What is a QR code and what is it for?

QR codes have experienced exponential growth since the advent of Covid-19. This is because this technology has enabled businesses to display their entire portfolio of products and services in a digitised and secure way, but its uses go far beyond that. Read on to find out more!

What is a QR code?

A QR code, or quick response, is the evolution of conventional barcodes. Although they differ from these, mainly because of their visual aspect, as QR codes have their characteristic square shape. These codes allow us to store basic information such as a URL, a telephone number, parameters to connect to a WIFI network or even a text of less than 350 characters.

We can distinguish between two types of QR codes, static and dynamic:

• A static QR code cannot be changed once it is configured as they are always composed of the same information. They are ideal for personal use or for identification of employees or persons, technical registration of products, among others.
• On the other hand, the dynamic ones are linked to a short URL, where all the information can be found. This allows the content to be modified as many times as needed, making it the best option for commercial uses.

How does a QR code work?

In general terms, QR codes consist of a series of black and white squares that do not appear randomly but are part of an encoding of the data it stores. They work because of the elements that make them up:

• Firstly, we have the identifiers, which allow us to differentiate each version of the technology.
• On the other hand, the format gives us the keys to its configuration, allowing the QR to be read even when it is slightly damaged.
• The specific data contained in the code. In other words, the information.
• Finally, the positioning patterns tell us which is the correct direction of the code.

How is it used?

To decode a QR, as you know, you need a device with a camera that can scan them. Nowadays, many devices have this functionality built into their cameras, although if they don't, there are a wide variety of applications that can help us in this regard.

To get a device to read this type of code, simply point the camera in the direction of the QR code and wait for the information to be processed. After that, a predefined image, file or URL will open.

How can I make the most of it for my company?

Before the pandemic, QR codes were most seen on airline tickets, shows, movies, and more. Now, however, more and more businesses have implemented this type of technology to promote sales, for example, to increase the information on a product or to show a restaurant menu.

The most common functions of QR codes are as follows:

• Open a web page in a browser.
• Open a location on Google Maps.
• Send an email with key information for the recipient.
• View an image.
• Download a file in PDF format.
• Open the App Store or Play Store to download a specific application.

With this in mind, you can take advantage of these uses to increase downloads of your application, increase your sales with coupons, promote an event or simply to stand out from the competition by providing useful information about your business.

How to create a QR code?

The process to create this type of codes is very simple, we only need a QR code generator. There are plenty of options that will allow you to generate the ones you need, for example: QRCodeGenerator, GOQR.me, Visualead, QRCode-Pro, Unitag, among many others. These are just some of the most popular ones.

Normally, when creating it, you will be asked to insert a URL, a text or an image and finally create the code with the information you want to share. This can be saved in image format (JPG) or as a vector file (.SVG).