The following is a guest post by Amanda DiSilvestro of Business.com

If you were to Google my name, you know that I am a big fan of QR Codes and writing about the benefits of QR Codes. Call them ugly or annoying, but I find them to be extremely convenient. All I have to do is pull out my smartphone and take a picture, and I am taken directly to a company website. No more fumbling for a piece of paper or trying to remember a phone number by saying it over and over in my head. However, even I could understand that QR Codes have some limitations:

1. One, they aren’t the greatest to look at. Even when you try and color them or create some sort of art, they still just look like weird bar codes.
2. You have to have a smartphone. If you don’t have internet on your phone, you’re out of luck and that company’s attempt at website traffic was wasted on you (not your fault!).
3. The website cannot really be emailed to anyone. It’s great for in-the-moment viewing, but coming back to it later or sharing the website isn’t really possible.

Naturally someone took these downfalls and created something more intuitive—SnapTags. SnapTags were created by a mobile developer called SpyderLynk who has since been working with major corporations such as Toyota and Bud Light. If you’re interested in driving more traffic to your website, these little tags are going to be your answer.

The Many Benefits of Snap Tags

Snap tags offer many of the same benefits that you will find with QR Codes. They are about the same size, can be placed on any traditional ad medium (brochures, newspapers, billboards, bus stop ads, etc.), ask users to take a picture of the code, and can send users to whichever website the company chooses. This will help increase the traffic of your blog or website because people will have yet another way to visit your pages. Snap tags and QR Codes both use a technology (mobile phones) that is very comfortable for people around the world.

However, snap tags offer some benefits that QR codes lack:

1. A smartphone isn’t a necessity. Any phone with a camera can utilize the abilities of a snap tag. All you have to do is take a picture of the code and then text it to a specific number. This can be your own phone number or the phone number of a friend. You don’t even need an app! Once you take the picture, you can choose to either email or text message the code.

2.Snap tags look exactly like your company logo but with a ring around it. This will make a huge difference in your branding efforts. Although QR Codes do have the option of placing a logo inside, the logo is covered up by black squiggle lines. Snap tags look just like your logo.  Consider the example of a few company SnapTags below:

3.Whether you’re starting a small business or just hoping to try something new, metrics are still important. A company can measure the ROI of their snap tag campaigns. According to the SnapTag Blog, “you can track the number of snaps, users, repeat usage, and opt-ins, and they are highly customizable.”

Once you think you’re convinced that a snap tag is something worth trying, it’s important to consider how it actually works and what is involved in making it happen.

How SnapTags Work and How Your Website Can Get in on the Action

The way a SnapTag works is actually quite simple. The ring around the logo has little breaks in it that can be moved to different positions. These different positions mean you are dealing with a certain code. Just as the patters on QR Codes are different, so are these little rings. There are so many combinations you can make with the little breaks in the ring that the possibilities are truly endless.

Unfortunately, generating a SnapTag is a bit of a disappointment to those who are used to QR Codes because it costs money. You cannot simply head over to a website and generate a code on your own. There are different packages available that your company can choose from if they are interested in utilizing SnapTags. Although it may seem like a huge burden, many companies can justify the cost because SnapTags have so many benefits. The popularity of these little tags will surly grow, so it may be worth it to start bringing traffic and visibility to your website through the use of a SnapTag.

Photo credit: spyderlink.com

About the Author

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from traffic generation to 401k contribution limits. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including document software for the leading business directory, Business.com.

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