Quick Response Codes or QR Codes as they are more commonly known are becoming increasingly common as a way for individuals and businesses to share information quickly and easy and are increasingly used within companies marketing collateral and even business cards.

So what is a QR Code?

Even if you are not familiar with these chances are you have seen them, they are very similar to barcodes traditionally used by retailers for stock control and product pricing, except they are 2D and can contain far more information.

Bar codes are one dimensional holding up to 20 numerical digits, however QR codes are two dimensional (2D) and can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters.

So what can a QR Code do?

A QR Code can link users straight to digital content and even activate programs, when scanned using a smart phone with a QR Reader App, such as an iPhone or Android device, the device must have a camera for this to work.

This content could be simply contact information, this means that the desired contact information is automatically added to a users phone without them needing to manually enter any information, hence the increased use on business cards. It could also be a calendar event, web address, email or SMS.

So how might your business make use of a QR code?

There are a number of different practical applications for QR Codes, here are just a few examples:

On business cards to simplify people adding your contact details to their address book.

On marketing collateral linking to your website or a dedicated landing page.

On restaurant menus, linking people to newsletter signup pages or promotional pages.

On event promotions enabling users to easily add event details and dates into their calendars.

Clearly there are so many potential applications, with more uses being found all the time, for example some airlines are now using them as digital boarding passes.

Practical Information

It's important to note that many smart phones will not recognise QR Codes 'out of the box' you would typically need to download a QR Reader App, and then open the App prior to trying to read a code. The App will automatically start the device camera which then allows you to line up the code within your phone screen, within a couple of seconds the phone should then complete the desired function without you needing to take any more action.