QR Codes — the 2011 Answer to Texting?

By Jason Steele
on March 01, 2011

Increasingly a consumer may find there are new and different ways to receive detailed company or product information on their mobile devices. It used to be that you would need to email or visit a website for more details on the product or service you are interested in. That was quickly supplemented with text codes which allow the user to text a tracking code to a number which would in turn send information back to your phone. Often this information contained details, additional product offerings, or discount coupons.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones (iphones, Androids etc.) the much simpler QR code has gained substantial market share in the United States.

When presenting the QR code option to a client, the question I get asked most often is "What exactly is a QR code?" Available in Japan for the past decade, QR codes are now getting a foot hold in the US. QR is a two-dimensional bar matrix code and stands for "quick response". That means it delivers electronic data to your smart phone in real time. It looks like a traditional UPC bar code went to a rave. The advantage of a QR code is that is contains data both horizontally as well as vertically whereas the traditional UPC bar code seen on all consumer packaging goods, only contains data horizontally in the code lines.

Well, how do you use a QR code? QR codes are simple to use. Download a free QR code reader from your phone provider's app store (Couch Buyer is one such app), then simply take a photo of the code. The data stored in the codes is then sent back to you instantly with the special information, traditional hyperlink, or even a link to mobile video, which is often much easier to view on a handset that traditional web pages.

QR codes can be used in print advertising, television, video or any medium that can display a code.

Check out: http://www.reelseo.com/video-qr-codes/ for more information and a Q & A with an e-marketing expert.