As you might’ve spotted on SocalTech, we made this new thing and called it TacoGrid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ShareSquare Launches TacoGrid: 1 Million Free Mobile Sites for Restaurants in America

(May 24, Silicon Beach, Los Angeles) – Recognizing that over 95% of restaurants in the U.S. lack mobile-optimized websites (despite nearly half of all visitors now arriving via mobile) ShareSquare http://getsharesquare.com/, a self-serve mobile site builder, has launched an initiative called “March to Mobilize 1,000,000 Restaurants in May” at TacoGrid.com.

Since 2010 ShareSquare has powered thousands of campaigns creating mobile engagement in music, entertainment and brand advertising, ranging from individual artists to global marketing agencies and studios.  Today’s announcement expands ShareSquare’s efforts into the SMB market.

Founder Matthias Galica elaborates:

I saw how much was at stake when I played around with a new mobile site for my mother’s restaurant in Chicago; click-to-call/map instantly made a 2.5x difference in overall CTR.  I also learned how few restaurant owners understand the scope of the corresponding opportunity to harvest new customers with immediate local search intent.  TacoGrid was created to illustrate both as plainly as possible.

Beginning today with initial coverage for the LA, NYC and Chicago metro areas TacoGrid.com will continue to automatically generate mobile sites for restaurants in the Top 50 U.S. cities, up to 1,000,000 by May 31.  Each SMB can find and claim their mobile site using just their business phone number. Mobile sites come synchronized with SinglePlatform menus and Foursquare for tips & specials and TacoGrid will also calculate & highlight that location’s mobile advertising potential within a 5m radius.

Each mobile site can be claimed, completely free, simply by implementing a mobile redirect code into an existing website, no signup or registration required.  Those wishing to further customize or enhance their mobile site with additional features (like dynamic Facebook, Twitter, Youtube feeds or custom contest, sweepstakes, email harvesting tools) will be able to do so via ShareSquare’s non-technical CMS after claim verification, or by engaging the assistance of a ShareSquare Authorized Partner.  An RTB (Real-Time-Bidding) local mobile ad network integration is slated to become available in June, potentially utilizing Foursquare’s upcoming SMB ad offering for the option of “check-in” based CPA campaigns. 

About ShareSquare

Headquartered in Los Angeles, ShareSquare offers a self-serve mobile marketing platform for creating advanced mobile sites. These mobile sites can then optimize existing websites for use on all smart mobile devices like iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, iPad and more.  Thanks to ShareSquare’s pedigree in powering offline-to-online entertainment and brand advertising since 2010, the platform is also uniquely suited to the creation and lifecycle management of effective QR code campaigns.  For more information, visit http://getsharesquare.com.

On the southwest side of Chicago my lovely mother has spent the last 21 years building an ethnic culinary institution: Mabenka Restaurant.  Feb of ’09 was the launch of her website at www.mabenka.com, and someone had enough good sense to inject a Google Analytics snippet.  Three full years of organic search & directory referral traffic tells a jarring story: the first 2 years, mobile stayed below 6% of total visits.  Over just the last 14 months, it rose to where it stands now: 31% of total.

That means one-third of the people searching for a kielbasa-fueled polka party have been getting this:

Sorry ma’ that’s bad for biz.  Not your fault though, it sorta snuck up on everybody.  Good news: not only can we fix it (we have the technology), but there’s two awesome mobile-only features that’ll make it even better than before, and ShareSquare just released ‘em:  Click-to-Call and Tap-to-Map.

Because we wouldn’t want anybody to miss out on any wild polka action, ShareSquare now also supports HTML5 mobile playback from Vimeo Plus, in addition to Youtube and SoundCloud.

I’m stoked to track mama’s mobile metrics in real-time, and I’ll look forward to reporting back just how big of an improvement the new ShareSquare mobile site with Click-to-Call and Tap-to-Map makes.  If I’m feeling cheeky I may even try running some local mobile ads, like those via our friends at CityGrid.

Btw, if you’re the kind of saintly person that aspires to take care of lots of moms, you should check out ShareSquare’s new Authorized Partner program, where you could easily do it for, like, 100 of them.

