QR Code Handbook

QR Codes 101
by Aliza Sherman
aliza@mediaegg.com

www.techforhumans.com

S
QR Codes 101

o you’re looking to start using QR codes as a marketing tool
but aren’t sure where to begin. This handbook should get you
started thinking about, creating and leveraging QR codes for
your business or any project where you’d like to communicate with
others via smartphones.

I’ll share some ways companies and individuals are using QR codes
to give you some ideas on what works and what doesn’t and why. I’ll
also provide quick ways you can start using QR codes today along
with some resources to get you moving forward.

If you have any questions,
feel free to email me
at aliza@mediaegg.com.
Want to scan the code
below? You can download a
free QR Code Reader from
one of these links:
iPhone
http://bit.ly/tzuztw or
http://bit.ly/vXvBpN or
http://bit.ly/vK8Luy or
http://bit.ly/uvgyMY
Android
http://bit.ly/vXvBpN or
http://bit.ly/s0VYJr or
http://bit.ly/voWA8B
Blackberry
http://bit.ly/rNVfB6 or
http://bit.ly/tPZXxx

Note that every QR code
scanner may have different
sensitivities. If you have
trouble with one, there are
others you can download for
free.

definition
QR Code:
A 2-dimensional bar code – a Quick Response code – that
represents data such as a URL, email address, telephone number
or other information that can be scanned and
read using an application on a smartphone.

QR Codes 101

My First Code
The first time I saw QR codes, I had no idea what it was, but I was
intrigued. I was trying frozen yogurt for the first time (froyo, for the
uninitiated) and saw a poster in the yogurt shop’s window that sug-
gested scanning a code for a free dessert.
The Apple App Store logo tipped me off that I could use my iPhone
to do something, so I followed the instructions and downloaded - an
app with a QR code scanner or reader – and I scanned the code.
A coupon appeared on my iPhone that I showed to the guy behind
the froyo counter, and in turn, I was given a free yogurt treat. I was
delighted!

From the retail establishment’s point of view, the QR code was an
interesting new way to bring customers into their store and provide
incentive for them to sample a product. The code generated curiosity
and provided instant gratification.
Created and utilized in thoughtful ways, QR codes can be powerful
tools or “real-world hyperlinks” as Hamilton Chan, CEO of Paper-
links, likes to say. His company offers custom QR codes, printing with
QR codes, and QR code mobile destination sites. You’ll find out more
about Paperlinks later in this handbook.

QR Codes 101

Why QR Codes?
While QR codes were invented by Toyota to easily scan and track in-
ventory, their open and public use has prented new ways anyone can
definition
leverage these codes. So many of us are adopting smartphones and
are getting more and more comfortable using apps on their phones
QR Code Reader:

to perform tasks. We are also carrying our smartphones with us ev-
An application, usually free,

erywhere. If your goal is to reach people, and you are looking for
that you can download to your

fresh ways to do this, tapping into the smartphone as a new commu-
smartphone to scan and inter-

nications channel could be effective for you.
pret QR codes. The scanned

Keep in mind, if the people you are trying to reach – your custom-
code can trigger an action

ers, constituents, target audience – are not using smartphones, QR
such as leading to a website,

codes are dead ends. But if they are, you can provide information
playing a video, or prompting

and prompt actions straight to someone’s smartphone if they take
someone to contact you or

the time to scan your code.
your company.

There are many ways to use QR codes, and we’ve all just begun to
scratch the surface. At a minimum, you could:
• Point to your website or another page on the web.
• Prompt someone to “like” your Facebook page or follow you on
Twitter.
• Prompt someone to take a quiz, poll or survey.
• Prompt someone to fill in an application to request something.
• Prompt someone to donate to a cause.
• Launch and play a video or audio file.
• Launch the App Store and lead someone to the page for your
mobile app.

You could put QR codes on:
1. print advertising (magazine, newspaper, newsletter)
2. on marketing collateral (business cards, stationary, postcards,
brochures)
3. signage, banners, table tents.
4. product packaging
5. attire, accessories, promotional items
These are very basic uses of QR codes but a good place to start.

QR Codes 101

QR Code Pointers
Yes, those QR codes sound cool, but here are a few things you need to
keep in mind before you start using them.

If you are sending people to a website, make sure it is mobile-ready.
1. Use a Mobile-Ready Destination

That means when someone lands on the site using their smartphone
that the site is configured for mobile devices.
Test out your site right now. View it through your smartphone’s web
browser, and see if you can read what appears on your screen. If you
have to squint or pinch and expand or even move the page around
with your finger to see all of the content, that means your site isn’t
ready for mobile devices.
Here is an old version of one of my websites that was hosted on
Wordpress.com and what it looked like through my iPhone:

H
QR Codes 101

ere is an old version of one of my blogs that was hosted on
Typepad.com and what it looked like through my iPhone.
Note how the mobile version below on the right is difficult to
read and nothing more than a tinier version of the web page.

Many website and blog hosting platforms such as Wordpress and
Blogger have mobile-ready versions that can be set up as a default
with “auto-detect” meaning that the web server hosting your site will
detect if the person accessing it is on a computer or smartphone. If
on a smartphone, their mobile browser will be pointed to the mobile
version of the site.
You can also create mobile versions of your sites through a variety
of tools, free or fee-based, or hire a web development firm familiar
with mobile sites to create the mobile version of your website. The
key is to work with a tool, platform or company that is reputable and
where the end product – your mobile-ready site – is easy to access
and navigate. Don’t be duped by fly-by-night companies that will try
to bilk you of a lot of money and create an inferior product.
Some popular solutions for mobile sites include Mobify and Outer-
woven, or as mentioned above, you can configure your Wordpress or
Blogger sites or blogs to auto-detect mobile devices and serve up the
mobile-ready version of your site.

QR Codes 101

Using a QR code to send someone to your website’s home page doesn’t
2. Trigger Measurable Actions

make a lot of sense if you aren’t tracking what they do next. You can-
not expect someone to poke around multiple pages on a website and
do something meaningful, especially while they’re on a smartphone.
Think of how you can use a QR code to trigger an action that you can
measure and track.
Again, make sure the destination of your QR Code is mobile friendly.
So if you are sending them to a poll or survey, you could use a survey
tool such as Zoomerang (www.zoomerang.com) which offers a mo-
bile version of its surveys (www.zoomerang.com/mobile-surveys/).
If your destination is a video, use YouTube to host your video. The
YouTube site is mobile friendly so when you view a link to a You-
Tube video on your iPhone, your YouTube video app launches which
makes for a better viewing experience. On the flip side, if you link
someone to a web page that has video embedded on it, it might take
someone a few extra steps to actually play the video, especially if the
destination page is not mobile-ready. Therefore, it is better to link to
a video URL versus a regular website with a video on it.

scan
Scan this code to see an example of viewing
a video on a website. (This is on the web-
site for the publisher of my latest book.
The code leads to a web page on a site that
scan
is not mobile-ready so it might take some Now scan this code.
fiddling around to play it.) It leads directly to
a video hosted on
YouTube. It should move immediately to a
mobile-friendlier version of the video ready
to be played.

FYI: Below is the link that is represented by

http://bit.ly/s4zrQR
this QR Code:

QR Codes 101

Making a QR Code
Here are some of ways to get a QR code. And remember: It is not just
about the code but about the destination. It is also a good idea to use
a URL shortener to create a less dense and complicated QR code that
is easier to scan, even at smaller sizes.

This is a really easy way of obtaining a QR code to a URL. Just copy
Bit.ly

and paste your URL into Bit.ly (www.bit.ly) then add .qr to the end
of the bit.ly, and hit Return. You’ll then see the QR code that corre-
sponds with the bit.ly that leads to the longer URL. Check out this QR
code generated by bit.ly: http://bit.ly/s4zrQR.qr

I really love Paperlinks (http://www.paperlinks.com) because they
Paperlinks

let you create a mobile destination for your Paperlink-generated QR
codes, and those destinations are modular so you can switch out sec-
tions, content and images at will. The potential downside of creating
a QR code out of a URL or any destination is if you cannot modify that
destination page easily, then your code becomes stale.
You cannot modify a QR code once it is generated, meaning it will
always go where you initially wanted it to go. With Paperlinks, the
QR code stays the same, but you have control over some basic parts
of where that code lands including links to your Facebook Page and
Twitter account, a photo gallery and video, a coupon, additional links
and even a custom header and introductory text that can be changed
anytime.
To the right is an example of a Paperlink aka QR Code. If you scan
the code, you will arrive at a Paperlinks modular mobile destination.
(You can use any QR code reader, not just the Paperlinks iPhone app).
If you click on this link – http://plinks.me/pten6c - you can view the
same site though a web browser although you will see it is clearly
designed for a smaller format i.e. a smartphone screen.

QR Codes 101

Making a QR Code
Here are some other QR code generators, each offering different fea-
tures and options.

Google URL Shortener http://goo.gl/
Like Bit.ly, Google provides a URL shortener and a corresponding QR
code for the link. Just click on the “details” link after you’ve gener-
ated your short URL to access your QR code.
There are many other sites
and companies offering

QR Code and 2D Code Generator http://t.co/hS5S89C
services for QR codes. If

This non-commercial code generator converts a URL to a QR code.
you use others, I’d love to

You can adjust size, output (PNG, EPS, PDF, TIFF), and modify fore-
know about them (aliza@

ground and background colors.
mediaegg.com).

Kaywa http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
This generator lets you convert a URL, text, phone number or SMS
message into a QR code and you can select the size.

GoQR.me http://goqr.me
You can really see how complex a QR code can become the more in-
formation you add to be converted. Here you can convert text, URLs,
vCards, SMS and a phone number.

(http://myqr.co/) Paste a URL to get a QR code generated from a
MyQR.co
shortened URL. Or make a QR code for a message, a Contact vCard or
an address and map.

RedLaser https://www.redlaser.com/qrcode/
In addition to creating codes for some of the same content as the
above, this one also offers event information.

44Doors http://44doors.com
This company provides fee-based mobile marketing services include
mobile destinations with a variety of content components including
coupons, mobile commerce and CRM.

QR Codes 101

Designer QR Codes
You don’t have to be confined by black and white codes, but if you go
for the beautiful code, make sure you use a developer who under-
stands what parts of the code are active.

QR Codes 101

What Else?
There are many other things to know about QR codes so stay tuned to
www.techwithaliza.com for upcoming ebooks on the topic that are
more advanced and detailed.

If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to email
(aliza@mediaegg.com) or call 903-224-5683.

If you’d like to share this handbook with others – something I whole-
heartedly encourage – please provide them with this link so they can
also sign up for my weekly tips: http://eepurl.com/dFdTU

And to get your creative juices flowing, here are a few more examples
of QR codes in use.

Product Tag Accessory Business Card

QR Codes 101

Storefront Window Product Packaging

Wine Coaster Wine Coaster

QR Code Handbook

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