What if we could make connections even easier for people to share their personal brands?
Well, we can.
In fact, we’ve actually been able to do so for sometime now.
Think about how often you tap your credit card to make a payment—it is even done with your smartphones and smartwatches.
This all thanks to Near Field Communication technology—or NFC for short. NFCs continue to get adopted by more companies every day.
And more NFC capabilities and functionalities are always being discovered. Most devices, from Android phones to Apple iPhones and more, use NFC tags.
What even is NFC technology?
And how do we avoid making our customers feel awkward while using it?
This article will explain it all.
What is NFC Technology?
NFC is a wireless technology. It makes connections between devices snappy and makes it easy to swap data with a simple tap.
Think of it like Bluetooth, but with a few key differences.
The primary difference is that NFC needs a fraction of the power Bluetooth needs. The low power demand makes it ideal for use in devices with short battery life.
Picture your smartwatches and fitness trackers.
You can even find NFC tags in NFC stickers and business cards. Most NFC encounters you experience are NFC payments.
NFC-enabled devices provide a different payment method making mobile payments increasingly more common.
It also has a short range compared to Bluetooth and is restricted to close proximity—that’s why you tap.
NFC or a QR Code?
You might be wondering, “why not just use a QR code?”
There are a few reasons that you would prefer NFCs over a Quick Response (QR) code.
The main reason is that it creates a tactile experience between you and your customers and clients. NFCs act as a direct bridge with your customers and clients.
A second reason NFC is superior to QR codes is because it gives you—the business owner—control of the interaction.
Take Taptik for example.
Imagine you are a restaurant owner and want your customer to leave you a Google review right at the table in real-time.
NFCs make it easy to directly request the review, and in fact: make it a personable and more memorable exchange.
Not so much with a QR Code. It ends up being a lifeless interaction that’s limited to a receipt or worse: a poorly laminated and tattered piece of paper or plastic stuck to your table.
NFCs ultimately provide a level of immediacy that no other technology currently offers.
With the simple tap of a device, you initiate an immediate exchange of information.
Types of NFC Uses
Here are some common uses for NFCs:
Payment systems: your smartphone can use NFC to make payments. Thanks to Apple Pay (iOS) and Google Pay (Android), you can buy things with a simple tap of your phone near a NFC reader.
Access control: NFC can unlock doors, gates or other access points with a simple tap. Things such as fashionable key fobs, or even your phone, can unlock things and places.
Public transit: transit systems often use NFC for ticketing and fare payment. You can use your phone or a transit card with an NFC chip to tap and pay for a ride.
Marketing: you can also use NFC tech in advertising by interacting and tapping your phone. Like leaving a Google review with Taptik.
Sharing data: you can use NFC to share data, such as sending photos, documents or social information by tapping two NFC devices together.
Device pairing: you can also pair Bluetooth or wi-fi network connections with NFC taps. Making it easier to set up a connection and transfer data wirelessly.
How to use NFC Technology
Using NFC is super easy and straightforward.
Here are the basic steps:
- Make sure that your device has NFC.
Most smartphones you find in 2022 have NFC. If you're not sure, check by looking for the NFC logo on your phone or finding the manual for your device. Or check this list of compatible devices. As for Taptik, we use NTAG® NFC technology. - Enable NFC on your device if it isn’t already—most devices support NFC automatically.
This feature is often already active like with an iPhone. To enable NFC on your device go to the settings app and look for the NFC or the connections option. On some devices, such as android devices, you may need to turn on the Android Beam feature to use NFC. - Tap your device with the other NFC-enabled device or tag.
The distance between the device and the NFC tag or card should be no more than an inch or two for a quick tap. Apple devices and Android devices have different NFC experiences, but both involve a tap. For example, the Apple iPhone 7 and 8 must have the setting turned on to use a NFC reader. - Follow the prompts on your device to complete the NFC transaction or exchange.
This might involve inputting a code, approving a payment, writing a review or confirming "Yes" for the action.
And that's it.
As long as your device has NFC enabled and you tap an NFC card, chip, or other device, you can use NFC to complete an action. Watchout, though: NFC cards are unreadable when they are set down on metal!
How does Taptik use NFC technology?
Taptik makes things easier for your clients and customers to provide feedback.
One of the best ways for helping your business and its online search-ability—or Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—is increasing your number of Google reviews.
Google reviews improve your SEO by helping you rank higher on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERP).
Leaving a Google review isn’t always top-of-mind for your customer.
Go beyond reminding them.
Make it easier for them to share their compelling customer experience with your brand.
Truthfully, customers usually don’t leave their feedback.
It’s often the most vocal people who will follow through and leave a review.
Taptik aims to change that and make leaving a Google review synonymous with making a payment.
Taptik uses NFC to provide your client and customers a quick and easy way to access your Google reviews.
A quick tap of your branded Taptik card and they come face-to-face with a Google review form.
They fill it out and submit their feedback within 30 seconds, providing you with valuable—and immediate—insight and, not to mention: give them a chance to support your local business.