P.S.  For those of you that just gave www.mabenka.com a whirl on mobile, yes, that’s @John_C_Reilly you spotted making a visit, and no, I’m still not sure she knows who he is.  Love you mom.

What’s the crippling pain? Watching one-third or more of your existing website traffic come via mobile devices, only to bounce off an awful, broken small screen experience.

NBC Universal were among the first to recognize this, and stunned us with a stupid smart solution. Taking the same mobile experience they made in ShareSquare for a nationwide Bridesmaids QR code campaign, they then set it to appear automatically whenever a mobile browser arrived at http://www.bridesmaidsmovie.com/. Today, ShareSquare is powering the mobile versions of nearly 40 NBCU websites, and counting.

After a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future, we spent 3 months refactoring the platform to bequeath upon the world a better, faster, yea even freer, way to mobilize an existing website. Because, candidly, most of y’all websites suck on mobile.

Unsucking your website on mobile (tablets too)

While all that QR code campaign functionality you know and love is still available, you’ll discover a veritable cornucopia of features tailored to building the slickest HTML5 mobile website on the block, in minutes, without even knowing how to code. We’ve stayed mum about a whole slew of new features and customization options ’til now; like SoundCloud streaming audio (even alongside embedded video in your RSS feeds), Google Analytics support, WYSIWYG editing, and swipe screen gestures. And that’s just last week.

Websites that need unsucking the most

Here’s a few folks that already reconsidered their existing content & navigation to build a distinctly different (and much more effective) touch mobile experience. If you’re reading this on a mobile device or iPad click any links below (just manually type in URL if you’re not) to be redirected to each ShareSquare mobile site example.

• Artist & entertainment websites, example: Brandy (4everbrandy.com)
• Small business & brand websites, example: Our Family Doctor (ourfamilydoctorasheville.com)
• Blog & personal websites, example: The Music Rover (roverit.blogspot.com)

New premium site plans and Partner/Reseller accounts

Get up and running with a fully-functional new mobile site for free. Upgrade any single mobile site, or don’t, to enable premium features for $9/mo. That’s pretty much it. Agencies and people that manage lots sites for their clients can apply for a Partner/Reseller account.

If you’ve been with us for a while, there’s no need to worry about any work you did before platform changes went into effect; you’ll find everything migrated and available in your new dashboard. And for those coming from a legacy Pro account, you’ll find Pro features within existing sites have been grandfathered in, for free, as our way of saying thank you (you wonderful earlybirds you).

Now go do it to it at http://getsharesquare.com/ and hit us back with all that glorious feedback we love.

1. WYSIWYG text editor for Home and Bio text

Home and Bio module text have been treated to a new text editor. Basic formatting and image insertion is possible to help you snazzy-up your sites.

2. Custom labels for all modules

Module labels are now 100% customizable across the board.

3. Custom Google Analytics option for Premium Sites

We appreciate that users might prefer to have all their website analytics in one place. Custom Google Analytics is a new feature that allows you to add an existing or new analytics account to your shiny mobile site. Visitor information will show up in your chosen account report.

4. Images and videos in RSS feeds

Got some images or youtube videos in your RSS feed? Good news: these will now show up in your News module.

5. Gallery swipe gestures

The slideshow can now be controlled on mobile devices with left and right swipe gestures. Sometimes it’s the little things in life.

Check it all out on ShareSquare. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome – share them with us in the comments below.

We had a hunch it was bad, but we didn’t know it’d be this bad.

In the name of science we pulled together a list of 1,700 websites belonging to artists performing (officially & unofficially) at SXSW, ran them through BuiltWith.com’s magic valmorification, and topped it off with some good ‘ole fashioned survey data.

So why does it matter that only 9% are “good” on mobile?  Put aside the fact that, on a normal day, about one-third of all searches leading to these sites will come from mobile devices.  On a SXSW day, it’s closer to something like… all of them.

If these are your websites breaking media, content, and navigation left and right, it’s not too late to give yourself a fighting chance.

If you’re a fan heading to Austin, might be a good idea to pack the old Discman, just in case.

And, don’t call it a comeback, we been here for years.

