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 QR Codes [from Dynamic Book Marketing 2026 by Sheri Hauser]

10 Fun and Interesting QR Code Facts To Know

https://bitly.com/blog/qr-code-facts/

QR Codes are an integral part of offline interactions between consumers and brands. These pixelated shapes transport consumers to your online content in just seconds. All you need is a quick scan with a mobile phone camera to unlock the power of a QR Code.

But did you know that these unique codes have a rich history? In the three decades that QR Codes have been around, businesses and individuals have used them in a variety of different ways to connect online and offline content. 

Curious? Take a look at these ten interesting facts about QR Code usage.

Quick Response Codes, QR Codes for short, are 2D barcodes with a pixelated pattern, often square-shaped and black-and-white. These codes link to specific web pages or digital content. 

One of the unique benefits of QR Codes is that you don’t need a special barcode scanner to read them. All you need is the camera on your smartphone or another web-connected mobile device. Scan the code with your camera, and the corresponding link will open in your web browser.

Although QR Codes have been around for decades, they became particularly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants, especially, used them to offer contactless menus and payment options. 

Although social distancing measures are no longer in place, many establishments still use QR Code payments and menus for convenience and sustainable hospitality.

QR Codes are also an effective offline marketing tool. Brands can include QR Codes on billboards, flyers, print ads, business cards, and other physical marketing assets to link to an online landing page.

10 fun facts about QR Codes

Want to go beyond QR Code basics and learn more about this technology? Here are ten fun facts you should know about QR Codes.

1. QR Codes were created in Japan by Denso Wave

While people tend to think of QR Codes as thoroughly modern technology, they’ve actually been around since the early 1990s. They were created by Denso Wave, a subsidiary of a Japanese company that manufactures auto components. 

The company needed a way to track auto parts during the assembly process. An employee named Masahiro Hara came up with the idea for QR Codes in 1994 while playing the game Go.

Standard barcodes weren’t effective for auto manufacturing. They were difficult to scan, which slowed production down. Also, they could only store a limited amount of data, which meant that manufacturers often needed to use multiple barcodes for a single part. The square size and shape of QR Codes helped solve this problem.

While the technology originated in Japan, it eventually spread to other parts of the world. Throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s, companies around the world used QR Codes as part of the manufacturing process. However, it wasn’t until the advent of smartphones that companies began using consumer-facing QR Codes.

Today, QR Code technology is in use globally. They remain very popular in Japan and have become widespread in the United States, China, India, and many other countries. In fact, 85% of Chinese consumers made payments via QR Codes in 2020.

2. QR Codes connect online and offline with a real physical link

When you’re surfing the internet, it’s easy to navigate from site to site with digital links. However, in the real world, it’s much less convenient. For example, if you see a flier with a website listed on it, you’ll have to manually type the link into your URL bar or search for it, which can be inconvenient.

A QR Code serves as a physical representative of an online link. By using a QR Code, you create a seamless connection between the offline world and the digital world.

3. QR Codes hold a massive amount of data

Compared to traditional barcodes, QR Codes can hold a tremendous amount of data. A single QR Code can store up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters—over 200 times more than the 20-character capacity of a regular barcode!

The sheer volume of data that a QR Code can store makes it an effective option for sharing files, including documents, images, video clips, and other mediums. Most QR Codes can handle file sizes from 3MB to 5MB.

4. QR Codes are easily customizable for your brand

Modern QR Codes are fully customizable based on your individual preferences. You can adjust the barcode pattern and colors to match your brand identity. You can also add your logo and a call to action, which encourages users to scan. 

Customizing your QR Code helps it fit seamlessly into your marketing campaigns and adds a sleek, professional touch.

5. QR Codes can be linked to custom-made mobile pages

QR Codes often link to digital landing pages, but did you know they can also link to pages that are specifically for mobile users? Since most people scan QR Codes with a mobile device, it makes sense to have landing pages that are optimized for small touchscreen interfaces.

As with desktop landing pages, you can customize mobile QR Code pages for many different use cases. They’re particularly great for simplifying mobile payments or for sharing product information. You can also use them to share video promotions or coupons.

6. QR Codes gained a lot of popularity during the pandemic due to their contactless nature

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and businesses had to find new ways to interact safely. The use of QR Codes skyrocketed during this time because they made it easy to share information while still maintaining social distancing.

This approach was particularly popular in restaurants, where consumers could scan a QR Code to peruse the menu and even make contactless payments at the end of the meal. 

Many retail stores and live events spaces also adopted this approach, posting QR Code signs with important information instead of in-person interactions. Health and wellness providers also used QR Codes for fast and contactless mobile check-in.

