Internet Marketing Advertising

December 2011 Issue --> Internet Marketing Advertising Article

What Are QR Barcodes?

By: Sune Swanepoel

A QR (Quick Response) code is a two dimensional barcode (also termed as a matrix barcode). It is much like the barcodes being used by retailers, with the most important difference being the volume of data which they could hold. QR codes can be scanned by nearly all smartphone cameras. After that it sends information to the smartphone. This data can, by way of example, take someone to an URL, save a contact to your smartphone, open text message, make a phonecall, and so forth.

The encoded data could consist of several types of info, i.e. Kanji (or Kana) (maximum of 1817 characters), binary (maximum 2953 bytes), numeric (maximum 7089 characters) and alphanumerical (maximum 4296 characters) symbols.

The code looks like a number of tiny black squares alongside 3 bigger squares on a white background. The three larger sized squares are just there to point out which direction the code is turned - the code could be scanned in any direction, however, and the QR scanner software will still be able to correctly read the data. The barcode is commonly printed with two larger sized squares at the very top, and one bigger square at the lowermost left side.

QR barcodes were first designed for the motor vehicle field - originally created by Toyota subsidiary, Denso Wave, in 1994 to monitor motor-vehicles during the manufacturing process. After that it grew to be popular, beyond the automotive industry in Japan, because the QR code can carry a lot of data and can be decoded at a extremely high speed. The QR code then became popular in Britain, and thereafter the popularity extended internationaly.

It is nevertheless, still debateable about whether QR codes will grow in popularity or not, but since most smartphones currently come out with QR code-reading applications, it's very likely to become (and stay) a lot more popular as some time passes.

Based on investigations, by June 2011, 14,000,000 people had scanned a QR code on their smartphone. Some smartphones that have this ability (either with a preloaded program, or with a purchased application): Blackberry, Nokia, Android and Nintendo 3DS.

A lot of people have started using QR codes for advertising purposes. It's a wonderful way to combine offline advertising with online advertising campaigns. These days, QR barcodes are displayed on pamphlets, billboards, business cards and even t-shirts!

There are a lot of websites that an individual can use to create QR codes... By searching the words "QR Code Generator" on Google, you get a massive amount results! In fact, Google themselves have a QR Code Generator tool - but this tool is restricted to URL encoding only.

Just do not forget that QR codes can be generated for free as there are people who would endeavor to charge you a fee just for this "work"!

Hi, I'm Sune' (pronounced as soo-ney).

I am 24 years old and I'm currently working fulltime but trying my best to get out of that situation - hence the reason for my "quest" in earning an extra income that will one day be able to replace the salary that I am currently earning.

I'm here to help educate you in using different resources to build good leads, help with marketing your website and showing you to build your own professional websites, easily. I'm researching daily, in order to teach others (and myself, of course) what the best methods, tips and tricks are, in creating a passive income for yourself with the help of the internet.

Go to http://xtra-income.co.za to read more!

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