QRE8 blogs

QR Codes: 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Them

erik — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:14:41 +0000

We are at about the 18 month mark where QR Codes have, and continue to be rapidly adopted as a genuine mobile marketing technology. Still, despite the explosive uptake in the technology we are noticing that many are still not using it the best ways possible to optimize results. Here are the most common pitfalls and what not to do when implementing QR Codes into your mobile marketing mix:

1. Do Not Link Your QR Code To Your Desktop Website!

People scan QR Codes with their Smartphones. Therefore you must link them to a mobile website!!! If you link them to a Desktop website the experience will not be great and opportunity will be lost. The most important thing to remember in QR Code marketing is not the QR Code…it is the mobile website your QR Code resolves to. Building a mobile version of your site does not mean creating a mobile version of your entire Desktop site. It’s critical to put yourself in the mindset of the mobile user, who is typically short on time and short on attention. Concentrate on providing them with the information they want…product or service information, discounts and special offers, where to buy and how to contact you.

2. Do Not Link To Useless Information

How to scan a QR Code with your Blackberry

erik — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:31:44 +0000

We are often asked..."What the best QR Code reader is for Blackberry?"

We have done plenty of testing and our results prove that the internal reader that comes with Blackberry Messenger 5.0 is by far the best QR Code Reader. It's unfortunate that BB does not separate the QR Code reader from the BBM 5.0, give it an icon and put it on the home screen so that it is easier to access and therefore easier to scan - maybe this will happen in the near future.

The next question we get is "How do I scan a QR Code with the BBM 5.0 Reader?"

Here's how you do it:

1. Open up BB Messenger 5.0

2. Open the menu and find the option "Scan a Group Barcode"

3. A notice screen will pop-up - check the option to not show you this message again

4. Your camera will activate

5. Center the code in your viewer - not too close

6. Whatever content is embedded in the code will appear and you can click "yes" when it asks you to proceed. Most qr codes contain links to websites.

That's it! You can test by scanning the Clikbrix QR Code on our homepage.

I hope this helps and please let us know how you make out.

Erik On Google+

How do you view mobile content - Web Browser or App?

erik — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:04:10 +0000

Apple has sold 2 million iPads in 59 days. That's quite amazing to say the least. Even more impressive is the projected sales of mobile "Touch" screen devices in 2010. According to Gartner Research 362.7 million "Touch" devices will be sold in 2010 and by 2013 "Touch" devices will account for 58% of all mobile devices.

This begs the question...do you prefer using a web browser or a native app to surf content on your "Touch" device?

It is our view that because of the massive reach the mobile web has over individual application marketplaces brands should seriously consider building a mobile website built for "Touch" devices and have it be the main hub for all mobile content and messaging. Furthermore, as data plans continue to drop users will adopt the mobile web as they have adopted the traditional high-speed web. In the not so distant future, surfing the mobile web from a mobile "Touch" device will be commonplace.

Fred Wilson from Businessinsider.com blogged about which way he prefers to look at content on the iPad - Web Browser or App?

the list of massive Brands Using QR Codes

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:44:49 +0000

Many people are asking if 2010 will be the year of QR Codes. We think the answer is a resounding "YES!" But you might think we're biased because we live and breathe QR Codes. So please don't take our word for it.

First, take a look at this Google Trends Chart which shows a steady increase in the world’s interest in QR Codes over the past few years. Now take look at the following list of 10 Massive Brands and their current or planned QR Code executions and draw your own conclusion:

1. December 2009 - Google announces that Favorite Places will contain QR Codes

2. January 2010 - GMC uses QR Codes to promote the new Granite vehicle

3. February 2010 - The Detroit Red Wings create a QR Code Game Program

Mobile Data Traffic To Increase 40% Over Next 5 Years. Are You Prepared?

erik — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:10:49 +0000

A new report released by Coda Research Consultancy suggests that mobile data traffic will increase to 40% by 2015, which they largely attribute to the surge in iPhone and Android sales along with other smartphones. In fact, the report further states that by 2012, 95% of all mobile web traffic will come from smartphones.

In its February 2010 report, Admob shows that smartphones accounted for 48% of AdMob’s worldwide traffic, up from 35% in February 2009. Strong growth of iPhone and Android traffic, fueled by heavy application usage, was primarily responsible for the increase. In absolute terms, smartphone traffic increased an astounding 193% over the last year.

