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You’ve probably seen QR (Quick Response) codes on magazine and newspaper pages, billboards,kiosks, T-shirts, business cards, product packaging, brochures, nametags, menus, tickets, receipts,Web pages, email signatures, and other locations.

But what are they exactly? 
For businesses, these square shaped codes are potential marketing tools that carry little financial risk but steer anyone with a camera enabled smartphone or tablet directly to videos, blog posts, coupons, social network pages, contact information, maps, free downloads, and other marketing material.
Read on to discover how QR codes are helping companies tout themselves and their products.

The Code’s Need:
Many top mobile marketing companies like 2ergo (www.2ergo.com) says, QR codes are attractive marketing tools because codes are cheap to create and they work with all smartphones.

CEOs of these companies says “They are an easy way to engage customers on the go and to connect the offline and online worlds,” adding that QR codes eliminate the user’s need to type a mobile Web site’s URL or remember keyword or shortcode combinations.

Compared to one-dimensional barcodes that are scanned horizontally, QR codes are 2D and scanned horizontally and vertically, meaning they can embed much more data, including thousands of alphanumeric characters.

Two public examples of QR code usage include the Transportation Security Administration’s use of QR codes on airport checkpoint signs to provide passengers information about screening procedures and Wikimedia recently enabling the ability to use a QR code to send a mobile-friendly version of a Wikipedia article to a smartphone in the user’s own language.

The Tools For Creation And Reading:
A simple Web search for “QR code generator” returns scads of free and paid options for creating QR codes that a smartphone or tablet with a camera and reader app can read. Apps are available for all the major smartphone platforms, and many smartphones can scan codes out of the box. Once a code is scanned, the app executes whatever action the code contains, such as opening a mobile Web page offering a company coupon. Using a Web site analytics tool, such as Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics), you can track the Web traffic that QR code is generating.

Free QR Code generators are available through several sources with the www.Kaywa.com generator being a common option.www.QRstuff.com and www.Qurify.com are two additional options with formats available in link, text, video, and phone number styles. Generating QR codes with the free software only requires selection of the code style and entry of the data. After you generate the code, the software shows the code and provides separate embed and HTML codes for easy application. Simply incorporate the embed code or HTML code into your website, business card program or other software to place the code in strategic positions.

Additional free QR generators can be found at:
• Azon Media
• ZXing
• BeeTagg
• Online QR Lab
• Delivr
The most effective ways to use QR code would be in the context of mobile marketing and having a mobile user experience that is optimized for small screen sizes and makes sense to the consumer Qr Codes can be placed anywhere you would like someone to interact with your brand or product.

Tips for Code Creators:
General advice when creating QR codes includes: