Barcodes. They’re on everything you buy. They’re on everything you rent. They’re on your ID cards and your membership cards. You see them all over the place, but you don’t really pay attention because they’re meaningless to you. What if those barcodes had meaning? What if you had a barcode scanner in your pocket all the time and you could learn things about that product just by scanning the barcode?

Enter the next generation of barcodes: Mobile Barcodes. These new 2D QR barcodes can contain lots of useful information like a website address, phone number, or an entire address book entry. Your shiny new smartphone can take a photo and interpret these barcodes to open a website or add the contact info to your personal address book – with no data entry required!

What’s even more amazing is that these barcodes can be generated in fractions of a second and displayed on your smartphone for others to scan. Just think of all the possibilities!

Mobile barcodes are very new to the American market, though they’ve been a huge success in Japan and Europe for a few years now. A number of businesses are maximizing on this new technology in interesting ways. Take a look at this mobile QR code presentation to learn more about how mobile barcodes will allow your interested consumers to learn more about your product, and save your contact info while they’re at it!

In the ever-changing world of SEO, and the constantly changing world of Google, local search has taken a front row seat. The past year or so has seen a growing emphasis on local search engine optimization and businesses being found in search engine results pages (the SERPs as we like to call them) in the area known as the Maps section (also known as the 10-pack, the 7-pack, or the 3-pack, depending on how many local listings Google decides to show…).

Announced this month, Google has made some changes to their Maps service, now known as Google Places, so read on below for some tips on how to make your business appear there!

1. Claim your listing! The simplest way to get started, type your business name or address into Google Maps and verify that you are the business owner so only you can make changes to the account.

2. Fill in all the blanks. Once the listing is claimed, make sure you fill out all the form fields they are requesting – the more info you can provide, the better.
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• Description – Provide a nice description with your service or product offerings, and anything that sets you apart from your competitors.
• Category – Fill out all 5 categories, and split them up between categories Google has provided and the ability to create your own category.
• Photos and Videos – Have them? Add them! Add your logo to the photo section, and any other images you may have. Pictures inside your local spa? Restaurant entrees? New car models available on your lot? Have you created a how-to video you’ve posted on YouTube? Get ‘em in there! NEW – if you don’t have images, Google now offers free photo shoots for interior buildings in select cities. You can apply for that here.