Quick Response Code (QR Code) is a matrix barcode that is readable by camera phones and barcode readers. The information encoded can be URL, text or other data. QR codes were originally created in Japan by Toyota in 1994.
QR Codes are similar to normal bar codes that are used by retailers to track inventory and product prices at the point of sale. The difference between the two is that bar codes are limited to 20 numerical digits. QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that can hold thousands of numeric characters of information.
QR codes can be used to create links to Web pages, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, text or text messages (SMS) and placed on your printed material for easy mobile access.
Munley, Munley & Cartwright, a Pennsylvania personal injury and national truck accident law firm, is among our clients who are adding QR codes to their business cards, literature and other printed materials. The firm feels that QR codes are an efficient way to route individuals to an applicable website page that will provide helpful information. We (Consultwebs) are adding QR codes to our printed materials, including our lawyer marketing newsletters.
To read a QR code, you will need to download a QR code reader from iTunes (for iPhones), Android Market (for Android phones), Ovi Store (for Nokia/Symbian phones) or Windows Marketplace (for Windows Mobile phones). Once you have a QR code reader installed, your Smartphone will utilize the phone’s camera to scan in the codes.
How Can My Law Firm Use QR Codes?
Your law firm can benefit from using bar codes in several different ways. For example:
- At the back of your business card to link to:
- Your e-mail address;
- Your phone number;
- Your social media sites (Facebook page, LinkedIn etc);
- Your attorney profile;
- Your YouTube account.
- Your newsletter can include a QR Code that links to an article that further discusses what your newsletter is covering;
- A QR code can be included in printed material that you send out and link to your online vCard;
- Your conference name tag can include a QR Code that allows you to quickly and easily exchange contact information with other attendees;
- Your advertisements.
How to Generate QR Codes
You can choose from several different options to generate Quick Response Codes. Two popular ones are //www.qrstuff.com/ and //qrcode.kaywa.com/. To generate the code, simply type in the URL, phone number, text message etc that you need and the QR generator gives you back the code or image that you need for your website or print material.
It is a good practice to use services similar to //goo.gl/ to track your QR Code usage so you can see which QR code placement generates the most value for you. This is also a good way to measure how effective your print material is. You can use services such as //qrcode.good-survey.com/ or //www.sparqcode.com to track your analytics and generate your QR codes. You can also create a special landing page on your website to track your QR code usage. The landing page should be optimized for mobile phone access.
Other QR Code Usage
There are several different services available for different QR code usage. One service, //www.likify.net/, allows you to generate Facebook likes. Likify.net can be used by your law firm to generate Facebook likes on different print material the firm sends out, such as newsletters.
While we don’t expect to see people sporting QR code tattoos, they are growing in prominence. If the online legal marketing experts at Consultwebs.com can provide additional information on QR codes and QR code usage, please contact us at marketing@consultwebs.com or (877) 278-6796.
