KIRKSVILLE, MO -- For Friday’s Facebook Story of The Day, you wanted to know about the new trend of QR codes.

A QR code is a quick response barcode that is readable by code readers and cameras. It was created to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data.

It was created by the Japanese in the Toyota company back in the mid-90’s and has become one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes.

It hasn’t been popular here in the U.S. until recently thanks to smartphones such as the i-Phone, Blackberry and Android. Smartphones and items like the i-Pod Touch have free QR code applications that you can download.

The QR code has been used in many aspects such as artwork, literature, marketing, entertainment, books, even within governments. Now many companies such as Taco Bell, Best Buy, Jet Blue, and The Home Depot use the QR codes for special offers and deals for customers.

Heritage House Realty in Kirksville uses the QR code in listing sheets to help give potential house buyers virtual tours.

“It used to be that people could only see the outside of the house when they were driving by,” said Mike LaBeth, salesperson at Heritage House. “Now they can actually take their smartphone out, scan the QR code and actually see inside pictures and even video tours. So people seem to really like it and we are getting some positive feedback from them.”

LaBeth also said that the QR codes have been fairly effective, especially with the younger age college groups.

“We can go in and track to see who's hitting on which QR code and we're starting to see those numbers rise a little bit. We put them in the Truman Index for our rental business. It seems like that the younger people at Truman are really utilizing the QR codes as opposed to everyone who's looking at houses.”  

Heritage House has been using the QR code for almost a year and is hoping more people will catch up to it.