There’s a good chance that you have seen a QR code before. However, it is less likely that you’ve scanned one. QR, or Quick Response, codes look like this:
QR Code
You can scan the code using a smartphone. Often, you can just use a basic bar code scanner application. Android and iPhone both offer QR scanner applications. If you have a smartphone, try scanning this code. It will direct you to a Mashable article about using QR codes for business.
QR codes are becoming more and more popular. However, there are a few things to remember when you are creating codes.
1) Be sure the QR code is linked to a mobile friendly website. You don’t want to link to a website that won’t show up easily on a smartphone.
2) Don’t link the QR code to a page containing the exact same information as the publication it is on. Add value to your QR codes by linking them to a page containing more information.
3) Always test your codes. Mistakes happen. Make sure you test your QR code to be sure it links to the correct page.
4) Track the number of scans. If you create your QR code on a website like bit.ly you can also track how many times your code has been scanned.
5) Make your QR code unique. As long as you have two contrasting colors and the majority of your code is able to be scanned, you can edit the colors and look of your QR code. This Mashable article gives more specifics.
Additional resources about QR codes:
