Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tips & Tricks
- Test, test and test again... on multiple devices! QR Codes have a 30% fail rate!
- Print the code a minimum 1" x 1".
- Be aware of the end user, you wouldn't want to send a QR code-filled brochure to someone you know wouldn't use it.
- In some instances you may have to explain how to use a QR code.
- QR codes can make a bold statement with minimal text.
- Be aware of how the content shows on phones, sometimes websites are hard to read.
- Be creative! The more creative, the more innovative and memorable!
- Make sure you are adding value, don't use QR codes just to use QR codes.
Generating QR codes
You can find lots of tools on the web that will generate QR codes. One of the easiest (and FREE!) is Google URL shortener. Just paste in your original link and click Shorten. After you receive a short link, click on Details to get an image for a unique QR code.
You can save these images directly from the Google site and import them into any presentation/proposal—but beware of resizing too much, because that can cause the QR code to lose resolution and fail to link.
If you need smaller QR code images, you can find mini QR code generators, but they require practically microscopic URLs, and they’re mainly used for serial numbers in manufacturing—not terribly practical for web pages.
As for storing videos, the easiest way to do that for external viewers is to use YouTube. (Plus, the YouTube app is pre-installed on iPhone and iPad, whereas other video apps require user downloads.) While YouTube is public, you can upload videos as unlisted, which means that only people who have the link can see the video.
The site - Google URL shortener requires you to login to your Google account to create the code. Your Google account will track the QR codes you’ve created AND if the link has been accessed and by what browser/platform it was accessed by!!! If you manage this data correctly you could actually go back and see if the client went to the link. How neat is that?!
You can save these images directly from the Google site and import them into any presentation/proposal—but beware of resizing too much, because that can cause the QR code to lose resolution and fail to link.
If you need smaller QR code images, you can find mini QR code generators, but they require practically microscopic URLs, and they’re mainly used for serial numbers in manufacturing—not terribly practical for web pages.
As for storing videos, the easiest way to do that for external viewers is to use YouTube. (Plus, the YouTube app is pre-installed on iPhone and iPad, whereas other video apps require user downloads.) While YouTube is public, you can upload videos as unlisted, which means that only people who have the link can see the video.
The site - Google URL shortener requires you to login to your Google account to create the code. Your Google account will track the QR codes you’ve created AND if the link has been accessed and by what browser/platform it was accessed by!!! If you manage this data correctly you could actually go back and see if the client went to the link. How neat is that?!
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