QR Codes and You

A better understanding of QR Codes and how to use them

What are QR Codes?

• UPC codes- read left to right = 1 dimensional

• 2d codes- read left to right + top to bottom

each dot=1 or=0

Where are QR Codes being used?

Size Matters

• The app can do lots of things with the data– Display text– Email– SMS– Website (most common)– Start Audio / Video

How can QR Codes used?

• Any QR app can “decode” the image(please don’t encourage people to do proprietary QR app extensions it’s bad for the industry).

Why are QR Codes free?

• Royalty Free• Invented by Denso for warehousing & production services

Proprietary codes?

Alternatives to QR Codes

• Image Recognition– (or why door knobs don’t come with instructions)

Alternatives to QR Codes

• NFC- (Near Field Communications)

Indirect vs Direct (what you need to know but will probably do anyway).

Analytics build or buy

• Build it into the URL– Google Analytics URL Builder

• http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55578

• Vendor supplied=proprietary but more features

Vendors Lie

Fee vs. freeFree service snapshot

Free, or “direct” mobile bar codes, which simply contain the URL address of a Web page encoded into the QR code, are available from many online services.

• Advantages include:– Free or low cost

• Disadvantages include:– You need to use your own analytics tools.– The full URL is embedded in the QR code using direct implementations.

The longer URL will probably result in a larger QR code size than indirect implementations. (Use dns redirection).

– Since these free mobile bar codes simply contain URLs, code directs must be manually updated therefore more expensive in terms of man hours used.

Tips to Remember• Use a URL shortening service (or dns redirection)

- keep your payload as small as possible.• Rigorously test your new QR code image with different smart

phones and bar-code readers.• Contrast is also a critical factor, if you elect to change the

palette colors.• Design and placement = plan ahead.• Optimize landing page for mobile-don’t be lazy! • TEST your branded QR code images

– Lower quality camera phone– Size your branding based on the lowest common denominator of QR-

code software and smart device

Not just for marketing

From here they can do the following;- Find out more detailed specifications- Read customer reviews of the product (up sell to a better model).- Add to “Wish list”, this wish list would be accessible from both desktop and mobile browsers for later review or even  ‘in store shopping list’ - Send to email - email a friend ‘asking their thoughts’ ‘would you like this’ / ‘is this the right one’

Not just for marketing

Not just for tech

QR Code Structure

QR Overlay vs. QR Embedding

Creative Interpretations(Bad Ideas)

My QR related sites• Check out this site for a 60 second overview on QR

codes:– http://www.Cognation.net/QR/

• My personal blog has articles on QR codes and their use in the real world.– http://blog.collins.net.pr/search?q=qr

• “Think of QR codes as a right mouse button to anything physical.

Anything you want ‘more contextual information about’ just click”.