NFC – Tap, WiFi Scan, and QR Codes For Business Social Connections

Any business in existence (as far as I know) aims to grow financially. To grow financially, a business needs to have more customers who spend money on their business commodities or services. To get more spending customers, a business has to have a base of happy customers, who in turn refer more customers, or they need to rely heavily on marketing, or combine the two (this is up to a business to research, we will not cover much of this here)

Let us jump straight to the subject!

With NFC-Tap or WiFi Can cards and QR Codes, you can enhance your business tremendously. Literarily for the cost of a good cup of coffee you can catapult your business ahead of your competition.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a technology that has been around for decades. An NFC tag is a paper-thin wire antenna and a tiny chip that can be programmed once or multiple times to store different types of data.

If you have stayed in any hotel and used a card similar to a credit card to open your room door, or if you have had a small tag (often like a teardrop shape) at work to open doors or to facilitate engine start or operation of any item… you have used an NFC-encoded device. If you have purchased a new phone in a box recently, you may have noticed this tag. The antenna setting could be rectangular or round.

If you have made payments using “WiFi – Tap”, which became more in demand during Corona times (COVID-19), then you too have used the system… your bank card already has the NFC chip in it. If you have been to a filling station (Middle East) and noticed the guy filling your car pulling his badge and bringing it close to the pump before starting the pump, then you have seen the NFC-enabled card in action. Sometimes people refer to NFC card reader machines as NFC – Tap, or WiFi-Tap

To “read”, or “scan” an NFC-coded item, you must have a phone or a device that has the ability to read, or communicate using the NFC signals. Most newer smartphones today have this ability

QR (Quick Response) Code is another technology that has been around for a very long time, preceded only by bar codes. While a QR Code can do the functions of a bar code, a bar code cannot encapsulate the versatility of a QR Code.

QR Code was first invented in the Automobile Industry for labeling parts. today it is everywhere! You may have seen it at glass door entrances of major stores, or governmental buildings. Almost always inciting action from your end, such as scan to read, scan to download, etc.

Or you may have come across it at a restaurant, enabling you to use your device to see the restaurant menu or to order. In some museums, the QR Codes are kept beside artifacts either for you to scan and read more information, view more information, or be guided on an audio / audiovisual tour.

A QR Code can be encapsulated to encode pretty much anything… from numbers to addresses, to website addresses, website links, map links, business cards, etc.

The question is how do you use these technologies to enhance your business?

In this current day and time, we know that individuals are more connected around the world than ever before. They spend a big chunk of their time on smartphones and pretty much live their lives there! They shop, and talk to moms, dads, siblings, and significant others, or clients all from their phones! Oh yes, they take pictures, record their days, and share them with the world on social media platforms, some for free and some make money, but almost 95% of people with smartphones spend time on social media platforms! Some of them are on 3 to 5 at the same time.

Word of mouth used to be a good form of advertising… well it still is today. However, the mouth has changed a little… sometimes you may not hear the words from your customer or client, but the images they share about your business, their reviews, or even simply a short video of them having fun at your business location, is more powerful than yesterdays traditional word of mouth! They can literally make or break your business!… and most of the time without your knowledge!

So where do these NFC Cards and QR Codes come in?

These technologies can be used in umpteen ways, the limit is simply your imagination!

In a restaurant, they can be used to connect your customers to social accounts, review accounts,  restaurant menus, daily specials, loyalty, discount codes, payment links (mobile pay), etc.

In a furniture store, they can be used to connect customers to social accounts, review accounts, catalogs, specials, discount codes, payment links (mobile pay), etc

In a clinic, they can be used to connect customers to social accounts, service menus and prices, appointment links, payment links (mobile pay), etc.

Taxi service, yes even taxi service can benefit! Reviews, payments, etc.

As mentioned before, any company, individual, or industry could stand to benefit in multiple ways.

NFC and QR Codes can be used even to automate things. They could be used to turn on and off items (like switches), remotely. This is another level of engagement that is used in home/office/company automation. If interested, please contact us!