Should Q.R. Codes be on your 2011 list?

Yes, it is getting toward the end of the year - time to start thinking about how well you did from a tech standpoint in 2010 and also time to consider what is the "next big thing" on your list.

Over the course of the last few months there has been a ton of talk about Q.R. codes in real estate. I am pretty sure you have seen them (and may not have even noticed) ...but if not it is the square thing up above the text of this blog.

Just a quick education. Q.R. (Quick Response) codes were originally designed by the Japanese as a way to quickly handle inventory management. Over time people realized the implications these square boxes could have for mobile computing (especially as the number of smart phone users started to multiply). After a few firms started creating easy-to-use Q.R. code readers the technology started to boom.

A Q.R. Code allows people with smart phones to scan the square and have something happen. For example, they can scan the code and be directed to a web page, or they can scan the code and have an email sent to them. Some of the more interesting applications are having them scan the code in order to qualify for a promotion or be counted in a poll. Needless to say the possibilities are endless.

Two articles for you to read:

Hamilton Chan at Mashable - Why the Best Online Marketing May Be Heading Offline

Jonathan Osman at the YPN Lounge - Show Me Your Barcode!

So what should you be thinking about in your 2011 plan?
1. If you don't already have a smart phone, it's time to make the move. According to Neilsen there will be more smart phone users than traditional phone users in the United States next year...you need to be one of them. Whatever brand you want (although I am still not willing to recommend Blackberry) just as long as you can get apps and manage content.

2. If you have a smart phone, make sure you have Q.R. reader software installed. My new personal fav is something called BeeTagg - with ScanLife a close second. Go to your app store or market and get one of these (note...if you are an iPhone user and want BeeTagg make sure you get the Pro version).

3. Start scanning tags. They are around if you look for them. You can scan right off the computer screen - so scan the one on this post if you really can't find another nearby. See what happens when you scan them, and think about how you could use it in your business.

4. DON'T SPEND MONEY. Please don't run out and start signing contracts with every vendor that shows you a Q.R. code and promises to make you "stand out from the crowd" or tells you the technology is too hard for you to learn. It is not expensive (actually it is free)to create a Q.R. code, and with a small bit of learning (which I know Stefanie has already put into her 2011 plans) you can be up and running on your own.

Now I know I often tell you what you should be doing in 2011 - it's only fair that I tell you what I am working on as it relates to Q.R. codes at CBHearthside.

1. Mobile display of property data - since a Q.R. code usually points to a web site, we want our site to display the data in the right format. While most browsers can display the site already (I use CBHearthside.com on my Droid all the time) it is not as user-friendly as a specifically-designed mobile site. With that in mind we are going to redesign our mobile display with specific mobile URLs you can use when you want to point consumers to your listing data via Q.R. code.

2. Deeper integration of video - while Google and Apple still fight about YouTube and video standards it is still pretty well accepted that video will make it to your smart phone more in 2011. I already find myself watching video on my phone when I need additional info, and I am sure consumers will do it more next year too - so we will continue to provide ways for you to embed video and point users to that content in several different ways.

3. Possible integration of GPS - this has been a tough one, because not all the MLSs we deal with offer us what we need to get it done. That said, it is important and we will spend some of our time and money to make it work more effectively.