product after their initial viewing.

Where can I get my QR Codes

There are many freely available QR Code generators and readers. Our WebsiteHelp.co.nz service provides a free QR Code generator or you can use services supplied by bitly.com who suppoort a tracked shortened url service with optional QR Code for their account holders. A search in Android Market Place or iPhone App store will provide a variety of possible code reading apps for use on your specific phone or tablet. QR Scanner for iPhone or ShopSavvy for Android devices are just two examples.

What are QR Codes and how can I use them?

What are QR Codes

Why use QR Codes

How can I use QR Codes

Where can I get my QR Codes

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Andy Carroll