What Are QR Codes?

Starting in about 1994 these crazy little symbols started to appear in stores, shops, magazines and newspapers. As usual, this started in Japan but now is rapidly taking its place in the U.S. QR Codes, Quick Response Codes, are similar to bar codes but have much greater functionality and therefore far greater appeal to marketers of all kinds.

At first glance these images appear to be nothing more than a mosaic of lines and look a great deal like the tiles I currently have in my kitchen at home. But, just take your phone, and using its camera, take a picture (using the software available for most camera phones) and you will be amazed as I was as to what occurs next!

Creating These Crazy QR Codes and Capturing Them On Your Cell Phone?

Well, the good news is that both the software to create these images as well as the app you need for your cell phone is free. You can find the software to create the images at QR Code Generator as well as several other sites on the web. Just Google QR Codes and you’ll find a bunch of them. QR Generator not only will provide you with the ability to create the QR Codes but in the upper left hand corner of the site you can click and find the right app for your phone. If they don’t have it listed then just, once again, just check on Google for your particular phone.

For the iPhone just search for Scan in the Apps Store.

For Blackberry phones CLICK HERE.

How QR Codes Work

Once you have the software loaded on your cell phone all you need to do is open the app and click on Scan. This typically will open the camera. Hold the camera over the QR Code until it is focused and you hear a sound indicating that the image has been taken. Almost immediately you will be taken somewhere….depending on how the QR Code was created and its intended purpose.

How To Use The QR Code Generator.

Once again, this could not be easier. First you need to decide if you want to include a URL, text, a phone number or a SMS text message. Complete the required information and click Generate. A QR Code can be created so that it immediately sends the user to a website of your choice, it can show a message, send them to a phone number or send them a text message. In creating these codes you can use your imagination depending upon your type of business and the reason for creating the code.

Once you’ve created the QR code you can then either use the script provided by QR Code Generator and place it on your blog or website or do as I did and just do a screen capture of the image, save it as a jpg and put it wherever you want…on business cards, mailings, blogs, websites or just about anywhere!

The use of these codes is only beginning. For example, just imagine that you own a dress shop. You close your store at 6 PM and shut out the lights. Just as you leave and get into a cab a potential customer walks by your store window and just loves the displayed red dress. Instead of having to go home and try to find it on the web or possibly return the next day, if you have a QR Code positioned in front of the dress, the potential customer can take out their camera, take a picture and be taken to a website where they can purchase the dress online or maybe provide additional information etc.

Perhaps, you’re a salesman and tend to drop your business card off at a wide variety of offices. Typically its say hi, drop the card and leave. That card often times ends up in the trash. Well, now if you have a QR code on the card the potential customer may just be curious, take out his/her camera and poof, they’re off to your website etc.

There is just no question, at least in my mind, that this technology will become a standard in both the ‘brick and mortar’ as well as the internet marketplace.

If you doubt the power of QR Codes just download the software and scan the image on this post. Then, tell me how you’re going to use this for your business.

For More Information Check Out These Resources :

[amazon_link id="1456347837" target="_blank" ]QR Codes & Mobile Marketing for the Small Business Owner: Connecting Merchants With Their Customers[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id="B0040GWAMQ" target="_blank" ]QR-Code[/amazon_link]