Vizitag FAQ

What is a Vizitag?

A Vizitag is a small visual image - a 'tag' - that can be displayed anywhere, offline or online. Offline the tag could be deployed in print media, on a poster/billboard, on a teeshirt or product packaging to name just a few. Online a tag could be displayed on a web page or blog widget.

When the tag is 'snapped' by a mobile phone using a compatible tag reader, the tag initiates some action. For example, information is displayed on the tag snapper's mobile and/or the tag snapper is sent some useful information by email e.g. a product brochure.

A particular tag format, the QR Code, has been in use in Japan for some years, where tag-enabled 'tagverts' can be found in print publications,on posters and billboards and displayed on websites and blogs.

Is There a Standard Tag Format?

No. These visual tags come in a variety of formats and are sometimes referred to as 2D Codes. One of the most established is the QR Code (Quick Response Code) but there are many other formats e.g. Beetaggs, Blotcodes, Datamatrix, Microsoft(R) Tags etc.

I Already Have a Website - Why Do I Need Vizitags?

These days, every business has a website chock full of content but you have to find it, visit it and search it to find what you want. Vizitags are designed for the ‘mobile generation’ who expect instant information gratification via the phone they carry with them everywhere.

In fact, Vizitags complement existing websites because the information that displays on the mobile when a tag is snapped can also feature web links that help to drive mobile phone user traffic to your website.

In practice it doesn't take much longer to load the reader and snap a tag as to load a browser and click a bookmark to go to a web page. The difference is that snapping a Vizitag will display some very specific and useful information immediately on your mobile and/or email you some targeted content that you can refer to straightaway or later.

Isn't a Vizitag Just a Microsoft(R) Tag or QR Code?

No. A Vizitag is a tag linked to our web-based application that can leverage any tag format and reader to deliver useful information and content to tag 'snappers' and analytical information to tag 'owners'.

Vizitag is tag format agnostic - you can make any kind of tag into a Vizitag. However, we recommend and make most use of Microsoft(R) Tags because they are colourful and compact and the tag reader itself is very accurate and quick in operation. But we could use any other tag format.

Which Tag Format Should I Choose?

Some issues are:

What's the Difference Between a Vizitag and Barcodes/RFID?

Barcodes are normally used to identify products - for example for the purposes of pricing them, stock taking or asset management. Barcodes usually require fixed or handheld scanning hardware and convert a specific alphanumeric code - like a Universal Product Code (UPC) - into a black-and-white bar image.

A RFID chip is a piece of hardware that can act in passive or active mode to be read or to read/write data and requires fixed or handheld readers. RFID chips are often used to track products through a supply chain for inventory control and lifecycle tracking purposes. Unlike a Vizitag, RFID chips cost money to buy the device itself. They are also more vulnerable to damage and therefore could be subject to replacement costs.

How Do I Get a Tag Reader and How Does it Work?

Most tag readers are free downloads that you can get from a variety of sources e.g. Microsoft(R), Nokia, the Apple App Store and so on. Once you have downloaded and installed the tag reader on your phone, using it is simply a case of loading the reader app and snapping the tag.

An advantage of using Microsoft(R)'s tag reader is that when you snap the tag it resolves the tag and deliverswith no more effort. Other tag readers require you to snap the tag, save the photo then use it to resolve the tag - adding additional steps to the process.

VIZITAG APPLICATION FAQ

How Do I Manage My Content?

Your tag is linked to:

The Vizitag administration system is used to manage this content. We give you a secure login so you can easily manage the tag display information and content via your My Tags page. You can change the information and content linked to a tag as often as you want to suit your needs.

How Do I Know Who Has Snapped My Tag?

If your tag requires a ‘snapper’ to register before they get your content, then your system login will also include access to a list of your own My Leads page for follow-up marketing.

Your login also provides access your My Snaps page that shows you how many times your tags have been snapped.