A few months ago we made a conscious decision to change the way we released substantial improvements to the ShareSquare platform. What we’d once shout from the rooftops we opted to begin shrouding behind the enterprise veil.  There were two reasons for this: the first was an annoyance; the second, an epiphany.

#1 – Flattery Wears Thin

We’d never devoted much time to looking over our shoulder, but at some point it began to feel like a cottage industry of fast-followers had sprung up behind us.  What we’d initially dismissed as evidence of market validation suddenly appeared to become a reverse-engineering hot pursuit.  Since even the outright clone attempts were missing the big picture (a real platform is more than the sum of its parts), this was still just a nuisance.  Until…

#2 – The Pieces Come Together 

Creating a QR code is not QR code marketing.  Making a mobile website is not mobile engagement.  Having analytics is not a feedback loop.  The devil, as they say, is always in the details.

Our epiphany arrived soon after we began to witness our humble hodgepodge of objective-oriented features and innovative non-technical CMS modules taking shape into a true platform for offline-to-online mobile engagement; one that could effectively multiply the entire lifecycle value of even the biggest marketing efforts, start to finish, and beyond.  

Basically it was like hand-building a roadster in the garage, then startling ourselves when we heard the engine roar for the first time.

In the last 3 months we’ve been under the hood tuning this machine, making upgrades, and putting it on the racetrack with a selection of the world’s best entertainment and brand marketers.  And frankly, we’ve been excited to keep this baby under wraps.  But the time is approaching to unveil our little engineering marvel to the world, if only to let a lot of folks out there realize they’ve been dealing with lemons.

Hopefully that assault of metaphors didn’t knock you senseless.  Stay tuned.  We hope that what’s coming next still might.

Yours in silence,
Matthias

Yup, that’s our freshly updated bespoke UI… for a mobile web app that you can make in minutes, with no coding!  Who needs native apps, right?  ShareSquare is fast approaching the point where you may have trouble telling the difference.

But we didn’t do it just to make them prettier: every tweak is a data-driven optimization for better performance across all mobile devices.  So your offline-to-online campaigns will benefit from more engagement and conversion than ever before.  Bigger more vibrant submit buttons?  82% lift in user submitted emails. Improved landscape mode?  On average, an additional 43 seconds of user engagement. How?  We spend every day scheming up new ways to up the ante on this best-of-breed platform for connecting your band, brand or business with the offline audience that loves you (or soon will).

And yes, the Scarface Limited Edition Blu-ray just dropped on Sept. 6.  Much like Tony Montana, ShareSquare is all about “The world, chico.  And everything in it.”

The World is Yours,
Matthias

So even if you fancy yourself a QR guru, how confident are you with answers to questions like these:

• How big should the QR code be if you expect people to be scanning from 12-15 feet away?
• What’s an “indirect” code and why is it a terrible idea?
• If I customize the colors, how can I be positive the code’s contrast ratio is great enough to guarantee easy scanning?

We’d bet that even the self-proclaimed experts could benefit from some bathroom reading.  Plus, we’ll be continuously beefing up ShareSquare Resources as we keep honing in on the best case studies (especially when it comes brand, entertainment, music and event marketing).  Note that a few topics are inherently subjective, so we’ve called ‘em as we see ‘em, but feel free to contact us with feedback, insights, requests, or anything else you think would be helpful to address.  Else, we’re stoked to be leading this desperately-needed charge in QR code marketing best practices, in accordance with our Golden Rule of QR Codes:

Every campaign is defined by the value that lies beyond the QR code, and if you reward & delight the person that has taken the time to scan your code, you’re on the surest path to success.

Btw, for those interested in ShareSquare Enterprise, you’ll notice that we now ask you to “Call Us”.  (Existing Enterprise clients shouldn’t notice any changes.)  Echoing the above sentiments, we’re now opting to take a more “hands-on” approach for the big brands/studios/agencies seeking to seamlessly integrate the ShareSquare platform into their entire marketing mix.  If that sounds like you, contact us to talk about on-boarding support, strategic consulting, custom development and more.

Consumer-facing QR codes are hitting mainstream America hard this summer. Despite the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats, many well-intentioned marketers are crippling their campaigns with simple mistakes.

