At the recent Connecticut Business Expo, I noticed something all over the exhibit hall and the venue: Quick Response (QR) codes.  These black and white codes were being snapped by smartphones around the room, and attendees were able to receive instant information just by scanning the codes.

QR codes, created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, are one of the most popular types of two-dimensional bar codes.  They’re popping up everywhere: on brochures, in ads, on vending machines, and even in magazine articles.  Marketers love QR codes because they’re an easy way to link offline information with online information.  Snap a picture with a smartphone’s QR reader, and you’re instantly linked to a website that delivers more information on the product or service without having to type in a URL.

Generating QR codes is as easy as snapping a picture (well, almost).  Two sites that will generate codes for free are qrcode.kaywa.com and qrcode.good-survey.com.  When you’re generating a code, use a shortened URL so the code will be easier to read.  You can shorten your URLs at bit.ly, tinyurl.com, or goo.gl.

Want to jump on the QR bandwagon? If you’re in Western Massachusetts, you’re in luck: attend Tortus Technologies’s QR code seminar on Wednesday, June 15, 2011.  More information is at http://tortus.com/seminars/how_to_create_and_apply.