QR Codes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Bob Frankston" <BobF () Frankston com>
Date: August 2, 2009 11:51:57 AM EDT
To: "'Dewayne Hendricks'" <dewayne () warpspeed com>, "'Dewayne-Net  
Technology List'" <xyzzy () warpspeed com>
Cc: <dave () farber net>, "'Steve Goldstein'" <steve.goldstein () cox net>,  
"'Lee Dryburgh'" <lee () ecomm ec>
Subject: QR Codes

The article cited below highlights the problems with using the DNS –  
searching is indeed more effective. Making humans type URLs is out  
odds with making them rich (or deep) links. The article focuses on the  
marketer’s perspective – but then it’s easy to view the Internet is  
merely a marketer’s paradise.

QR codes are a lot more than just URL replacements. A good example of  
using QR codes is http://alk.com/copilot/android/ which displays codes  
for purchasing the app. When will we see the first TV add with QR codes?

The QR codes can be up to 4000 characters (if you are willing to use  
large ones). They disintermediate the companies who are attempting to  
make money by merely being in the middle of transactions. So much for  
the “mobile” companies that though they had another bonanza like SMS  
and ring codes in which they could make money by merely squatting in  
the middle. Unlike UPC and many other bar codes you don’t need a third  
party to translate the code. (OK, if you use a URL you do need that  
darn DNS).

QR Codes originated in Japan but what is making them more interesting  
in the US are indeed the iPhone and Android apps. What’s nice is that  
unlike other schemes they don’t have to be “phones” – you don’t need  
to hook into the byzantine cellular infrastructure.

Even better is having a library so you can make it part of other apps  
and not just for URLs. I downloaded an open source QR Code library  
(from http://www.codeproject.com) and am experimenting with generating  
my own codes including one that’s on the back of my business card  
(that’s the advantage of printing my own).

The idea isn't exactly new -- twenty years ago Xerox started putting  
bar codes on documents and we've had a number of schemes but it had to  
await more open technologies. What makes these codes very interesting  
is that they are visible – no need to align IR beams or setup  
Bluetooth relationships or even connect via radios and no need for  
third parties to monetize the translations.

Separately I lament the use of short URLs since it creates a brittle  
dependency on third parties. The SMS restrictions internalized in  
twitter are a large part of the problem. It’s bad enough that sites go  
down but now we have these third parties sitting in the middle making  
the web even more unlikely to unravel (and I do wonder what those  
sites do with all the valuable knowledge that passes through them).   
Too bad HTML Lite (http://www.frankston.com/?name=HTMLLite) has been  
slow to happen -- too many people are still stuck with faux teletypes  
that chop URLs and mail readers that don’t unchop them.

-----Original Message-----
From: dewayne-net [mailto:dewayne-net () warpspeed com] On Behalf Of  
Dewayne Hendricks
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 00:30
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Superb article:" 4 technologies that are  
killing the URL"

[Note:  This item comes from friend Steve Goldstein.  DLH]

From: Steve Goldstein <steve.goldstein () cox net>
Date: August 1, 2009 6:36:54 PM PDT
To: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Subject: Superb article:" 4 technologies that are killing the URL"

Dewayne,

My attention was invited to this superb and eye-opening (at least for
me) article on another list that I read.  I commend it to all your
readers (including the really intelligent and enlightening comments).

<http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23912.asp>

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:
Search engines and browsers elevate solid search marketing strategies
over mere URLs
URL shortening services negate the branding of your web address
QR codes and image recognition technologies represent the URL killers
of the future

N.B., I downloaded a free QR reader application (QRapp) to my iPhone
and scanned the QR code in the above article right from my computer
screen (using the app on my iPhone), and it brought me to www.doseofdigital.com
  So, it worked right off the bat! What was additionally instructive
was the information given for several of the QR (2-D code) readers
apps on the iPhone.  For example, not having visited Japan for more
than 10 years, I did not know that one could have a 2-D code
downloaded to one's smart phone for use as an admission ticket that
could be read at the ticket gate for admission to a paid event.

