You may have noticed these strange pixelated squares cropping up all over the place. They’re called QR codes and work in a similar way to bar-codes allowing users to get information by just scanning a code (most smart phones will have a free QR code reader app). However QR codes are much more useful than bar codes, the main reason being that all the information is actually held on the QR code – a bar-code needs to refer to a database to deceiver the code, if your item isn’t on the database it won’t be identified.

So how do you create one? Although they look complicate, they’re easy to create using an online application.

1. Visit http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
2. Pick the relevant option from the drop down
3. Fill in the required fields
4. Select the size and click Generate
5. Download the QR code or use the URL supplied

They can be used for almost anything and are worth considering for promoting your business and website. A popular use is to direct the visitor to a special offer or free gift only accessible via the QR. Another good use is to use them to generate more interest in social media, for example send someone to your Facebook page, if they “like” the page they will then receive Facebook updates from you giving you even more exposure.