I wrote a post on QR codes last September, What are QR Codes and how to use them and I am surprised that so few businesses are using them in Ireland.  

In the last few weeks I have been noting where they have been popping up e.g. the lid on butter pot, magazine articles, TV ads (find this one funny as its hard to scan codes from TV or computer screen), house for sale ads and the list goes on.  Unfortunately the companies using then are rarely Irish.  So why not be the leader in your field and start using them. 

First you need to understand what they are.  QR stands for quick response.  This means that when the code is scanned it takes you to a page on the Internet within seconds – hence the name “quick response”.

So think about your products or services.  Are there instances when you want to drive people to product or service information quickly?  Do you want to provide more information on a product but don’t want to buy more space or don’t want to go to the expense of printing large documents. Want to add interactive elements to your shop/showroom floor?  

QR codes can be used to drive existing and potential customers to a range of information including videos, competitions, product spec information, discount offers or even freebies.

Still sceptical – why not try them out on your business cards or in your shop window – if nothing else it will create a bit of a buzz.

Why not have a test run yourself. I use this QR code generator http://createqrcode.appspot.com/ .  Simply type in a website url and create the code.  Print the piece of paper.

Search for a scanner or reader in your mobile phone app store and download it (be careful some don’t work so get one with good feedback).  Scan the code and see what happens.

As you can see it is relatively easy to generate and use.

Are you already using  them?  Tell us about your experience.  How have your customers taken to them?

The world of online marketing is ever changing and one of the most recent additions are QR codes.  You are now wondering to yourself, what on earth are QR codes?  Well in a nut shell – QR stands for Quick Response. The codes  are matrix barcodes (or two-dimensional codes) which are readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with cameras and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background.   They were created by Denso-Wave and were created to allow its content to be decoded at high speed. QR codes consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background.

QR codes are not widely used in Ireland but are common place in Japan, people scan codes on every day items such as menus and advertising. Imagine checking into a hotel and being able to scan a QR code in the room that gives you quick access to a range of information about the hotel facilities or local area.   Imagine walking past a shop after hours, seeing an item that you like, scanning the code and being directed to a page that allows you to buy that item. Imagine having a QR code on your business card that allows prospective clients to get quick access to details about your products/services. 

Should you be looking at this new technology, absolutely definitely, yes. But before setting up a QR code, think about your strategy and how you are going to use it to benefit the business and create new or enhance existing client relationships.

Simple QR code generator: http://createqrcode.appspot.com/