QR Code Project Blog

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

September 2016 UDI Deadline Looms for Medical Device Manufacturers

PRINT2D provides UDI label verification program.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set September 24, 2016 as the third key compliance date in the UDI final rule. This rule, when fully implemented, will adequately identify medical devices through their distribution and use. The label of most devices will include a unique device identifier (UDI) in human and machine-readable form.

Read full article > https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/september-2016-udi-deadline-looms-medical-device-philip-warbasse

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

QR Codes come to Duke University

Duke University Statues Come Alive with Technology

PRINT2D, a print-to-digital agency, is proud to provide 2D bar code consulting for Duke University Library's campus statue program. Statues, paired with a mobile bar codes, come alive when scanned - offering users details via a mobile audio page and image gallery detailing their history. The program will launch this Spring 2016.

Friday, July 17, 2015

End the Summer Slump - Mobile Marketing Tips for Small Business

Summer Doesn't Have to be Your Slow Season

Summer is upon us and many small business owners assume there is not much they can do to generate sales when people are out-of-town, on vacation. The truth is there are plenty of consumers out there. The trick is to give them what they want, while giving yourself what you need.

It Starts with a Selfish Mindset

Successful business comes down to being able to give your customers what they want when they want it. So, when it comes to creating a successful marketing plan for the summer, the first question you should ask yourself is "what do I need for this marketing campaign to do for me?" In this particular instance, being selfish is not about holding something back, but rather, having a clear vision of what you need to do to increase your bottom line during slow periods. Below are working examples of à la carte options you can use in a mobile web page to achieve this.

RESTAURANT - If you run a restaurant and your goal is to bring in a late night crowd - use a text engine relay (aka SMS) to extend happy hour pricing. For example, "show this text message to recieve happy hour prices until 11pm tonight only". Note: This works without knowing your customers phone number. Include social media and Map It! - so they know where to find you.
BOUTIQUE - If you own a retail boutique and you want to reward loyal customers - use opt-in email or SMS to reach them with a digital coupon.
DEALERSHIP - If you manage an auto dealership and your goal is to sell more cars - use streaming videos and image galleries along with Click-to-Call to help people get in touch with you.
NON-PROFIT - If you run a non-profit agency and your goal is to increase awareness and donations - use mobile YouTube and PayPal tie-ins along with opt-in email to get people on board.
DOCTOR / PRACTITIONER - If you run a busy doctor's office or clinic and your goal is to provide a nice experience for your waiting patients - use radio station tie-ins (scan code if not already on mobile device) to help them relax and social media to help them share the experience with their friends.
SPECIAL EVENT - If you are promoting a special event or grand opening and you want to increase foot traffic - use social media, digital coupons and GeoLocation (scan code if not already on mobile device) to help them find you from their current location.
HOTEL / RESORT - If you manage a resort or hotel and you want to achieve maximum capacity - use social media, mobile reservations and a mobile feedback form to gauge your visitors experience.
PROFESSIONAL - If you are a working professional who wants to establish your image - use social media along with an introduction video on mobile YouTube to leave users with a good impression.

More Mobile Calls-to-Action

The above examples represent just a few of the ways you can use mobile features to generate more interest and income during the slow summer months. See the full line-up of PRINT2D mobile calls-to-action and let us know how we can help.

Summer Slump Sale in Action

Save 30% off all PRINT2D services now through the end of August. TEXT print2d TO 368266 (DOTCOM)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Mobile Websites Only

Directing consumers on smartphones to non-mobile content can make for a long and frustrating journey - leaving your message and brand stranded along the proverbial information superhighway. When it comes to smartphone advertising, it's not the journey, it's the destination that matters most. Consumers using smartphones expect immediate gratification. Make the user-experience worth their while - make it mobile.

Friday, January 23, 2015

The five most common mistakes advertisers make with QR Code advertisements

It's not just about the code

It's not just about the code. QR Codes have received a bad reputation for disappointing users who have had a poor experience after scanning them. Yet, by directing the user to some form of content, the code has served its purpose. Only in the event that a code doesn't scan (mistake #2) should it be the focal point of concern. In most cases, I have found, that it is the content that should receive the majority of the scrutiny. Keeping that in mind, here are the five most common mistakes advertisers make with QR Codes.

