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66 Comments on The Problem with QR Codes
Hi Craig, I really enjoyed both videos. Funny, but oh so true! I used a QR code today trying to get to a website for a download that I couldn't get any other way. Other than that I haven't had to use a code all year.
Craig,
Another excellent blog. You are such a treasure for sharing all this information. Naturally, I will tweet and reblog. This information must make the rounds :)
I like Sherry's idea (#46) about taking you to a uTube video of her. I use my QR on the back of my business card as a vCard with my name, phone contact, email and website information that downloads into their phone contacts. That way they can find me when they need me and I stay in their phone.
QR codes have been out something like 18 years, without anyone knowing anything about them! So I am not sure how much they have died down. And certainly most are used less than effectively! Thanks for the heads up!
Craig, I have not seen them take off in our area with real estate other than one brokerage using them. What I have seen is their spread in consumer related things (TSA at the airport, product displays in the supermarket). I'm still thinking our area will be VERY slow to adopt them as a basic tool.
Craig, I see on other advertising but not real estate advertising here. Most of the time if I mention them, people do not know what I'm talking about.
The good news - I've yet to kill a kitten and it's not because I was using a QR code correctly. I never jumped on the QR bandwagon. That's not to suggest that I won't. It's just that I haven't made the time. Given this video, I'll now know how to use them appropriately. Thanks for sharing, Craig.
Kathy
It did seem to be a frenzy for a while, didn't it? Haven't seen a post on it lately either until yours.
Bravo Scott! Extremely well put.
That was as informative as it was hilarious! Thanks for a great post, I'm going to think twice before QR Coding anything again.
The problem with QR codes is the lack of industry guidance and standards. I work in high tech as an engineer by day and just started a mobile applicaiton development company on the side. We are developing apps for the real estate market to help home buyers and realtors.
Working in high tech, industry standards are imperitive for any technology to be implemented properly and for that technology to be deployed in mainstream markets. This is the problem with QR codes, there is no industry standard.
As an app developer, I would like to build QR code readers into our products, but unfortunately, I have no idea what is going to be in that code because the code can be anything. Therefore, it is chaos to try and deal with the code stream. Is it pictures of the home in question? Is it a link to a site of that home? Is it a website for the realtor? Is it contact info? Is it a video stream? I don't know and I have no way of knowing. Therefore, what am I supposed to do with the code stream after I read it? We can operate on the assumption that the code is a weblink and scan the stream for HTTP headers. We could scan the stream for .jpg or .mov, etc. But because the code is so flexible, it can be tough to make it responsive as I could be scanning the stream for dozens of different things before I figure out what the code actually contains.
If there was a standard pushed out by NAR or some authoritive body in the Real Estate industry that says exactly how QR codes were to be used, what data they would contain, what format the data would be in, etc. then we could easily build QR codes into our apps.
QR codes have a lot of potential and are extremely flexible which is great but that flexibility is also the source of the problem. Each industry that employs codes needs to set down some governing rules so that they can be used effectively in their industry.
Bill - it would help take off if more used them right, let's see
Christine - at least you know how NOT to use them :)
Barbara - bingo :)
Mary - glad you discovered Scott
Ginny - yes, Scott "stop and think" - I look forward to hearing what he says! :)
Iris - glad you enjoyed
Diane - Toronto-ites are qr savvy it seems, thx :)
Brian - qr codes belong in print, but we have to have a visual reason to scan them, agreed!
Melissa - scan them (retail, posters, etc) whenever you see them - you'll see good and bad examples
Dagny - terrific, isn't he? we might very well get a chance to see more of him... :)
Marc - hmmm, I might take back what I said above - I read a stat that about 5% of americans have ever used them... not an impressive stat so far
Laurie - you are very welcome, glad you liked!
Janet - good choice (at the time) - until you have a killer landing page, just say no
Sherry - youtube on biz card I like, contact info I like (saves typing), mobile friendly realbird I like - cool!
Robert/Lisa - glad you never emailed it! win? well, as R Yates says, I'll give you 50% off of some free advice :)
(anon) thanks - appreciated
Sandy - I'm glad you've at least scanned so you know how it works, I wonder how many that even create the codes never bother to look on their own phone?
Pacita - always glad when you visit my blog! :)
Doug - yes those are good uses, thx
Jay - maybe in another 18 we'll finally get it worked out :)
BLiz - retail seems to be making advances, magazine ads, posters etc I'm seeing them more often
Judi - I've done that test too - even persons I thought tech savvy had no clue (that was a while ago, maybe better now)
Kathy - until the time is right and the idea is perfect, we shall wait :)
Don - I was thinking the same
Marie - tells the truth, makes us laugh - gotta love it
Dan/Linda - thinking before coding, that's the ticket :)
Jay - good discussion on technology standards and the need for them. Perhaps a standard may come in time to scan a code and get a standard deliverable stream such as house details and photos. But as you say, unless the code is encapsulated by some standard and somebody sets the rules, it is harder for developers. Best wishes to you on your app developement - developers are the innovators! (and they help start the discussions) :)
Great talks by Scott there. He is right, there are so many agents doing it wrong that it is easy for the rest of us to do it right and get ahead.
thanks Rich - aren't you glad standing out above the crowd is still attainable - here in AR we help each other strive to make that happen! :)
Great videos. I also noticed the QR frenzy was over. I, myself, had stopped scanning them altogether, but the points he made were well taken. Next time I use one on an ad, it will be a mobile friendly site.
Craig, I've never bought into the hype of the QR codes. I've always said, and stand by it, that something else will come along and surpass it way before it catches on.
Hi Craig, going through some of your posts that I've missed...quite a few :)