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You are here: Home / Archives for QR Code

My Niece's Nintendo Has QR Codes / 2D Barcodes

June 7, 2011 by Louisa Chan 1 Comment


My niece’s Nintendo has QR Codes

 

Synergy Marketing Pro Facebook Page
Synergy Marketing Pro Facebook Page

My niece was playing with my iphone and asked why I take photos of square codes (the ones you see on the top left corner).

I explained the basics of QR Codes to her and demonstrated how this 2D Barcode works. She listened quietly.


Next morning, she asked me where she can find the application for scanning these QR Codes. She had found a QR Code that came with her Nintendo and wanted a firsthand experience of scanning it!


I pointed her to a free QR Code generator and she took to it like a duck on water! Since then, she has been experimenting with and helping me check in on Foursquare as well as updating my Twitter tweets and Facebook statuses using my mobile phone.


It all seems to come very intuitively to her. No wonder the teens and youth take to Social Media so easily!


OK, coming back to QR codes, so what are they? What do they do? Why would use them? And how do you make sense of or decode those weird looking square thingy? Basically these were the questions she asked me.


So let’s tackle this one by one.


What Are QR Codes?

There are called Quick Response Codes as they can be read and decoded quickly by a cell phone. Sometimes also referred to as 2D barcode.These 2 dimensional barcodes encode data horizontally and vertically (hence 2D) and can therefore store much more data then the conventional barcodes.

What Do They Do?

These codes store compact information. On being decoded (after being scanned with a mobile phone or a decoder) it can link you to a source of information whether in text, an image or to a URL. So for example after you scan a 2D barcode your hand phone app may  bring you to a certain website.

Who Would Use Them and Where Can We Find These Codes?

Off line, we see these codes in magazines, text book covers, flyers, business cards, posters, T shirts, mugs, stationeries and yes even bill boards. You can also stick QR codes on product tags and packaging (for product description), basically anywhere that wants to store information.

QR Codes bring offline visitors to web sites, fan pages, event pages, coupons, and YouTube channels, to your online stores and websites. They can also bring those on mobile devices to offline local business stores. They are truly bridging the gap between offline and online.


QR codes allow you to bring a load of information to your customer in a quick and convenient way. With these 2D Barcodes, mobile phone users no longer need to type in long URLs (I can never type using those tiny qwert keyboards) and once scanned the data is stored in your phone for future reference. How convenient is that?


How Do You Make Sense Of Them?

You do not need any high tech, chunky hand-held scanner to decode these. If you have a mobile phone a with a camera you are ready to go. To decode these codes just follow the steps here:

1 – Go here to download the matching QR decoder for your phone model
2 – Activate the application (by tapping on the app) and snap a photo of a QR code (try the one on top left corner)
3 – It will read and decode the data and bring you to the pre-programmed destination page.



 

QR Code With Transition Page
QR Code With Transition Page

Sometimes, it may bring you to a transitional page (if you scan this QR code you will know what I mean) but all you have to do is follow instructions. You really can’t go wrong.

So the next time you see this funny looking square thing, just take out your mobile phone, snap a photo and let your decoder bring you to a place where more information is given for a product or service.


If the information or relevant and important to you it now stays in your phone and you can access it anytime you like. Isn’t that cool? Mobile devices make life easier and more fun.


If you find this article helpful, feel free to pass this on and remember to leave me a comment or two or sign up for our newsletter here.



Filed Under: Blog, Local and Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: 2D Barcodes, Local and Mobile Marketing, Mobile Devices, Mobile Phone, QR Code, QR Code Generator

QR Codes Making Appearances In Kuala Lumpur

April 14, 2011 by Louisa Chan 1 Comment

Do You Like This QR Code?
Get Read @ Ez.com/getereader. Scan This Code With Your Phone And See What Happens

You may have seen these strange little square boxes popping up in town, on name cards, magazines, shopping windows, product packaging, clothing tags, billboards, and even on T-shirts and stationeries.

These called QR codes short for Quick Response codes. Sometimes they are referred to as 2D Bar codes. They were first developed in 1994 by Denso- Wave Corporation in Japan.
These codes are readable by QR barcode readers and camera phones. Why do you need to know about QR codes? They can hold lots more information and marketers are using this tool reach prospects and consumers, to brand and provide information.
Japan, Korea and European countries have already been using these. US and the rest of Asia is now picking up in adoption rate. QR scanning is most definitely on the rise.
According to this info graph put together in Jumpscan, there is with a 1200 percent increase in scanning from July to December in 2010 alone. That is very healthy adoption rate.
Not only are the big brands are using them to assist with marketing efforts, small businesses and local businesses are also using them in all kinds of new ways to reach consumers.
QR Code InfoGraph by JumpScan
QR Code InfoGraph by JumpScan

 This info graph is compiled by JumScan, more information at Mashable. You can scan the AR Codes here and see hos this works.
Most often these QR codes bring you to the company’s product websites or to user review pages that gives information that helps you decide whether or not to buy a particular product or not.
I have my QR code on my business cards so my contacts only need scan the code instead of having to type in long URLs on their tiny QWERT keyboards to get to my site. And once it is scanned, it remains in their phone – I don’t run the risk of them misplacing my business cards.
 Offline groceries stores and food brands are also using these codes on the actual fruits and wrappers. One scan and you can see relevant nutritional and/or ingredient information about the product. Clients appreciate having more information before they make the purchase and these codes direct them to sources of data.
Business will display more QR Codes as there are more smartphone users. I saw it recently in a popular shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur on the front panel window of the store. Having a QR code alone may not increase your marketing effort but incorporating it into your total marketing plan will certainly make a difference.
Do you have a QR scanning application installed on your smartphone? You can download your bar code reader here, and it’ll decode these QR codes when you scan them with your phone. Try it.

Filed Under: Blog, Local and Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: 2D Bar Codes, digital Marketing, Local and Mobile Marketing, QR Code

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