QR (quick response) codes have been around for nearly two decades. They were originally developed by a car company subsidiary to track vehicles during the manufacturing process, but over the last several years, QR codes became a popular component of marketing and consumer information campaigns, with big companies rolling them out as an integral part of their advertising strategy and millions of consumer scans recorded each month. And yet, for all their popularity and the investment major brands have made in QR code campaigns, marketing gurus frequently predict the end of QR codes, especially when a new technology emerges that is hailed as “the next big thing.” (The latest “next big thing” is NFC technology.)
Still, for all the talk about new technology that is going to make QR codes obsolete, the ubiquitous two-dimension barcodes remain hugely popular. They appear on everything from résumés to movie posters to olive oil bottles to restaurant placemats. Maybe the answer isn’t to find something to replace QR codes altogether: Perhaps the solution is to reinvent QR codes. By merging traditional QR code technology with new image scanning and recognition capabilities, it’s possible to create Visual QR Codes, which can revitalize the technology and open up new possibilities for designers, advertisers and businesses.
Visual QR Codes are much more than just nice looking QR codes: Visual QR Codes are a new technology that can truly change the way businesses communicate with their customers. They allow users to instantly transform any part of a design into a scannable link to digital content. They are easy to create: Designers just select an image or design, define the online destination and select the QR code location placement in the design. The Visual QR Code Generator then automatically merges the code into the image, creating a colorful, attractive bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
Why QR Codes Are Here to Stay
Before taking a closer look at how Visual QR Codes can change everything, let’s review the reasons QR code technology caught on in the first place. QR codes became popular because they do something special: A QR code creates a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
In addition to that, QR codes are a highly mobile technology, so they are a natural fit in the fastest-growing point of entry for web access: the smartphone. With web-enabled mobile gadgets now outnumbering people, QR codes are uniquely capable of providing a pathway to online content when people encounter marketing messages in public or private spaces.
Another factor in QR codes’ favor is that they don’t require special downloads and public awareness campaigns to play their unique role in bridging the physical and digital worlds: The technology required to scan a QR code and launch a URL comes standard on most smartphones, and tech-savvy people already know what to do when they spot a QR code: There’s no learning curve. QR codes don’t require special paper or embedded chips: In this way, they pass the litmus test to qualify as simple, intuitive technology: QR codes just work.
Using Hybrid Technology to Generate Visual QR Codes
However, the fact that QR codes are the most intuitive, effective and widely recognized bridge between the physical and digital worlds doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. A chief complaint about the codes comes from the design side of the advertising world. Many designers note that QR codes were made to be read by machines, and they find the matrix barcode design visually unappealing.
That’s a fair point – the square, stark black and white presentation of the standard QR code is unlikely to win any design awards, and incorporating the standard QR code into a design can be a challenge. However, there’s a better way: With patent-pending hybrid technology that fuses QR codes with image scanning and recognition capabilities, designers can create Visual QR Codes.
Transforming the QR Code Industry with Visual QR Codes
The bottom line is that Visual QR Codes aren’t just better looking – they’re an evolution in QR code technology that can revitalize the popular marketing tool. Visual QR Codes preserve the technology’s chief advantage – the ability to serve as a bridge between the physical and digital worlds – while eliminating the design issues.
Designers can instantly and seamlessly merge any part of an image into a QR code, creating a colorful, attractive design. The Visual QR Code generation process takes only seconds, and each Visual QR Code is tested to ensure that it scans correctly.
Visual QR Codes open up a whole new world for marketers and advertisers, enabling them to design visually attractive calls to action with a scan rate that is at least 25% higher than that of standard QR codes. Visual QR Codes allow marketers and advertisers to turn any image into an eye-catching call to action.
With the right Visual QR Code partner, businesses can easily generate and edit Visual QR Codes, track scans and obtain valuable campaign insights using robust analytics tools. By reinventing QR codes as Visual QR Codes, businesses can take advantage of the most effective way to connect the online and offline worlds, using image scanning to incorporate the code directly into designs and create an appealing call to action. It’s an evolution in QR code technology that will make “the next big thing” obsolete.
