Mobile marketing is the next big thing in advertising. These days, people have their phones with them more than any other gadget, so it’s a great way of getting your company name out there. Mobile marketing has been around for a while now and has already a proven track record of success, provided you choose the right method to go about it. Promoting your business via QR codes is one such method that can be used effectively, and the good news is that there are easy to use free QR code generator tools to help.
What is a QR Code?
A QR Code is a two-dimensional bar code with information stored in accordance with the open standards created by Denso-Wave Inc., a subsidiary of Toyota. It can store data such as text, URLs, and contact information.
The QR Code was put to practical use in Japan in 1994, and today it has spread across the globe to become an important tool for marketing and communication. More than 200 million smartphones currently come equipped with QR Code readers. There are also several web services that can be used to decode QR Codes from pictures taken on mobile devices.
A typical business card will usually contain a collection of basic contact details (name, company name, phone number, and email address), but this information is not always enough when you’re trying to establish the right network of contacts. QR Codes are now being used as a way to exchange more detailed information. You can encode URLs, maps, social media profiles, video clips, and email addresses into an easily scanned bar code using free online tools.
How to Create a QR Code?
To create a QR code, you first need to decide what you want it to link to. Once you have decided, go to the website of your choice and select “create a QR code.” Enter the website address, email address, or phone number, and where you want the QR code to link to. This is easily done by simply typing in the destination of your choice.
After that, choose how large you want your QR code to be. The small version will be around 1-inch square; this size looks good on business cards and can fit into smaller spaces such as on a door for an apartment number or above a light switch for apartment numbers. For larger spaces like posters, billboards, and websites where space is not an issue but readability still is, select the largest setting available (usually 3 inches) which will create a taller rectangle-shaped image.
Once everything has been filled out and selected, press “create.” This will generate a QR code that you can save as a JPEG or PNG file.
How do you know which QR code generator is the best?
A good way to determine the quality of a QR code generator is to look at the number of supported platforms that it has. The more platforms it supports, the better the quality of the QR codes it will produce. Another thing to check is how user-friendly the interface is. If it’s difficult to use or has a lot of complicated options, you’re likely to end up with low-quality QR codes.
You should also look at the size and shape of the QR codes that are produced by the generator. Some generators produce very small QR codes that are difficult to scan by mobile devices. Others produce rectangular QR codes that are wider than they are tall, these might work well with Android phones but tend to get cut off on iPhones.
The Different Types of QR Codes
Several different types of QR codes can be used for various purposes. Here is a list of the most common types of QR codes and what they are used for:
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) QR Code: This type of QR code is used to direct a person to a website. When scanned, the QR code will automatically open the website in a web browser on the user’s device.
Virtual Business Card (vCard) QR Code: This type of QR code is used to store the contact information in a digital format. When scanned, the QR code will display the contact information stored in the vCard on the user’s device.
Phone Number QR Code: This type of QR code is used to store a phone number in a digital format. When scanned, the QR code will dial the phone number stored in the QR code on the user’s device.
Email QR Code: This type of QR code is used to store an email address in a digital format. When scanned, the QR code will open the user’s email app and automatically enter the email address stored in the QR code.
Plain Text QR Code: This type of QR code is used to store any text information in a digital format. When scanned, the QR code will display the text information stored in the QR code on the user’s device.
Short Message Service (SMS) QR Code: This type of QR code is used to send a text message to a phone number stored in the QR code. When scanned, the QR code will automatically launch the user’s SMS messaging application and type out the text stored in the QR code.
WiFi QR Code: This type of QR code is used to store wireless network access information on mobile devices. When scanned, direct connectivity to the wireless network named 3WIFI will be available on the user’s device.
Social Media QR Codes: This type of QR code is used to link users directly into an online social media account when they scan it with their mobile device. Many different types of Social Media QR codes can be created for various social media platforms including Twitter, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr.
Each type of QR code has its own unique function and can be used for a variety of purposes. By understanding the different types of QR codes, businesses and individuals can create QR codes that are most suited for their needs. For example, if a business wants to create a digital business card, they would use a vCard QR code. If a person wants to store their contact information, they would use a vCard QR code. If someone wants to send a text message, they would use an SMS QR code.
The possibilities are endless—if you’re not utilizing QR codes for your business, you really should be!