Almost everybody has seen them and remembers them maybe because they are so ugly. Now there is even a movement to make them prettier. 

 

But the bottom line is how long will it take before QR codes become the latest tool for people who want to distribute malware in the form of Trojans?

 

But first, what do you think of our new QR code? I promise is points directly to our website with our latest product on increasing your sales so don't click on it unless you are interested in more customers.

 

Here is the black & white version as well as the blue colour version and they both point to the same location!

 

 

Bottom line is the QR code is simply a 2-dimensional barcode that converts into a link or URL (URL means uniform resource locator, which in turn points to an IP address which is a string of numbers that is the real destination location of the page.) The interpreter uses your camera on your phone as a type of scanner, and it is quite convenient that you can take a picture of an image and get directed to a website.

 

These barcodes is simply a machine readable font hiding the URL that hides an IP address that points to a website. That's a lot of hiding. 

 

In your online marketing strategy, having a QR code is great idea. You can have it printed, stand it on your table or booth at a trade show and people can almost instantly snap a photo of it and get access to your website via their smart phone. It works great.

 

Similarly, if you follow the path of a QR code that is not legit, you could find yourself in any number of misleading locations and may even find yourself the recipient of malware on your smart phone or computer. Not fun. 

 

Use QR codes in your marketing to connect your offline marketing with your online marketing and keep it clear by letting people know exactly what they are getting when they click.