Like all marketing tools business cards are evolving. Businesses are now using QR Codes to direct customers to their websites.

With advancements in the internet, social media and mobile phones, plain old business cards are no longer an effective tool without tapping into the new technological sector.

Business cards preform the task of informing recipients about your business providing them with details even following the 2000s with an email or website address. As times are changing, marketers need to consider that new approach to business cards is needed.

Businesses are now going mobile using QR Codes to direct customers to their websites by the snap of a camera on their phones. This QR Code is a matrix barcode that is read by QR scanners, camera apt mobile and smartphones.

The code consists of black pigments on a white background encrypted with the necessary information such as a URL for customers or clients to be driven to your online site. These QR codes can easily be created using numerous online QR Code generators.

By attaching the small barcode encrypted with the customised QR Code to your business card you can link the URL to a website or social media platform of your choice.

This barcode has the potential to link a specific web page created just for people scanning your business card. This also can extend to directing people to your CV or other platforms like LinkedIn if your job hunting.

These barcodes are not only necessarily for business cards but can be placed on posters, pamphlets or even other advertising methods. It seems that this is providing an opportunity for a widely cheap form of advertising not only for your business but for yourself too.

Furthering Online Advertising

Businesses should also bear in mind that there are other types of barcodes. The Microsoft Tag consists of multi-coloured triangles containing information.

The advantage of this barcode is that you are able to create as many tags as you want and divide them into selected categories that do various things like displaying text, opening a web page and importing contact data.

You can also track how many people make use of your barcode. However, the multi-coloured platform can seem visually overbearing.

Another type of barcode is the Data Matrix Code. This barcode consists of black and white cells arranged in a rectangular or square pattern. The encoded information can range from raw data to text. This barcode is quite similar to the QR Code.

This is another example of how mobile technology is changing the way traditional business methods are done. Especially in terms of African business this could create an opportunity as the mobile phones sector is the fastest growing market.

Businesses need to release that the business card is not dead but has rather transformed to meet the current market place. Businesses need to embrace the technological advancements to alleviate awkward situations when asked “Where is your barcode?”

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