You may have seen these recently in a variety of places, you may have often heard people discussing them within the arena of mobile and wondered what the heck they may be. Quick response codes (referred to as “QR” codes) are a very convenient way to display a small bit of information that is effortlessly scanned and processed typically by phones allowing physical items to almost become interactive, by providing information which is conveniently scanned like a site URL.

To make a simpler analogy, many people are familiar with Universal Product codes (known as UPC codes). Everything you buy at the grocery store (and almost any store these days) has one of those that the cashier will scan. The computer then immediately knows what the product is depending on the code that it picked up.

Does anyone remember the days of grocery shopping and the cashier had to punch within the prices and codes for every single item you purchased. They had to memorize these types of in their head and whenever they forgot? They had to pick up the loud mobile device, make an announcement within the store asking for someone in that department to help them to out.

Think of qr code service codes as UPC codes but rather they are employed in a much broader spectrum, not simply to ‘identify’ products but to convey ‘information’ of some kind.

The most basic (and popular use) of Quick Response codes is to display website information (a website address). Lets say you are at a trade show and you’re walking by my booth. You want to find out more information about my company, so you open your smartphone and start fumbling away trying to type in some long URL (that is on my display) into your browser, and off you go.

The additional option would be for me to display a QR code (on my display), you take your mobile phone and scan it much like cashiers scan items at the super market, as well as your mobile device automatically starts loading my website, how is the fact that for convenience?

What about billboards outside on the street, or bus shelters while waiting for public transport. You may place these little codes anywhere. People who have free scanners on their phones (iPhones, BlackBerrys, Androids, Nokia, etc.) can quickly scan the code and find out more details, like opening up a web page.

Whole Foods Market (popular within the US/Canada) uses these in their stores. I was recently sitting down to possess a bite to eat at the one in Yorkville Toronto, as well as on the table where I was sitting was a table tent with two Quick Response codes. It was obvious where they might take me if I scanned them, one would take me to their Twitter account, as well as the other would take me to their Facebook page.

If I was excited about checking out their Twitter or Facebook page, rather than opening up each respective app and going to the search function and typing within their name etc. (I likely would not, too much effort) I could pick up my smartphone, scan the QR code and automatically open each page!