Sure, you've been hearing from us on a regular basis that QR Codes can be a good thing for your business. But don't just take our word for it, QR Codes were recently listed as 5 Technologies Your Business Should Be Using according to BusinessNewsDaily Contributor Kim Zimmermann.

Not necessarily a new technology, but QR codes have mostly been adopted by larger companies and placed on products and in advertising. But they are easy to set up and can be used to direct potential clients to a website or personal profile that you control.

"If you're a small law office, for example, and a potential client Googles you and sees negative comments, they aren't going to sign you up to defend them,"said James Alexander, founder and CEO of Vizibility, an online identity management platform. "But sometimes the negative comments are about another firm or another person, so we help businesses with an online business card that sends users directly to the correct online identity that you share and control. People include the QR codes on their business cards, in presentation and in marketing materials and potential clients just scan the code to go to the accurate information."

The bonus: you can get reports on who scanned your QR code and follow up. 

See?  Not just us touting this technology.  Lots of companies think this is the way to promote their products or services.  As always, we're here with suggestions and advice.

Want to try it for yourself?  You can create a free QR code via our Barcode Generator or, for you developers, try the RACO Barcode API demo today and see what you can do with the power of the QR Code.  

We've talked a lot on this site about how QR codes are easy to produce and a powerful promotional tool for your business or cause.  But there's something we haven't touched on too much yet.  Creating a QR code is only half the battle.  You have to put it someplace people will notice it and also be able to scan it.  And that's inspired some businesses and organizations to get a little clever in their attempt to get people to scan their code.

If they have already bought your product, there's a ready-made place for a QR code.  Not that long ago, Taco Bell put QR codes on their products.  Makes sense.  You're staring at the cup or food box while you're eating so scanning a QR code and seeing where it leads could lead to some mealtime entertainment.  Putting QR codes on cookies sounds like it's good use of the real estate.  At least until they get eaten.

You can put the QR code on something that will already have a person's attention.  If you put a code on your presents, you'll be sure to have the attention of at least one person.  This trend would let you make the most out of small spaces, especially places where lingering eyes would go.  In the upcoming Olympic games, you'll be seeing QR codes on bikini bottoms during volleyball matches.  I guess those advertisers believe someone will be looking there.  

We've talked a lot on this space about using QR codes to promote businesses. But you can also use QR codes to tell history, as they are doing in Kent, Ohio.

QR codes — bar code-like graphics — have been placed on 11 historical landmarks around Kent. Anyone with a smart phone and a QR app reader can scan one of the codes to watch a video about the landmark.

The small square image is a great way to pack a lot of information into a small space.  Personal history, like medical history , can easily be communicated in that space.

MedFlash allows users to create an online medical profile containing their histories and other relative information. Each profile is assigned a unique code which links to the profile. The codes can be printed on anything, allowing users to place them where they feel the codes will be most useful. Connectyx opted to adopt the codes because of their ability to distribute important information quickly, which can be a boon to emergency personnel. 

You can even embed QR codes on tombstones to allow a greater representation of a person's life. Rather than just a name and the years they were born and died, a quick scan can open a page full of stories, pictures, and even video or audio of the person who passed.  A recent USA Today article gave an example of how the emerging technology is helping Edouard Garneau's friends and family remember him.

People scanning the code with their smartphones are taken to a website that includes Garneau's obituary and a photo gallery highlighting the Seattle-area businessman. They learn he was a collision auto body repair expert, a world traveler and a loving uncle. In the future, more photos and stories from family and friends can be added.

Faye Garneau recently added a QR code to the gravestone bench memorializing her husband Ed Garneau at Holyrood Cemetery in Shoreline, Wash.  "I think it's a neat deal," Faye Garneau said. "It kind of keeps people alive a little longer, down through the generations." 

As you can see, a lot of information can be contained in a little, tiny space.  Want to try it for yourself?  You can create a free QR code via our Barcode Generator or, for you developers, try the RACO Barcode API demo today and see what you can do with the power of the QR Code. 

A few months ago, we began talking about the potential of QR codes in marketing your business.  Have you started yet?  No?  Well, maybe you just need a few ideas.  Here are some of the things we've noticed lately. 

You don't have to physically be sending the barcode anywhere for it to be scanned across the country. Jimmy Fallon uses the QR code instead of an album cover.

