QR Codes are all the rage in Japan and are starting to become very popular among mobile phone users in America as well. Listing your website name on printed materials will soon be a thing of the past and companies will begin to use their QR Code instead, to allow users to instantly access their website. Alternate Image has just developed a
QR Code (seen to the right) for the
West Volusia Tourism and Advertising Authority to use in their website marketing campaign. This campaign has been very popular, as the WVTAA may be the first in the state to utilize QR codes for their tourism website. They were recently featured in
FOX Orlando News and in the local
Beacon newspaper.
What exactly is a QR Code?
A QR (Quick Response) code is an image that is easily read by a mobile phone application to take you to a website. Just quickly "scan" the image with your phone using a QR reader app (most are free and we recommend using Neo Code). The QR Code reader acts as a bar code scanner and will take your phone to the website once it reads the QR code.
No more typing in the website domain name or using Google to try and figure out the exact url for the website you are looking for. The QR code will pinpoint your mobile phone directly to the webpage for the user or display specific information for the user.
How are QR Codes used? 
We are seeing a variety of methods for using QR Codes, from Disney placing posters on the wall for mobile phone users to"read", which will then take them to their desired web page or display more information about whatever it is they are looking for. Other uses involve using QR Codes as coupons in which users can bring the coupon in on their mobile phone to be scanned at the checkout, eliminating the use of paper or coupon clipping. QR Codes are ecspecially helpful for businesses with long website names or domain names that are easily mispelled or hard to remember. QR Codes can be added to the back of your business card or brochure to make mobile phone website access instant and easy.
See an example of how Disney uses QR Codes.The West Volusia Tourism and Advertising Authority is planning to market their website by displaying the QR Code in a sign held up by a manatee that will take mobile phone users to the West Volusia Tourism website. The manatee has become a branded icon for West Volusia with the popularity of it's Blues Springs state park, a popular attraction for manatee watching. The manatee with the QR code will appear on various printed marketing items to allow mobile phone users to quickly access the West Volusia Tourism website for information on lodging, restaurants, shopping, and other local area attractions.
What are the Benefits of Using a QR Code? A QR Code offers the user a large amount of data. With print advertisements you are limited by space, showing only the most important information and listing your website for users to get more information. When companies want to direct users to a specific page within their website the url address can begin to get long and confusing for users to remember. A QR Code can store and digitally present more information than a barcode and is easily read by most mobile phones with a QR Code application. A QR Code can store information like url links, geo coordinates, and text, and direct users to a specific web page with videos, pictures, or more information about whatever it is they are searching for.
How Do I Get a QR Code for my Website?Interested in developing a mobile website or QR Code for your business? Not sure how to incorporate it into your marketing campaign? Contact Michelle Herrin at Alternate Image for more information. 386-760-1774 or email:
mic@alternateimage.com