This is a big reason why QR codes still get a bad rap from some folks. QR codes by themselves are fundamentally neither good nor bad, they’re just a means to an end: an offline-to-online delivery mechanism. It’s what’s beyond the code that usually determines whether the experience will delight or disappoint.

Unfortunately, many early adopter marketers aren’t yet fully versed in the best practices or optimal use cases. It’s the adventurous consumer that suffers from the growing pains.

Since I’ve spent the past 18 months waist-deep in this fast-developing market, I’m compelled to offer up my short list of basic mistakes to avoid at all costs. While heeding all these rules won’t make your QR code marketing great by itself, they will likely save you from some embarrassment.

Mistake 1: Not Testing the Code

This is the simplest way to spot scanning problems. For instance, a small placement (less than an inch) will often be too dense to scan if you’ve encoded a longer URL, but using bit.ly or goo.gl to automatically generate a short URL QR code is an easy fix.

Since QR codes feature up to a 30% error correction rate, there’s flexibility for creative branding and tweaks. But if the designer accidentally overdid it, test-scanning is an easy path to being the office hero that day.

For example, the above image is taken from “15 Beautiful and Creative QR codes.” While visually interesting, I’m fairly confident this isn’t scanable.

Mistake 2: Getting Too Fancy With Text

If your goal is to get people to a mobile web experience, you should only ever encode a short URL. Don’t include any plain text, since many barcode scanners (even gold standards like ShopSavvy) won’t tease out the link. If you’re hoping a user will copy/paste on a mobile device, don’t bet on it.

Think of the QR code as a physical hyperlink that every barcode scanner should be able to immediately “click.” If your QR code requires the user to do much more than point and scan to arrive at the intended content, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Take the image above. I love the Olsen twins as much as the next guy, but these QR codes result in the oft-problematic text string + link combo. Fail bonus: The site consistently turns up invalid security certificate errors.

Mistake 3: Serving up Non-Mobile Pages

Your QR code scans successfully but you’ve pointed the user to a standard desktop website, when 99.9% of QR codes are scanned by a mobile device. Fail.

Get acquainted with HTML5 to give your mobile web app that native app feel. You can either hire a developer to build your mobile site or use a non-technical modular CMS (content management system) like Paperlinks (or, ya know, ShareSquare) if it suits your campaign objectives.

This Coca-Cola QR code’s heart is in the right place (the MyCokeRewards program) but the resulting non-mobile website is all but impossible to navigate.

Mistake 4: Putting QR Codes Where There’s No Data Signal

Where your ad will run is just as important as how you implement it.

Tesco’s recent QR code “grocery store” in a Korean subway worked great because those platforms have Wi-Fi. This is not the case in the U.S. Placing QR codes in locations without Internet access is a sure way to make your audience upset. Make sure you know where the ads will be, and if possible, run tests to make sure they are visible and will still work.

For example, the Red Bull campaign QR code above was in a New York City subway, so I have no idea what it does.

Mistake 5: Not Offering Enough Value

This point is highly subjective but also probably the most important. The proper mindset is to reward the user for scanning your QR code. This “reward,” however, will change depending on what you’re trying to promote.

Try to avoid redundancy (a digital copy of your flyer), irrelevance or dullness (your company’s street address). Take the above image. The U.S. Marine Corps. QR code promises a cool experience but instead leads to a wallpaper download and a commercial.

When coupled with a clearly articulated call-to-action near the QR code, we’ve found the most compelling campaigns tend to offer one or more of the following:

• Exclusive rich media, videos and photos
• Exclusive or time-sensitive access
• Free downloads or swag
• “Instant Win” contests
• Special offers, coupons or gifts
• “Secret” information
• Deep integration with social media to activate viral loops

You’ve got their attention, why not let them buy your stuff right?

We’ve integrated with the Amazon API to make this as simple as possible.  Just grab the URL from your product’s detail page on Amazon…

Then copy/paste that URL into the CMS for your ShareSquare’s “Buy” module.  ShareSquare dynamically populates the module and does the rest!  (Bonus: we also make it easy for mobile visitors to share that product on Facebook or Twitter.)

Dig this?  Want to sell more stuff via ShareSquare?  Check out the new “Events” module to see how it can help you sell concert tickets, else drop us a line to let us know what you think.