QR codes. What are they? They are those funky pixelated boxes you’ve been seeing for a while now.. and they are showing up everywhere. Most recently, on the top of one of my favorite beers!
Again, what are they? They are Quick Response codes, and they are designed so that smart phone users can get information on anything, simply by scanning the image with a QR app (there are plenty of free ones available for most any smart phone), which will then take you to a website, or give you a phone number, or some text, or even send you an SMS message! They are very versatile indeed!
So, you might be saying to yourself.. so what!??!. Punch in a URL and you get the same deal. Well.. there’s the thing, you don’t NEED to punch in any URL (possibly misspelling it and going to the wrong place.. like.. whitehouse.com… which used to be a PORN website, not White House, and that’s all you need to know), you just scan it and viola. There you are!
Give me a couple examples of why I should care, you say? Well, let me try to illustrate:
** You are a college student, and you want to find a roommate to help you with the rent. You print up a flyer and post it up at the school. You want to talk to these people, but you don’t want to give up your phone #, at least until you chat with them on e-mail. So, do you print out your e-mail address and hope they take the time to punch it in? Or maybe you *do* want your phone# up there…. either way, you could simply put a QR code on the flyer with your preferred contact method and viola.. smart phone users (i.e. lazy people) can just scan it. No need to type anything. They get in touch with you, you rent the room and the world is a happy place.
** You’re a business owner and want to make it easy for people to reach you. You put your phone number on your business card, your e-mail address and your website. But what if your website is http://thisismyreallylongbusinessnamepleaseletsdobusiness.com well.. unless you want to register and setup another domain.. you’re going to find that most people won’t take the time to punch that in. Or if they do, they will get it wrong. Either way, you’re losing a business opportunity. QR code to the rescue. Place one of these little black boxes on your card and make it EASY for them to get in tough with you. No more worries about a long URL. No more worries about them making a mistake. Simple scan, and they are in touch.
Here are a couple of articles on QR codes if you’d like to do some more reading:
Spotted Everywhere: Small Square Pixelated Codes
QR Codes: Game Changer or Passing Fad?
Target implements QR codes in print ads to engage readers
I think you get the picture. And if you don’t, I doubt there is much hope you’ll ever get “the picture” or a QR code for yourself… right? Now, if you DO “get the picture” you probably want to know how to get one of these codes? Do you call the local government official and register for one? Do you call your lawyer to submit the paperwork, pay $500 and wait a month to get something back? NO, you do a quick Google search and find one of the MANY free sits online that will do this for you.
Too lazy to do that? Well, here is one that I used. Seemed simple enough. And they even give you a little bit of HTML code you can put in your own blog to help direct others to their cool tool (that’s called marketing for those of you in South Florida).
So, check it out… like mine right above… it’s easy, it’s free, and it could help you promote your business.
Now.. it’s time for you get a little square.