Youku turns to QR codes to bolster mobile presence
Youku, China’s top video site, which is very similar to YouTube in the U.S., has launched a new initiative to bring the videos its hosts to the mobile space. For years, Youku has been restricted to desktops, only available to PCs. Recently, however, the company has been working to expand its mobile presence through the development of new applications and the use of interactive technologies. Youku has targeted QR codes as the ideal way to bring its videos to mobile platforms.
Codes begin expanding beyond marketing
QR codes have become a staple in marketing, but have rarely seen any use beyond that field. That is, of course, until very recently. The codes are now making their way into numerous industries, especially in regards to social media and mobile commerce. Youku believes that the codes are an ideal way to get consumers to watch videos from their smart phones and tablets.
Scanning Youku codes will activate mobile website and video
Videos hosted on the site will be associated with their own QR codes. These codes can be scanned with a mobile device and will launch the Youku mobile site that is optimized for viewing on smart phones and tablets. The mobile site does not make use of Flash, which may be good news for many mobile consumers because of the software’s often finicky nature with mobile devices. Instead, the videos are presented using an HTML 5 version of the Youku site, providing near universal accessibility.
QR codes could be the key to increasing mobile traffic
The QR codes work with both Android and iOS platforms. One of the reasons the company has chosen QR codes is the rise in mobile technology it has seen in recent years. Youku reports that 15% of its traffic last September came from mobile devices. The company is eager to become more accommodating to the needs of mobile consumers and suspects that QR codes will help accomplish this endeavor in an efficient and effective manner.
