QR codes, some say, are the best invention of the 21st century. They offer a unique and interactive communication method, and they can be used anywhere. However, they are still poorly understood, particularly by businesses who could use them to their advantage. This is particularly true in the commercial real estate market in Orange County. This is potentially a huge missed opportunity, particularly when you consider how easy it is to use QR codes (also known as MS tags).
What Are QR Codes?
The first thing you have to understand is what a QR code actually is.
They come to us from Japan where they are very common. QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a cell phone). They are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone.
Basically, it is bar code that is two dimensional and it enables someone to enter v-cards, which are virtual business cards. These can include a telephone number, website, text, and so on. A QR code is completely free to create, as well as being very easy, because it is “open source”. This means that any company or individual is able to create one, and that a single interface is needed to read all of the different QR codes.
This is what sets it apart from the closed Microsoft Tag technology, which closed down in 2015, because everybody can use the open source QR codes.
News that Microsoft is shutting down its Microsoft Tag service in 2015 hasn’t caused much of a stir in the technology sector, except maybe the odd “they still had that?” question that might have been muttered into a morning coffee or two. This may be because the scanned-image technology craze has not taken off as expected.
For a while, it was believed that Microsoft was on the right track by closing its tag technology, as it could enable them to better control quality. However, it was quickly demonstrated that this was not the case at all, with people looking for a quick, easy, and free advertising method that could instantly reach the world.
One of the greatest things is that both you and your potential audience only need one thing to use the technology, which is a reader application. This can be downloaded from the App Store and Play Store.
The Link Between QR Codes and Commercial Real Estate
So, it is clear that QR codes are easy to use and beneficial, but how does that apply to the world of commercial real estate in Orange County? Basically, it can ensure that your potential customers can see relevant content on their smart phones with ease. You could put a QR code on your website, which would instantly add your contact details to their phone. You can also add it to your business card, making it stand out from the crowd and again ensuring people they can have your contact details without having to manually enter them.
You could also embed video using QR codes. If you upload a video to YouTube, you will have a URL for it, and that can be embedded in the code. You could communicate certain messages that way, for instance. Or, you could create videos of properties you have on your books, enabling people to have a virtual tour. The QR code could be on your website, and also on your property brochures, for instance.
As you can see, there are some tremendous benefits to be had in using QR codes in the world of commercial real estate. Few realtors are using it yet, however, which can work in your favor. It will make you stand out from the crowd, after all.
