Posts Tagged ‘smartphone’
Facebook is diving into the Geotargeting world. Google already has multiple tools tied to this technology. Foursquare and Gowalla are the current internet hotties, mostly because the strength of their location-based API’s are so intriguing. But what does this mean and why should you care? Well, for one thing, it takes the vastness of the internet and localizes it for business and personal use.
Case in point. You’re driving around an area looking for an interesting restaurant. You’d love to have a library of options at your fingertips but too many choices, especially irrelevant ones, are just as useless as none at all. So you push one simple button on your mobile phone and maybe add in the price range you’re looking for. And, oh, you’re in the mood for Thai food. As Emeril would say, BAM! You have the top options right there on your mobile phone, along with reviews. But that’s only the beginning. You also see who you know that’s eating there right now, how long the wait is, and what the specials are for that evening. And because your phone knows where you ate last night, last week, last month, it gives you a comparison in terms of how much you spent, and how many people who ate at the other places you ate at also ate at the restaurant options currently showing on your mobile phone.
This is a basic Geotargeting service that’s been around for a few years now. In the tech world it’s no longer a big deal. But the most important part of this technology is just now being realized, as people become more and more overwhelmed with the vast amount of information available to them (usually for free) online. When it comes to needing/doing things locally, this takes the online world and narrows it down to something as small as a neighborhood block.
Stop for a moment and think about how that can help your business. This technology not only allows them to find you, but you to find them. Hmmm…. Opportunity? We think so.
You’ve seen them. They look like something from The Matrix. You may not know what they’re about, but their popularity (and cost effectiveness) is growing quickly. From a commercial perspective, it’s called “mobile tagging”.
QR is short for Quick Response, because they can be read quickly by a mobile phone through its camera. They are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone – this can be links, videos, text, photos and more.
QR codes are generally more useful than a standard bar code because they can store much more data. Most smart phones can scan and convert them in milliseconds. (Don’t have a smart phone yet? You will)
Why put a QR code on a T-shirt? So people can scan it and find out everything about you that you want them to know. Age, lifestyle, job, favorite color – you name it.
Why put it on the window of a car for sale? So all the info a manufacturer and/or dealer wants the consumer to know about that car is delivered in the very best way. Video, audio, whatever. It’s the ultimate salesperson perfected via modern technology.
Ever been house shopping? You drive by a house and pick up a flyer, if they’re not already gone. You want more information than what the flyer tells you, and you want it while you’re in front of the house. So you scan the QR on the mailbox. Boom. 360 walk around, info on offers already made on the house, details way too long to fit on a flyer but still wanted by the potential buyer. It’s all right there.
Yes. Very sci-fi. But just like most other technology, it’s coming at you whether you want to embrace it or not. So why not be an early adopter in your industry and benefit from the additional business that will no doubt be waiting for you?
For more information you can check out QR at Wikipedia.
