A free and easy first step toward mobile marketing

QR codes, or "quick response" codes, are two-dimensional bar codes that can contain contact information, website addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, text, geo locations, and more.

Here's how they work: when a person scans the barcode with their mobile phone, the encoded information appears on the screen. For example, the QR barcode on this page contains the URL to this website: www.officeherohq.com. So after a person scans this, they can go straight to the website on their mobile device without having to type in the website address.

So what are some of the ways you can use QR codes for your marketing efforts? (More ideas here.)

Business cards













Flyers























Posters






















Signs





















How to create a custom QR code

There are many websites where you can generate custom QR codes for free. Here are some:

• http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
• http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
• http://www.qrstuff.com/
• http://qrdroid.com/generate

Where to find barcode scanners for mobile devices

Barcode scanners--also known as "QR code readers"--often come installed on newer phones. If not, or if you want to experiment with other scanners, here is where you can find them:

• Barcode Scanner for Android devices
• iPhone scanners
• Scanners for other types of mobile phones