To ensure your company and your brand are prepared for this unprecedented growth, we suggest you consider the following…

Are you built to touch?

erik — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:35:27 +0000

So your first question probably is, “what exactly is the Touch Web?” The answer is simple. The Touch Web refers to all the mobile websites out there that are built specifically for touch screen devices – such as iPhones and iPads, the Blackberry Storm, the Nexus One, Android devices and many more. In fact, according to a recent study by Taptu.com, by 2012 mobile touch devices will top 680,000,000 worldwide. This staggering number can hardly be ignored.

You’d be correct to surmise that this is extremely good news for App developers—whether developing for Apple or Google, or any other platform. But it’s also unbelievable news for Touch Web developers. According to the same Taptu study there are approximately 326,000 Touch Web sites online. Latest released numbers show that there are approximately 150,000 iPhone apps and 50,000 android apps out there. Together, this equates to just over half a million online properties. Now compare this to the regular desktop internet, that is, 10’s of millions of websites—so it’s instantly apparent that the Touch Web is still in its infancy.

Not all QR Codes are QRe8'ed equally

erik — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:58:26 +0000

When we developed the QRe8.com platform and QR Code generator we had 2 major objectives:

Make the process as easy as possible for our clients
Create QR codes that have a scan success rate as close to 100% as possible

For sure, there will always be scan scenarios that will have nothing to do with the scanability of our codes themselves. Such variables may include phone type and model, the code reader, the size of code, the printed element, the screen monitor, the sunlight, the moon, the reflection, the user and on it goes… while beyond our control, they’re all factors in campaign success – and always figure into our product development.

That said, we’re obsessed with what is in our control. Specifically, we’ve worked painstakingly to provide our clients with a QR Code generator that will produce the most scannable QR codes possible.

We offer the following comparisons to drive our point – the first was created using the QRe8 generator.
The second code was created using a competitor’s generator. The URL embedded into each code is http://www.qre8.com.

QRe8 cracks the code on ctv’s webnation

erik — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:25:39 +0000

QRe8 managing partner, Erik Goldhar, recently appeared on CTV’s Webnation with Amber Mack—the final word on all things interactive. The segment’s focus was the humble barcode on the 57th anniversary of its official patent. Naturally the show segued to QR codes, where Erik and Amber enlightened viewers on the wonders of QR applications globally, and their imminent explosion across North America’s markets.

Click here to check it out!

7 reasons open 2D codes are better than closed platform codes

erik — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:40:29 +0000

Is it possible that the Microsoft Tag code platform (a closed source platform) could ever become the industry standard for 2D Codes? So went the debate this weekend on a Linkedin group site we’re members of.

Our QRe8.com platform is built on open standards. As we’ve mentioned in earlier posts, we’ve begun to brand our 2D codes, which we call XM codes (experiential marketing codes) because we believe that regardless of where the standard lands, the objective will always be to provide the user with a fantastic experience. At the moment, it’s clear that QR Codes and Datamatrix codes lead the way in terms of open standards… on the other hand, it’s also apparent that Microsoft and Scanlife lead the way in closed standards.

Here are 7 reasons why we believe open code platforms are better than closed platforms:

1. Consumer Choice

In order to successfully scan a Microsoft tag you MUST use the Microsoft Tag Reader. This holds true with other closed platforms—you must use their reader to scan their code.

fueled by creativity... committed to quality

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:57:49 +0000

Because we're committed to uncompromising quality at QRe8, each and every one of our XM Codes™ goes through rigorous cross-platform testing before it’s released to our client, and ultimately the market. So, to illustrate the seamless scanning performance of our codes on a variety of phones and readers, earlier today (along with our intrepid tech team) we tested several.

Note that we actually scanned our samples in a couple contexts: both from monitors (which invariably pose infraction, glare problems) and also from print (a more realistic consumer scenario). Still, regardless of context, we're happy to report success on all fronts and encourage everyone to check out the evidence on video…

iPhone + the Beetagg reader
iPhone + the Quickmark reader
iPhone + the i-Nigma reader
Blackberry 9000 + the i-Nigma reader

As always, we’re grateful for your continuing support and feedback.