What's up with QR Codes, Google Place pages, and Mobile websites?

eCape • cape cod web design & marketing • 508-217-4499

What's up with QR codes?

QR stands for Quick Response

- It is one of many types of matrix

barcodes, one of which is the UPC

code

- In frequent use in Japan

- Used to help people navigate easily to a

website, video, or form from their

smartphone

- Mostly used offline in print ads, signs

http://www.ecape.com/








Presumably done to show up on

Google maps,

assuming that the photo is

anywhere near current.







Which apps to install on

your phone:

This list is at QRStuff.com

For iPhone: Optiscan

Android: Barcode Scanner




It's FREE to make a

QR code!

Go to QRStuff.com

Don't pay!




Why they're great:

• Easy way to guide people to places on the web

• Free to produce

• Can be used in many different ways




Why they're not great

• Not officially mainstream -need to have app native on mobile phones

• Need to be used in McDonald's, WalMart, and on American Idol – then

they're mainstream

• Only 6% of mobile phone users use them – mostly affluent, educated males

• They're ugly but if you pretty them up, they're not as easily recognizable




What's up with mobile websites, mobile apps, what's the difference?

• 35% of American adults own a smart phone.

• Pretty much evenly divided between Android and iPhone.

• For demographics of the typical visitor to Cape Cod, smart phone usage is more than 60%.

• People increasingly use smart phones instead of laptops when they're traveling.




There are 3 things:

1. Your website

2. A mobile version of your website You need to make sure your website displays correctly on mobile phones. You either need to tweak your existing site, or have another version which loads when people go to your site using a mobile phone.

3. A mobile application, or app A whole separate application which people have to download on their phones. It's like a very stripped-down version of your website. You need may one version for iPhone an one for Android. You probably don't need this.




Cilantromex.com on desktop computer

Cilantromex.com on mobile phone




El Rancho Grande on desktop computer

El Rancho Grande on mobile phone



What's up with Google Places & Google maps?



What's up with Google Places & Google maps?

90% of American businesses have not claimed their Google Places page – even though it's free.


Technology

What's up with QR Codes, Google Place pages, and Mobile websites?