You’ve probably started to see them, but don’t know what they are. They’re called QR codes. A QR code is a 2 dimensional barcode that can be read by smart phones and mobile phones with a camera. The codes are often used to provide users with information such as vCards but they’re becoming more popular as a tool to drive customers to a page on your website.
Although newspapers and magazines are using them more, they can be used anywhere your customers are looking for information – product packaging, shelf signs, owner’s manuals. Let your imagination loose and put them on t-shirts, billboards or bus advertising.
How do you get a QR code?
One of the easiest tools for generating a QR code for your website is the bit.ly service. In 2 simple steps you can create a QR code that you can include in any of your print materials.
- Go to bit.ly, enter the URL to the page on your website e.g. www.mydomainname.com and click shorten.
- Click the Info Page+ link and you’ll see your new QR code and it’s URL on the right side of the page.
Now that you’ve generated the code, just download the image and use it wherever you’d like. As a bonus, you can return to this Info Page to view details on how often the page has been visited.
So, how are you going to use QR codes to drive visitors to your website? We’d love to hear about your success with this great tool.