The five most common mistakes advertisers make with QR Code advertisements are:

There is no testing before roll-out, otherwise, I would not be making the next four points. Always test your codes and mobile campaigns on as many different mobile devices as possible before you go live. For example, poorly created Designer QR Codes may scan on an iPhone, but not an Android or Blackberry.
There is no call-to-action, offer or incentive to scan the code. In almost all cases, there should be some from of instruction accompanying each code letting the user know what to expect.
Code will not scan - The code has been improperly designed, printed or applied. Understanding the constraints of QR Codes will help you avoid mistakes. Code size, density, color, contrast and substrate for printing all must be considered.
Content to which the code points is not mobile-friendly or easy to browse on a mobile device. Knowing people are going to use a smartphone to scan the code, why would you direct them to anything less than a mobile optimized experience? Make sure your layout and content are mobile-friendly.
Codes are placed in areas with no connectivity. Make sure your campaigns can be accessed in the actual areas you plan to advertise. Again, this goes back to testing #1.

A rebirth for QR Codes

There is a second wave of interest in QR Codes among big brands, especially in package design. Brands don't see bar codes going away anytime soon and they are benefiting on everything from Postal discounts to better user engagement by using them.
In closing, there's a lot more to QR Codes than meets the eye. Understanding how to use them to engage users correctly goes a long way in determining how useful your audience will find them to be.

See original blog post Jan 23, 2015 by Philip Warbasse
http://www.print2d.com/dt/about_blog9.shtml

Thursday, June 5, 2014

QR codes and the Real Estate Industry - A good mix?

IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LOOK AT THEM

Recently, I was asked "why QR codes in the Real Estate Industry have not taken off?" There are a few reasons which vary from agent to agent and from consumer to consumer. On one side you have the agent's desired consumer response and on the other you have the home buyer's technical expectations - respectively.

DESIRED RESPONSES

When it comes to how Real Estate agents prefer to sell homes, most fall into one of two categories. Some think it is better to make as much information available to the home buyer up front, so they can better target truly interested consumers who are less likely to waste their time and resources. From these agents you'll see everything from 360 degree videos, online image galleries, even virtual walk-throughs. In this scenario, agents use Tech to distance themselves from the perspective home buyer in order to help qualify them first.
On the flip side, other agents wish to use a more personal approach from the start. These agents prefer to meet all potential home buyers in person, so they can demonstrate their industry knowledge and personal knowledge of the actual home, in order to help build a personal relationship.
Neither of these approaches is right or wrong - it comes down to what each agent is more comfortable with. Additionally, home buyers think the same way - some appreciate a personal touch, while others like a more "hands off" approach.

TECHNICAL EXPECTATIONS

On the Tech side, it comes down to execution and delivery. In my experience, most Real Estate agents use QR Codes wrong - generating codes which point to non-mobile experiences and tracking the code to determine the effectiveness of their strategy by measuring the scan rate instead of the actual user experience. Using this scenario, an agent will see that 100 people scanned their code the day before and wonder why nobody called. In short, they provide poor mobile engagement and focus on the wrong data. This is nothing new and as result, QR Codes on Real Estate signs and newspaper ads have become, in many ways, a parody of themselves.

GETTING IT RIGHT

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Agents whom I have worked with through my agency PRINT2D™ use QR Codes in the way they were intended (to serve as a convenient on-ramp to mobile content and nothing more). They use them consistently and have seen an improvement in home sales by ~15% to 20% over the course of a year. The advice I give them is to always pair QR Codes with a clear call-to-action, always consider connectivity issues and, above all, always direct mobile consumers to mobile content.

Original blog post found online at http://www.print2d.com/dt/about_blog8.shtml

Thursday, May 15, 2014

25 Designer QR Codes Gauranteed to Scan and Resolve Correctly

Form Follows Function with designer Philip Warbasse's 5 stage process to validate Designer QR Codes. Here are 25 Designer QR Codes guaranteed to scan.