While social distancing is no longer necessary in most cases, many businesses still use QR Codes to improve the customer experience. Consumers are very familiar with QR Codes now, so they can help make interactions and customer communication more efficient.

7. QR Code scans make analytics come to life

Bitly’s Dynamic QR Codes come with built-in tracking and analytics. This means that you can track the number of QR Code scans over time, the physical location of each scan, and even the type of device used to scan.

This functionality can help you better understand the success of your QR Code campaign and your marketing campaign as a whole. For example, say you place the same QR Code on signs and flyers in several different cities. Location tracking will help you determine which cities are generating the most engagement.

Alternatively, you can use QR Code analytics to compare marketing assets and determine which ones are most effective. Say you create two different ads for the same product. You can use different QR Codes for each ad to determine which one resonates more with your target audience.

8. People can use QR Codes to download image files

One appealing aspect of QR Codes is how easy they are to share. QR Code generators like Bitly allow you to download your QR Code as a JPG, PNG, or SVG file. This makes them easy to share or edit into many different file types.

9. Most modern devices are capable of scanning QR Codes

Today, the camera on virtually every mobile device works as a QR Code scanner. If your device doesn’t have this functionality built-in, you can still download a QR Code reader app to use them. Since QR Codes are widely accessible to most smartphone users, they are a very convenient and easy way to share web pages and other digital content.

10. QR Codes are extremely versatile 

There are so many ways to use QR Codes to communicate with your customer base. The versatility of QR Codes means that you can get creative with how you use them.

For example, you can use QR Codes on product packaging, to promote local events, to get feedback from customers, or to boost your social media following. You can even create engraved QR Codes for permanent signage. 

There are ways to implement them in almost any industry or scenario. There’s no limit to what you can do with QR Codes.

Be sure the target website is fully functional. A QR Code sends someone to a place, whether it be a page where a book is sold or an author’s website. 

A good way to ensure the links are not broken is to visit the site where you want to send people. Navigate to it on your desktop (I do not advise attempting to do this using a cell phone.)

Copy the complete URL for the front page of the website or Amazon page where the book is for sale. Make sure to drill down on Amazon until only that single book is shown on the page. Otherwise, it may not be on that page later on, as Amazon moves books around on its website. 

Copy the entire URL to a separate page using Word or Notepad, then save it. The URL is the data at the very top of your screen with all of the long characters. Make sure to include the https and the / at the end. Do not add anything to the string of letters. 

Develop the QR Code and check it on the screen of your computer using your own cell phone. There are several ways to develop a QR Code, and they are listed below. 

To Scan a QR Code From Google Ai:

To scan a QR code, open your phone’s Camera app, point it at the code to focus, and tap the pop-up link that appears to access the website or content; if it doesn’t work, enable the feature in your camera settings or use a dedicated QR scanner app, as modern phones often have built-in scanning.  

Problems with QR Codes

The one thing to remember is that data is imputed to develop the QR Code, so anywhere there are broken links, an issue can develop. A QR Code is extremely helpful for quickly linking the consumer to the product. Be assured, if the QR Code is not functioning, or the consumer does not know how to activate the code, you will lose sales! Make sure you know the process, and it is working properly.

• Some consumers have no idea how a QR Code connects to a website to purchase a book. I circumvent this problem by having the books on a dedicated sales website (Glorybound Publishing has 11 topic-oriented websites authors can put their books onto). I make the QR Code go directly to the website and post all of the books on the front page. Then the web address is short. I put the web address under the printed QR Code, so if a person is not able to scan the QR Code, they can type in the address and go to the book. This will not work if you are sending the consumer to an Amazon page where the book is sold, because the characters in the URL will be four lines long. 
• The question of whether or not a buyer knows how to use a QR Code and has a phone with a QR Code reader should be considered based on the ideal customer profile for the book’s sales. If the ideal customer is someone older, there is a higher probability that he/she will have problems understanding QR Code links and technology enough and give up trying to buy the book. Some may need internet service, because the QR Code connects with a URL on a website. If the buyer is offline, the QR Code may not work. 
• The phone may not have an active scan function. Flip phones or phones without a photo-taking option will be unable to scan the QR Code. Some phones need an app to activate the Scan QR Code function. 
• QR Codes may be displayed in the wrong size. To scan a QR Code, the phone’s camera needs to capture the image and open a website. If the QR Code image is too small, too large, or out of proportion, it will not work. QR Codes are often provided in low resolution (75dpi) or sized very large (25 feet.) Nobody needs a QR code that big unless you are putting it on a rug or a banner. For us, with printed material or online, I suggest converting the dpi and size. Raise the dpi to 200 or 300 and decrease the size to 4 inches. Always save the original QR Code before making conversions in case you need to refer back to it. 
• The QR Code may not be supported. For a QR Code to work, it needs to be decoded to the destination it points to. Many QR Codes are offered through time-limited services, so once the service expires, the code no longer works. It is similar to not paying an electric bill and having the power discontinued. 
• A QR Code may not function if the web address is wrong or the website is inactive. When creating a QR Code (from several sites), you navigate to the URL where the book is located and insert it into a field on the QR Code-making website. If it is inserted incorrectly, the QR Code will fail to function properly. 
• Many web options require paid subscriptions for the QR Codes to work properly. They provide a limited number of QR Codes per account. Read the provisions of the paid QR Code options. 

