By Rieva Lesonsky
Is your business using 2D codes yet? If you don’t even know what 2D codes are, don’t worry—you’re not alone. 2D codes are the little, square black-and-white images (kind of like a scrambled-up bar code) that you may have seen in stores or in magazines. You scan the codes using a smartphone to be taken to a website for additional information.
Many consumers have not used the codes yet, but with smartphones becoming more prevalent, businesses that want to be on the cutting edge should start learning about 2D codes now. Mashable.com recently took a look at some ways 2D codes can be used to drive business.
2D codes is a generic term for codes that are available from a range of providers including Datamatrix, EZ Code, Microsoft Tag, QR Code, SPARQCode and ScanLife. To get started using them as a marketing tool, you’ll need to help customers along by putting some text under the code that tells users where to get a 2D code reader (they need to install this on their phones) and how to scan the code.
Here are a few of the places Mashable suggests adding 2D codes:
▪ On your website: Put a 2D code on your Contact page and users can download your contact information to their phones.
▪ On your business cards: With a 2D code on your card, people can quickly download your contact information.
▪ In-store: Place signage with a 2D code that drives customers in your store to a special discount clerks can scan at the register.
▪ On your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter page: Use 2D codes on your social media pages to position your business as cutting edge.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure the 2D code takes your users to something valuable. The best 2D campaigns, according to Mashable, are those that further drive engagement. In other words, don’t send users to a static page on your site—send them to a page where they can interact with your business by:
- Downloading an app
- Watching a video (Sports Illustrated magazine used 2D codes to drive users to bonus video of photo shoots from its swimsuit edition
- Obtaining something special that’s not available to all visitors, such as a discount code
- Getting more information about a product with a link to buy it instantly
- Getting real-time data such as delivery time or order status
To get started with 2D codes, download a reader yourself and start using it to see what companies similar to yours are offering. Mashable recommends readers from BeeTagg.com, i-nigma.com and ScanLife.com, but you can also do an Internet search for 2D Code Reader to find other good sites.
Right now, 2D codes are being used primarily by bigger businesses, but there’s a lot you can learn from them. According to Mashable, 2D reader use quadrupled in the past year, so this tool isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s up to you to figure out how to make the most of it.
Image by Flickr user Ross (Creative Commons)
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