Just what is a QR code?

If you are bamboozled by those strange boxes of black and white pixels that seem to be cropping up on packaging and billboards across the country, then you are not alone, but what exactly are they?

Well it is called a QR code, and QR stands for Quick Response. It is a 2D barcode which is able to be  scanned by a smart phone camera or other QR reading device and it sends the user to a specific website. QR codes were invented in Japan and have been popular over there for a number of years before migrating to Europe and now they have started to appear all across the United States.

In the simplest terms it is a hypertext link in printed form, just encode a URL link into the QR code and then by pointing a smart phone camera at it that already has a QR code reader app installed, it will whisk you off to that URL using the internet browser on the phone.

However, it is not just limited to websites, a QR code can also contain information such as a SMS message or phone number or email address, and the device that scans it will automatically use whatever application it needs to handle the data correctly.

The clever thing about a QR code that sets it apart from the more standard one dimensional barcode is that it is a lot more versatile. Not only does a QR code hold hundreds of times more data than a traditional barcode, but it can be scanned in any direction. The QR code can be upside down or placed on a curved surface but thanks to its internal calibration orientation and self-alignment markers the information still gets through.

QR codes are going to be the big advertising and marketing took for many years to come and because they are inexpensive and versatile they are ideal for small businesses. QR codes are appearing with more regularity on billboards, and bus shelters and on flyers than ever before and it is a great way to get people to your website without the hassle of typing in the full web address on their phones web browser.