How to Make a QR Code in 5 Easy Steps
By cwainwright@hubspot.com (Corey Wainwright)
From restaurant menus to bathroom stall doors, you can find QR codes just about anywhere these days. In fact, they’ve become so ever-present that 45% of shoppers used marketing-related QR codes in 2021.
There’s no denying the popularity and convenience of the QR code. But, what exactly is it and how can you create one for your next marketing campaign?
Keep reading to learn the magic behind QR codes and how to create your own.
QR codes typically look like this:
Not every QR code is shaped like a perfect square. Sometimes they have unique patterns, colors, and logos displayed inside. You’ll find them in non-digital spaces like direct mail, signage, billboards, and even TV shows where you can scan the code on the screen using your phone.
Both barcodes and QR codes can be scanned using a laser or a smartphone as long as the tool being used has the correct capabilities of reading vertical and horizontal data. Although most smartphones scan QR codes automatically, many won’t scan barcodes so easily — you’ll need a special app for that.
Does the rise of QR codes mean traditional barcodes are a thing of the past? Of course not. Traditional barcodes are still a common way for businesses to identify consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and manage their product inventory.
However, there are several differences between barcodes and QR codes — both in their uses and their characteristics. Below are three important differences.
QR Codes Are Shaped Differently
Barcodes are typically rectangular, which requires scanning devices to read the barcode’s data horizontally. QR codes are often square-shaped, displaying their data vertically and horizontally.
QR Codes Hold Different Data
QR codes are often used differently than barcodes. Barcodes hold key product information at the point of sale, such as the price and name of the manufacturer. QR codes offer more passive and intangible information, such as location data and URLs to promotions and product landing pages.
QR Codes Hold More Data
Due to a QR code’s square shape, it can hold much more data compared to a barcode. QR codes can hold hundreds of times more encrypted characters than a barcode can.
We learned a little bit about how barcodes and QR codes differ, but how exactly do QR codes work?
Let’s say a consumer sees a QR code. They can take out their mobile device, download a free QR code scanning app, or simply use their phone’s camera, and scan the QR code to gain more information about what they saw.
If you wanted to create, say, a bus stop advertisement promoting your podcast, you could display a QR code on that printed ad that brings …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