--Steve

========================================================


Excerpts:

There are several different technologies, all currently converging,
that are contributing to the growing obsolescence of URLs. Here's a
look at the most important ones, as well as the implications for
marketers.

Eighty percent of all online sessions begin with search. Google alone
has a 63.7 percent share of all searches. Some quick math tells me
that this means that just over half of the time someone starts an
online session, they open to Google and begin to search. Bottom line:
Most of the time people go online, they start with a search -- and
don't type in your URL.

Implications
Instead of typing in your URL and ending up on your site, people are
using search engines to find what they are looking for. The question
is: Will they find you? You might not like the answer.

It turns out that the top three listings on a search engine results
page account for approximately 63 percent of all clicks. That is,
about two-thirds of the time, people look no further than the first
three listings before clicking. So, clearly that's the place to be.

Furthermore, you've got to be in the top two in order to really be
seen. The No. 3 result gets only an 8.44 percent click-through rate
compared to a 42.3 percent click-through rate for the No. 1 listing.
After No. 3, the numbers drop even more dramatically. Result No. 11,
the first result on page two of your search results, has a click-
through rate of 0.66 percent. The click-through then drops as follows:

No. 21 (top of page 3): 0.29 percent
No. 31 (top of page 4): 0.12 percent
No. 41 (top of page 5): 0.07 percent
I think you get the point. If you're off the first page, you pretty
much don't exist.

..

Do you recognize the below image? If you live in the U.S., chances are
that you don't. If you live in Japan, you probably do. It's a QR code.
In the U.S., these are rarely used, though they are popping up here
and there. In other countries, it's a different story. QR codes are
used in a lot of different advertising situations.

<IMAGE OF A QR 2-D CODE>

You'll notice that there is no URL written anywhere on the image. What
QR codes allow you to do is take your mobile phone, snap a photo of
the code (called "tagging"), and instantly be sent to the right web
address. No typing, no risk of an incorrectly entered URL -- just a
camera phone and web access. Phones in the U.S. typically don't come
installed with the necessary software to read these codes, but you can
install it if you'd like, or download an app if you've got an iPhone.

..

As you may have noticed, QR codes aren't necessarily pretty. New
technology is being developed so that instead of snapping a picture of
a QR code, people can just snap an image of your product or logo and
immediately be sent to a web address. It would work the same as a QR
code, but marketers wouldn't have to print terrible-looking code onto
their packaging or ads.

Regardless, though, back to the point of this article: With QR codes
and similar future technologies, your branded URL does not appear.

Implications
There are a lot of ways companies can leverage this technology,
especially if they are not solely in the U.S., where QR code usage is
pretty low. In Western Europe and Japan, these codes are ubiquitous,
making these types of campaigns pretty commonplace.

Consider that the first major brand to widely use QR codes in the U.S.
is probably going to garner some additional PR for its campaign simply
because of the novelty of the technology. The brand could create
further buzz by adding a little mystery to the campaign. Instead of
explicitly saying what the product is, you might only include a
message and the QR code. People might go out of their way to figure
out what the campaign was all about. For example, in the grocery aisle
with the pasta sauce, a brand like Tide laundry detergent might put up
a shelf ad that simply says, "In case of a spill..." Along with the
text, there could be a QR code that takes people to a specific page on
the Tide site that discusses how well the product works on tomato
sauce stains. (This may not be the most creative idea out there, but
that's off the top of my head -- and you get the picture.)

In addition, you can include QR codes on print materials for those who
might want to get additional information. You can only include so much
information in a printed brochure, but with a QR code, someone could
"tag" the code and instantly be transported to a demonstration video
or product reviews. Print is suddenly interactive once again.

Conclusion
New technologies are changing even the most basic pieces of the online
experience, including the URL. As people continue to use URLs
differently -- or circumvent them altogether -- marketers have to
ensure that they are keeping up and matching their marketing with how
customers are using digital technologies. Amending your URL strategy
is one simple but essential way to keep up with your customers.
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