Sparking feedback through NFC tags and stickers
Written by Craig Lotter, Software Developer at Touchwork
The idea of collecting feedback from your customers via a web form is almost as old as the Internet itself, though of course this only really took off with the later introduction of the smartphone when the web finally went mobile and could be found in just about everyone’s back pocket. Marching hand in hand with this idea though came the problem of just how do you get people to go to the URL that you want them to visit in the first place?
Enter the humble web link. It can be printed on a poster or a table talker and placed in a nice and visible spot, or you can put a clickable version on a website, in an email, or a text message and get it out into the world, or, as many people have flocked to in recent times, wrap it up in a scannable QR code for printing anywhere and everywhere.
However, if you are looking for something a little fresher, consider the use of NFC, the same technology that makes tapping your credit card or watch to make a payment so seamless these days. NFC stands for “near-field communication” and this “proximity card” technology is a set of communication protocols that enables communication via inductive coupling between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1.57 in) or less. While the standard NFC tag has been around since the early 2000s, it has only really gained traction in the consumer space since about 2014, after being added by Apple as a native feature in the iPhone 6 (and all subsequent models thereafter). Google’s Android has caught up as well, and these days all high end and most mid range Android phones now too support NFC.
With NFC tags supporting URLs as valid data strings, the readily available NFC tags or stickers become a great option for sharing a web link with anyone, and outside of the talking point angle the use of NFC brings, its rewritability means that you can do big reusable prints, slap a NFC sticker on it, and then change the URL whenever you want to without changing your already printed collateral!
Introducing TxtTapScan&Tell
In practice, to cast the widest net it is always advisable to use a blend of techniques to get your web link in front of and in the hands of your customers. NFC is an exciting addition to the stable, and indeed is one that we here at Touchwork are eagerly throwing into the mix. Having said that, we’re excited to announce that TxtandTell is evolving to include these elements and will now be known as TxtTapScan&Tell.