Make a QR code of your book

It is handy to include a QR code with marketing materials. The simplest way is to navigate to the web page where the book is located and right-click with your mouse. One of the functions under the right-click option is “Create QR Code for this page.” When you click on that, a QR Code will be generated with an option to download it. It is a simple, but effective QR Code. 

Companies provide a service that allows personalization of the QR Codes as well as tracking user scans. I use QR Code Generator and download a set number of scans per year for a set price. They are reliable scans, and I personalize them. I advise you to steer clear of online ‘free QR Codes’ that may stop working after a short time or send users to somewhere other than your intended destination. If you are on a budget, use the basic free option explained earlier. 

Good QR Codes need the following: 

Well marked so people know where it is going before they scan it.

Is supported. QR codes must have a company that supports the link between where the item is on the internet and the picture. There are a lot of unsupported QR codes. Those which are not fully supported only work for a limited duration. 

Canva https://www.canva.com [haven’t used it, but am told it works to make QR Codes]

Adobe https://www.adobe.com › Home › Feature [free site]

Vistaprint https://vistaprint.com [free if you make an item]

QR Code Generator https://the-qrcode-generator.com [pay so much for a specific number of QR codes per year supported]

Make one using InDesign

You can generate QR codes in InDesign via Object > Generate QR Code, choosing a type (URL, Text, Email, etc.), setting colors, and clicking OK, then click-and-drag to size it as a scalable vector object, perfect for adding interactive links or info directly into your layout. Edit it later by selecting the code and choosing Object > Edit QR Code to update content or color. 

Go directly to the book on Amazon

To develop a QR code that goes directly to the book: 

Navigate to where the book is sold on Amazon. Make sure to go to the page where only the book you want to order is shown (not a page with several books).

Copy all of the information in the topmost URL field.

Open one of the QR applications. When prompted, paste the information you just copied from the top of the Amazon page into the space provided. Make sure the QR code is for a website (not audio or otherwise).

The site will provide an option to download the QR code. (Note: Vistaprint does not provide a unique service for QR codes, but they can be developed when creating a product on Vistaprint.) 

Download the largest version of the QR Code or print it to pdf. 

It’s a good idea to name the QR code and label it at its base to keep track of where the code goes. 

Add to Social Media

We are moving from person-to-person direct marketing to online marketing. An important aspect of book marketing is to connect potential readers directly to the book. There are two ways that work effectively. 

Make a QR code for the online location of the book. When the QR code is presented, either in print or online, the potential buyer can scan the code with their cell phone. The scan brings him or her directly to where the book is sold. Then they can order the book quickly and easily. 

Present a JPEG of the cover of the book and make it live or clickable to the online reader. A URL address can be attached to the photo of the book cover. When the interested reader clicks on the photo with their mouse, because it is live, it will take him or her directly to the location where the book is sold. 

Both methods above require the web address (URL) where the book is located. To locate the address, navigate to the book (on Amazon) using a desktop computer. I do not advise trying to use a cell phone for this because oftentimes URLs are quite lengthy. Look for the address box at the very top of your screen where there are several letters and numbers. This is the address of the book online. Copy it. The copied characters will temporarily be stored so they can be pasted where needed. 

On Website Builders (e.g., Squarespace, WordPress, Canva)

Most content management systems (CMS) and website builders have built-in features to make an image a link without coding. 

Squarespace: In an image block or gallery, select the image and use the “Attach Link” or “Link” option in the block editor to add a URL.

Canva: You can add hyperlinks to images within a design, but the links only work if the design is exported as a PDF file or used in “Presenter” view.

Constant Contact / Email Platforms: Drag an image into your email template, click on it, and use the link icon in the settings panel to paste a destination URL. 

Can add a link to photoshop
Circle the intended target using the slice tool. Name the UrL
File> export> save for web>save>format>Html and images>save

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHYVImoMc8o