How To Create a QR Code and Track with Bit.ly

Submitted by Matt on Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mobile QR CodeQR codes allow your customer to engage with your content. They allow you to interact with your consumer in a way which few others are. They allow you to create a unique story for your guests. An experience. Something that they can go and tell others about. The power and potential of QR codes is unlimited.

So, what is a QR code? A Quick Response (QR) code is a barcode that is able to store contact information, a link to YouTube, or a link to a website (and more). With a QR reader app, someone can scan this barcode and get information from them. It's an alternative way to get data into the phone. It's a way to connect the offline with the online. For more info, check out a previous article on QR codes.


Creating a New QR Code with Bit.ly

1. Go to bit.ly
2. Type in your URL and click "Shorten"
3. Click "Info Page+"
4. Right click on the QR code on the right hand side and click, "Save Image As..." and save it to your computer.
5. Open in your image program of choice, and voila! Revisit the Info Page+ for analytics.

Creating a QR Code with an Existing Bit.ly Link

1. Add a + to the end of the URL to pull up the info page.
2. Right click on the QR code on the right hand side and click, "Save Image As..." and save it to your computer.
3. Open in your image program of choice, and voila! Revisit the Info Page+ for analytics.

What You Can Link To

Maybe you want to stick a QR code on a business card so someone can easily scan a QR code and add all of your contact info to their phone in a matter of seconds. Or how about sticking a QR code on a brochure or flyer which links to a video that explains more. Think about that. A static form of content that creates an engaging experience for the reader. Fascinating. There are dozens of different applications here. If you need to get your creative juices going, check out this post on 27 different ways to use QR codes.

Keep It Mobile-Friendly

It's important to link the QR code to something that is mobile-friendly. You want things to be mobile-friendly so your visitors have a great experience. Mobile web surfers are very tolerant of the state of the mobile web. Go the extra mile and show them you spent the resources to make their experience optimal. Expect a blog post on what "mobile-friendly" actually means soon.

Alternative Options

If you don't have the resources to make something mobile-friendly, I suggest linking to resources that are already mobile-friendly. For instance, Facebook has a mobile-friendly version of their website if you wanted to link someone to your Facebook fan page. Twitter also has a mobile version. If you're working with video, YouTube is the way to go (if you don't mind the YouTube branding).


So, how do you plan on using QR codes?

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