While that may not be as pleasing to the eye as traditional album artwork, it does connect a person to whatever digital content you design.  All the viewer has to do is scan the screen and they're taken to the band's website, tour information, latest music video, or anything else they'd want their fans to experience.  There's lots of clever ways to get your message in front of consumers.  In fact, one company shaved their QR code in to the back of people's heads!

Still not enough?  Here's 5 Ways to Use QR Codes from Buzz small business magazine:

1. Add QR codes to your business cards.
2. Include QR codes in your print advertising.
3. Create a campaign to increase your social following.
4. Add QR codes to your product packaging.
5. Use QR codes for company or customer-facing events.

For good measure, there's many different types of information to embed into a QR code. Here's just a few.

• Text
• Website URL
• SMS Message
• Email Address
• Email Message
• Contact Details (VCARD)
• Event (VCALENDAR)
• Google Maps Location
• WiFi Login (Android Only)
• Paypal Buy Now Link
• Social Media
• iTunes Link
• YouTube Video

As you can see, the sky is the limit.  And if you're ready to take to your QR code marketing to the next level, here a number of next-level QR code ideas.

You can create a free QR code via our Barcode Generator or, for you developers, try the RACO Barcode API demo today and see what you can do with the power of the QR Code.

We here at RACO Industries have created over two hundred videos to help demonstrate products, show troubleshooting techniques, and point out complete data collection solutions to help your business.  These videos are just another tool we provide to help create solutions that will assist companies with inventory management, asset tracking, data collection, and other mobility applications while streamlining their business processes. Our videos have almost 400,000 views and about 1,000 times a day someone is watching one of our videos. 

The milestone video demonstrates how to create QR codes with our free barcode generator.  Just click on the video and watch to learn more.

QR (Quick Response) codes is the latest technology that allow businesses to inexpensively get a lot of information to consumers.  A QR Code is a type of two-dimensional barcode symbology with the primary aim of being a symbol that is easily interpreted by a handheld scanner or a scanning application loaded into your smartphone. QR Code is capable of handling all types of data, such as numbers, alphabetic characters, symbols, binary, and control codes. The most popular use for QR codes is for marketers to take you to a website landing page advertising special promotional content.  

You're probably saying: It is an interesting looking box but what can it do for me?  Plenty.  For example, 3 Super Advantages Of Barcoding And Barcode Scanners include speed & accuracy, ease of implementation, and getting bang for your buck. The inexpensive nature is great for small businesses but Big brands are latching on to QR Codes, too.

Consumers will be linked via the QR Code to information associated with the product, such as manufacturer details, product information, safety instructions or even video on how to use it. Unique codes will also feature on signage, aisle shelving, and even in direct mail.

There are a number of places to put a little black and white square that can allow you to share so much with your consumers.  Here's a few examples of 10 Ways You can Use QR Codes Now to improve your business:

Business cards and company literature - QR Codes can reduce the cost of in-store literature by allowing contact details and catalogs to be instantly accessed with a click.

Advertising - wherever a black and white code can be printed, or adhered to, can be turned into advertising space. It could be a temporary tattoo given out at festivals or exhibitions, a t-shirt, print ad, cinema trailer, drinks mat, napkins, till receipt, sports strip, race car, a pet's collar, vehicle livery, or even be built into the very fabric of a building, such as this QR Code hotel.

There are plenty more than just 10 ways to use QR Codes to build your business.  You can even put them on bottle caps.  Check out this CNN article for more information about using the QR code for marketing purposes.  QR codes are catching on with smartphone users so now is a great time to take advantage of this emerging trend.

You can create a free QR code via our Barcode Generator or, for you developers, try the RACO Barcode API demo today and see what you can do with the power of the QR Code.

We're pleased to introduce RACO's new web based Barcode Generator.  This easy-to-use tool allows you to create GIF, JPG, BMP and PNG barcode images with the following symbologies:  Codabar, Code 11, Code 128, Code 32, Code 39, Code 93, EAN-13, EAN-8, EAN-99, EAN-Velocity, Industrial, ISBM, UPC, Aztec Code, Semacode, QR Code, PDF417, DataMatrix, and Code 16K.  We plan on adding 20 more symbologies in 2009.  Try it out and let us know what you think.

Sample Barcodes

Here's a brief tutorial on how to use the barcode generator: