Mac SEO Blog

The humble QR Code was invented in 1994 by Japanese automotive company Denso Wave. QR stands for ‘Quick Response’ and is a two dimensional barcode. Whilst a barcode holds information horizontally, the QR code holds information both horizontally and vertically, so it can hold hundreds of times more information than the traditional barcode as well as being faster to read.

Today the use of QR Codes extends far beyond the automobile industry, although until fairly recently, has been limited mainly in use to print media. The use of QR Codes has traditionally been to direct people from printed media to digital media. So why would you want to use QR Codes on your website? Are there any advantages in doing so?

Using QR Codes in your website can be advantageous, but often their usage comes down to the type of business that you are running, such as event management, but other reasons to use QR codes also exist as we explore below.

Using QR Codes in Print Media

First of all, remember that QR Codes are primarily used in print media so you may want to add a QR code to any printed media you may have to link your customers quickly and directly to the pages in your website. The QR is a great marketing tool for your business.

Using QR Codes in Your Website

Additionally, you can also embed QR Codes directly within your site. Here are some reasons as to why you might want to…

1. Social Sharing: The main advantage of using a QR Code in your site is that it can facilitate social sharing. This is particularly relevant and useful mobile device users. Adding a QR code in a blog post, or to a particular page in your site, can help make the social sharing of the post or page that much easier. For example, you could be with a friend and want to share an post with them. Just offer up the QR code to them to quickly and easily share the post.
2. Cross Platform Sharing: QR Codes are a quick way to bookmark pages and/or posts which is extremely useful if, for example, you need to quickly store a page from your desktop browser on to your phone. QR codes can provide a simple, time saving way of transferring information from one device type to another.
3. Sharing with Others: Sending a QR Code of your website page to a predefined list of users, or friends, is also super easy. It is also easy to retrieve later on if you need it
4. App Downloading: Your website may also have links to one or more apps. You can use an app such as App Download QR Code to add a QR code link to your website making it easy for your visitors to download the associated app. When scanned, the QR code will open up the relevant App Store for your visitor, making the associated app available for download.
5. Coupons and Offers: A QR Code in your site can also provide a way in which your visitors or customers can redeem coupons or take advantage of offers. Apps such as Coupon QR Code can be used to add such features to your website. Scanning the QR Code will then take your customer to the online store with the coupon code already applied.
6. Entry and Access Usage: A QR Code on your site may help grant access to e.g. events that your company is hosting, to special access limited features on your site, or to external websites that may. be of interest to your visitors. .

To Use QR Codes or Not? That Is The Question…

It is likely that there will not be too many websites that will adopt the use of QR codes. QR Codes in websites is a big plus, though, when there is a specific case usage for them e.g. the granting access to events, where concessions are being offered online or where there is a specific marketing need to do so. QR Codes are also advantageous in social sharing situations where the quick and easy sharing or a post or page is needed.