QR Code Base

Reports are now showing a high percentage jump in the use of QR codes by US merchants. Though America has lagged, somewhat, in the adoption of this tool it seems finally the merchants are beginning to catch on and use them more frequently.

What are some of the best uses you have seen for QR codes?

One of our favorites remains to be short video demonstrations of complex products. In addition to those we still like these:

• Direct link to sweepstakes pages
• Direct links to full production information
• Nutritional data for food products
• Live chat with a producer’s agent
• Link to an accessories page
• Reviews pages right from the store shelf

QR codes are here to stay until something better comes along. While a few people still don’t “get” QR codes we encourage you to try them. Contact us for help in setting up your QR code based campaign. Use the Contact Us form or our QR code!

According to a recent comScore report 14 million QR codes were scanned on mobile devices in June 2011. Those who scanned were primarily male (60.5%) and aged 25-34 (36.8%). Those are some usable, target worthy numbers but get this, the majority of scanners earn over $100k per year.

On the flip side, and this is the challenge to content providers and creators, only 3 in 10 indicate scanning the code was worth their time according to MarketingCharts.com’s dissemination of the information.

What this tells us is you have a good shot at wealthy young males but you had better make it worth their time to scan your code. Read the MarketingCharts.com article for more information.

Isn’t it really in part a struggle by some to fit a decent tool into an unknown space? Many of the conversations I encounter re QR codes is “how to use them” mostly in real estate. Meanwhile non-real estate users are finding dozens of worthwhile uses.

I still maintain my favorite use is to give me content about an item I am about to purchase. It can be anything from food to a car or a chainsaw or a home – but give me content and give me the choice of text, audio, video, etc.

If I were a listing agent I would have at least one QR code at every property with a minimum of three items accessed: (1) a form to request more info about this property or an sms code to send a link to more info, (2) a 2-3 minute audio or video essay about this property and (3) a “share this property” code allowing the user to sms or email a link about this property.

QR codes are not for everyone but just because they are not for everyone does not mean they are not for anyone. I do business as a direct result from being active on Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. I know plenty of people who think that’s a “silly waste of time”.

The uses of codes are virtually limitless. With the ability to hold thousands of bytes of information, and thereby thousands of alpha-numeric characters, quick response codes are really late in the coming. What has caused their sudden popularity outside of the original design purpose is the vast availability and application of reader/scanner technology on mobile devices. Virtually every household in America has a portable scanning device: their phone.

Some years ago when I first started toying with the idea of QR codes as a catalog scan item the smart phone was still in infancy. In fact the best option I could think of at the time was a Palm – which had no telephone. Now with today’s high speed mobile connected devices like the Android, Blackberry and iPhone the options are really opening wide.

Real estate agents and the real estate industry in general have been pushing technology to the forefront and are doing so once again. Agents will play a tremendous role in teaching the general public what QR codes are, how they work and what they do.

Signs

Why have a QR code on a real estate/for sale sign? For the same reason you would have one any other place – to make it simple on the shopper. Listing prices change and agents have to change riders. Listing status changes along with almost any other information such as seller contributions, lender offers, open house dates. All of these can be coded into the QR code and the short link giving the shopper simpler access to that changed information.

Business Cards

Remember back in the day when your company changed names, you got a new email address, moved to a new division, or the ultimate worst “pink slip”? While you could have a short URL that points to your personal landing page why not put a mini-QR on your card that goes not to your company website but to your personal landing page? Sure it’s a little geeky/techy but it is also an exploit of the famous “I want that” syndrome.

We will have available by mid-October a code generator which will allow the agent to input an address and the system will automatically create a code which will send the scanner to the choice of online mapping, an online brochure or a single property website. Check back soon!

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• QR codes – ready or not, here they are (socialmediaedge.com)
• QR Codes in Social Media, Marketing, & Advertising – A Definitive Guide (noteasytoforget.com)

QR Codes were developed by DENSO in 1994. DENSO is a subsidiary of Toyota and they still hold the copyright to the name and patent on commercial readers. If you are a manufacturer, shipper, inventory management systems company, or any other industrial user you can contact DENSO-WAVE directly for their commercial solutions.

It’s October 2010 – we’re late to the game but want to make sure you’re still ahead of your competitors. If you want information about QR codes, Quick Response codes, you’ll find a great starting point here. The image below is a QR code which will direct the scanner to the webpage of Social Media Edge (radio).

To scan the images download an application like Google Goggles or ScanLife to your device and follow the program’s directions. ScanLife will direct your device’s browser directly to the web page and Google Goggles will direct your browser to the Google search results for the URL contained in the image.