Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
QR Codes: Not Your Parents' Barcodes
Picture this: you’re driving by a home for sale that catches your eye. You stop and instead of a real estate sell sheet, the “for sale” sign features a prominently placed 2-D barcode to access information. You take a picture of the icon using your smart phone camera and almost instantly, your phone launches a website offering details like the home’s sale price, amenities, interior photos and more.
Welcome to The Present.
2-D barcodes are in use in ads and marketing vehicles all over metropolitan markets. Called “QR” (for “quick response”) codes, the icons allow users of smart phones to access special offers, more information about a selected product or service, or view an interactive map or video.
And while they’re fairly new to consumer markets, the technology has been in use since the 1990s when freight companies, airlines, government agencies, and other industries originally embraced the compact technology.
The barcodes carry a plethora of possibilities, and the only limitation appears to be the fact that the QR scanning ability is exclusive to smart phones. But even that objection appears to be waning, since Nielsen forecasts that by Christmas of 2011, smart phone ownership will overtake feature cell phone ownership. The firm predicts that one in two Americans will own a smart phone by that time.
One of the leading companies involved in QR barcode development and management is Scanbuy, a firm based in New York City. The company’s president, Mike Wehrs, estimates that QR code generation and usage has grown by about 700 percent since January 2010.
Visionary adds QR barcodes to ads, coupons, graphics, posters, billboards, and so on. Visionary has begun to apply the codes in ads and poster for clients testing the technology and customer response to its use.
“For tech-savvy clients and their customers, QR codes demonstrate technological competence and immediate access to data,” observes Visionary’s president, Henry Bramwell. “Not every product requires a QR code today, but it was only a little over a decade ago when we were skeptical about cell phones. Once we start to investigate the multiple applications of QR codes, the potential is enormous.”
Welcome to The Present.
2-D barcodes are in use in ads and marketing vehicles all over metropolitan markets. Called “QR” (for “quick response”) codes, the icons allow users of smart phones to access special offers, more information about a selected product or service, or view an interactive map or video.
And while they’re fairly new to consumer markets, the technology has been in use since the 1990s when freight companies, airlines, government agencies, and other industries originally embraced the compact technology.
The barcodes carry a plethora of possibilities, and the only limitation appears to be the fact that the QR scanning ability is exclusive to smart phones. But even that objection appears to be waning, since Nielsen forecasts that by Christmas of 2011, smart phone ownership will overtake feature cell phone ownership. The firm predicts that one in two Americans will own a smart phone by that time.
One of the leading companies involved in QR barcode development and management is Scanbuy, a firm based in New York City. The company’s president, Mike Wehrs, estimates that QR code generation and usage has grown by about 700 percent since January 2010.
Visionary adds QR barcodes to ads, coupons, graphics, posters, billboards, and so on. Visionary has begun to apply the codes in ads and poster for clients testing the technology and customer response to its use.
“For tech-savvy clients and their customers, QR codes demonstrate technological competence and immediate access to data,” observes Visionary’s president, Henry Bramwell. “Not every product requires a QR code today, but it was only a little over a decade ago when we were skeptical about cell phones. Once we start to investigate the multiple applications of QR codes, the potential is enormous.”
Monday, November 1, 2010
Website Success
How would you judge the success of your website?
Is it by the number of visitors?
The search engine ranking?
The accurate depiction of your product or services?
Most web users recently surveyed indicated that a website was considered successful if it efficiently provided the information that was sought.
Here are a few suggestions for ways to make a website more successful and useful for any target audience.
Don’t Sell Your Product – Offer A Resource
Your product will sell itself if you offer visitors the information they crave.
1. Skip your pitch and build a website that serves as a true information source.
2. Write and post articles that relate to your product or service.
3. Provide a forum where you can answer questions from visitors.
4. Keep content rich and timely.
Write Short and Lean
For web visitors, less is often more.
1. Visitors want facts and don’t want to waste time looking for them.
2. Get to the point and deliver the goods.
Think Navigation
Offer simple, logical navigation so that visitors can easily locate what they need.
1. Organize the site in a hierarchical format.
2. Ensure that important pages are only one mouse click away.
Build Community
Encourage visitors to utilize your site as a resource; offer relevant content and features that support the common interests of your audience.
1. Foster community among visitors.
2. Provide forums and newsletters.
Is it by the number of visitors?
The search engine ranking?
The accurate depiction of your product or services?
Most web users recently surveyed indicated that a website was considered successful if it efficiently provided the information that was sought.
Here are a few suggestions for ways to make a website more successful and useful for any target audience.
Don’t Sell Your Product – Offer A Resource
Your product will sell itself if you offer visitors the information they crave.
1. Skip your pitch and build a website that serves as a true information source.
2. Write and post articles that relate to your product or service.
3. Provide a forum where you can answer questions from visitors.
4. Keep content rich and timely.
Write Short and Lean
For web visitors, less is often more.
1. Visitors want facts and don’t want to waste time looking for them.
2. Get to the point and deliver the goods.
Think Navigation
Offer simple, logical navigation so that visitors can easily locate what they need.
1. Organize the site in a hierarchical format.
2. Ensure that important pages are only one mouse click away.
Build Community
Encourage visitors to utilize your site as a resource; offer relevant content and features that support the common interests of your audience.
1. Foster community among visitors.
2. Provide forums and newsletters.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)