QR 101 - take advantage of Quick Response Codes
QR 101 - take advantage of Quick Response Codes
You've seen them. Mysterious little square boxes of black and white patterns--in magazines, in stores, on posters and more. QR codes, ("quick response") are the next wave in grass roots marketing. A QR code is really just a square shaped bar code that can be "read" or decoded with any smartphone. But they can contain lots of useful information and do some amazing things for consumers, advertisers, and especially REALTORS.
QR codes don't have the traditional advertising limits of space, size and cost. A QR gives you the ability to put huge amounts of information about your business just about anywhere. And remember, more people are using mobile devices to get on the web everyday. iPads, iPhones and now Droids. All these devices will make it easy for home buyers and sellers to visit physical and web addresses quickly to get just the information they're looking for.
That's why QR codes may already be the best way to take a client from print to the online world and shape their experience in the process. Holding an open house? Create a QR for the map location and place it on your marketing materials, whether online or in print. Put a QR code on a For Sale sign with your contact info and other listings. Truly, the possibilities are endless.
Getting Started--For Free
All you need is a source on the web to generate or encode QR's, and a smartphone with a QR reader. There are lots of both available as free apps. CCAR uses "Inigma," a free iPhone reader or Google's new "Goggles" makes a great reader as well. To create QR codes, CCAR uses "qrstyler.com - the first QR encoder with a built in style engine" to create QR codes.
Install the free QR app on your smartphone. Launch it (you phone will go into camera mode automatically) point your camera at the code, and presto. Your smartphone will give you the information in the code and take you to the right website, map location, text message, email, or other things and places.
Just One Thing a Member Can Do With a QR Code
Just One Thing a CCAR Member Can Do With a QR Code
HomesOpenToday.com provides a great example for dynamic QR code use. http://homesopentoday.com/search/results?cities[]=Walnut+Creek is the link for all open homes in Walnut Creek.
No fun to type that. But that link could be encoded as a QR code. Makes it fast and easy for client to get that information anywhere. Online or on paper, a user merely points their smartphone at the code and gets directed to the open home or homes (and all your contact info) instantly.
One of the very neat things about QR codes is that you can use them to send a client right where you want them to go, easily, painlessly:
· A website (e.g. HomesOpenToday.com)
· A deep link or search result on a website (e.g. all Open Homes in Walnut Creek from HomesOpenToday.com)
· A phone number (client scans your number then just click a button to call.
A google maps location
· A calendar appointment (including location and notes, just point and click)
· An SMS message (text)
· An email address
· An email message
· Contact Details (vcalendar)
· A YouTube video link
· A simple block of text
A very sophisticated and free scanner is bakodo. Find it in the app store. there are many scanners for different platforms, so you should not have to pay for a scanner.
Wait. There's More...
QR codes lend themselves to endless creative marketing. Combine the QR code with another CCAR REALTOR marketing product, "RealSkins," advertising wraps for your laptop. This skin was created for CCAR President Elect Barbara Safran. Barbara's actually using her laptop as a mini-billboard complete with QR code. Put one on the back of your smartphone, the side of your car, your business card - even on top of cupcake gifts for client prospects.
Even in this low resolution shot, you can scan the QR code successfully right now. But below you can see a hi resolution photo of the actual skin applied to the actual tablet.
Below you can see a hi resolution photo of the actual skin applied to the actual tablet.
Taking things a step further, here's a skin for past CCAR President Mike Clancy. Note the embedded icons. You can insert all sorts of things into the QR code. And bringing things full circle, the QR code on your laptop skin could tell all who scan that you're the right agent to tour Walnut Creek Open Homes with!
A mockup of a final result might look like this:
So when you get your awesome FREE CCAR Member-benefit, laptop tune-up ($129 value!), think about how you can market yourself in new and interesting ways. For as little as $99, CCAR will turn your laptop into a modern marketing platform. Custom CCAR RealSkins for smartphone, vehicles and even office walls are also available.
Certainly the best way to take advantage of QR technology is to embed them in a CCAR SiteBuilder Website. SiteBuilder gives you a best of breed site at the best price, with no commitment. Our designers will build a custom website just for you, complete with QR codes tailored to your needs.
