Friday, December 10, 2010

SPARQcode Takes On QR Codes For Local Businesses

Seattle-based SPARQcode is looking to help small business owners jump on the social media bandwagon, the firm said this week, by making it easy for those companies to generate 2 dimensional barcodes which link to a firm's Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Gowalla, or Yelp pages. Users can access those codes--similar to QR codes--by using their mobile phone cameras, taking users directly to a company's page. SPARQcode said it has been in private beta in Seattle for a week, and already have over 700 restaurants and coffee stores in the city using its products. SPARQcode allows businesses to easily create a printable, point-of-sale display with those codes on its web site, and also provides analytics on how many people are signing up as fans or followers via the codes. SPARQcodes said that so far, local Seattle stores like Haagen Dazs, Jamba Juice, Jimmy John's, Johnny Rockets, Red Mango, Specialties Bakery and Subway are signed up to use the service.