QR codes are everywhere these days. They are a simple and effective way to connect with your customers and provide them with valuable information. But do you know what QR codes are, how they work, and who invented them?
In this post, I will give you a brief overview of the history and technology of QR codes, and show you how a surfschool in Castricum aan Zee used them to enhance their marketing strategy.
QR codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can store a lot of data in a small space. They were invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, a researcher at Denso Wave, a Japanese company that is a subsidiary of Toyota. Hara’s team was tasked with creating a barcode that could easily track car parts in the manufacturing process with much more data than the traditional barcodes.
A QR code consists of black and white squares arranged in a square grid, with some special patterns that help the scanner to recognise and orient the code. The data in the QR code can be encoded in four different modes: numeric, alphanumeric, byte, and kanji.
The data can be anything, such as a text, a URL, a phone number, a vCard, or a Wi-Fi password. The QR code can also have different levels of error correction, which allow it to be scanned even if it is damaged or distorted.
To scan a QR code, you need a smartphone with a camera and a QR code reader app. Some smartphones have a built-in QR code scanner in their camera app or browser. When you point your camera at the QR code, the app will decode the data and perform the corresponding action, such as opening a webpage, dialing a number, or connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
The owner of this surf school in Castricum aan Zee, The Netherlands a coastal town in the Netherlands, understood the power of these QR codes to boost their business.
The QR codes they use links to various parts of their website, where the customers can find more information about the surf school, such as the services, prices, location, and contact details. The website also had a booking system, where the customers can reserve a surf lesson or rent a surfboard online.
The QR code is an amazing marketing tool that can help you grow your business and connect with your customers.
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