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QR codes and small towns- is anyone in Payson, AZ scanning?

By Leslie Prest

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ

January 28, 2011 06:54 AM

We live in a very small town. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE it here. Payson, AZ is about an hour's drive from the NE part of the Phoenix metro area. We can drive down anytime we need/want to, do shopping or business or what-have-you, and easily be back home that day. We are at 5,000 ft elevation, so we are much cooler than Phoenix, we have under (WELL under) 20,000 population so our streets are fairly uncrowded and our air is clean. We LOVE Payson. With a view like this, what's not to love?

Mogollan Rim, near Payson, AZ

Well, one thing is cell phone coverage. Or, to be more precise, the POOR cell phone coverage in many areas. Then there's that a lot of our clients, for various reasons (age, anti-tech, home location, or economic), don't use cell phones much.

We manage many residential homes for rent, a few apertments, AND we handle homes for sale, working with both Sellers and Buyers. Home prices here have not fallen as dramatically as in the Phoenix area, but prices have come down. There ARE some good buys on the market right now, which would make good rentals.

What, you ask, does any of this have to do with QR codes?I think QR codes are just the greatest thing, but I've wondered JUST HOW MANY people in Payson use a smart phone which could even read one. And how many who do, have an app for the codes. I deal regularly with people who don't use even computers, and if they have a cell phone they have a basic one. Most of the people I know in town with smart phones are in real estate.

So this post is my attempt to see if any one in my area, or interested in my area, is a) USING a phone which even CAN read these things, and b) HAS the app to read them and knows what to do with it.

PLEASE, if you are anywhere near Payson, have any interest in Payson, or have any connection, and if you CAN scan the codes below, let me know. Leave a comment, email me, or otherwise contact me. I very much appreciate any feedback, and I will keep stats on what I get and post the results.

Scan with your barcode reader app on your smartphone:

Our Website, for both sales and rentals

Code below gives all our contact info

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Chris Mayr

D3 Interactive Marketing - Orlando, FL

I scanned the codes and they are great. Worked perfectly. Keep in mind that even in smaller, more remote areas, people are using cellphones and half of them are using smart phones so it doesn't hurt to add your QRs to everything you do.

Jan 28, 2011 06:57 AM

Leslie Prest

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ - Payson, AZ

Owner, Assoc. Broker, Prest Realty, Payson,

Thanks, Chris- that's what I'm trying to find out- how many people with some connection to Payson ARE using them.

Jan 28, 2011 07:00 AM

Brian Rugg

Rugg Realty LLC Sun City Texas 512-818-6700 - Georgetown, TX

Sun City TX Real Estate - Georgetown, TX Real Est

Hello Leslie:

Good for you! QR codes are cool but I have found my 55+ market is still pretty old school about things so I not (yet) been in a big hurry to adopt.

Jan 28, 2011 07:05 AM

Wallace S. Gibson, CPM

Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA

LandlordWhisperer

I think the NEXT BEST THING is on the way and the only place I have seen QR codes is on AR blogs and some juvi magazines with ads....

Jan 28, 2011 07:12 AM

Brian- I'm afraid our market may be old school, too.

Wallace- may be. I've scanned them in some ads with my Droid, thoughj, and found them very convenient.

Jan 28, 2011 07:17 AM

Larry O'Sullivan

Sandy, UT

Leslie - Like you I have an interest in QR but have had to dig out info from smart phone users asking about their use of readers. I like the fact that the Codes can used in heaps of places. I can make them easily enough, but as yet do not have my own reader. The youths at smart phone sales places usually respond with blank stares when I ask about QR capability

I hope to work them out befor they become a passing fad. I will watch your blog for response.

Jan 28, 2011 07:55 AM

Larry, I have a phone app that reads them, and I LOVE using it. Any phone that can add apps should be able to get an app that can read them. I got my app from zxing.

Evidently not many people interested in my area have any interest- only ONE local person has mentioned this post to me. I'm going to edit my post slightly so that it will maybe come up better on Google for searcjes about Payson. We'll see if it helps.

Jan 31, 2011 05:09 AM

Mike Jaquish

Realty Arts - Cary, NC

919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Leslie,

I scanned both of your codes, and both work. Couldn't get your site to open, and I am sure I got the right url.

Obviously, since smartphones are just approaching 50% market penetration, the smaller the market, the less target audience.
I am in a county of a million residents, with a better than average tech orientation, so think I will have a better payoff than you might.

And, I think we are doing QR Code work that has a 6 month to 1 year payoff ahead. If by the end of the year there isn't more adoption, then I will be thinking whether they carry value.

Another newly featured post in the ActiveRain Group, QR Codes!

Feb 01, 2011 01:14 PM

Terkel Sørensen

Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA

Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales

Leslie, I have to say that I think Mike is on track wti his comments on timeline - think of it this way - if you just got on twitter, you probably missed most of the party, but if you are getting QR codes out now... In a year, when everyone else is scrambling to get there, you will have that down and be wondering why they didn't do it sooner.

Another little data point to keep in mind. lasat quarter [Q4] saw a 58% penetration of sales of Android based mobile phones... That does not mean android has the biggest market share yet. But consider that a lot os sales also go to Iphones, it is fairly safe to say that the "dumb" phone is on it's way out. As these new phone owners start exploring the apps, they will also learn to scan, and when they do, they will be hunting for things to scan - If you are scannable, that could be you.

Finally, make sure your codes can be scanned - you can go back and look at my post on how to create scannable codes (I think you did already).

Feb 01, 2011 03:45 PM

Mike- I just checked the site, and it opens now OK. Might have been some glitch as they were updating something. I don't think many people here are using them, but I love to use them myself. If I can just click and go, it makes things so easy.

Terkel- sounds good. Scannable- you mean check that they work? The codes I posted scan just fine for me.

Feb 02, 2011 06:03 AM

Not a real person

San Diego, CA

Just stopping by to invite you to the 2nd Annual ActiveRain Super Bowl Party. Hope you’ll come and bring some friends!

Feb 06, 2011 01:05 PM

Thanks, Russel- but I was really sick all weekend.

Feb 07, 2011 04:49 AM

QR codes and small towns- is anyone in Payson, AZ scanning?

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Leslie Prest

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