In an age where websites are increasingly being viewed on mobile phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, it is very vital to have a mobile version for your site.

But if you think that just using your current desktop-based website for your mobile site would do, then you are wrong. Even with smartphones and tablets becoming more and more powerful, you should still make sure that your mobile site displays properly on any mobile device screen.

Why is this very important?

Who can forget the great earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan’s northern coast nine months ago? To mark this disastrous event in Japanese history and to commemorate those who have lost their lives due to this, the government built monuments above a beach at Kamaishi, in the Iwate Prefecture. However, aside from the traditional Japanese proverb that’s inscribed on each monument, one can also see a quick response code.

With 2011 ending, it's just natural that we look forward to the coming year and see what it would be like for companies that are going to use marketing.

Looking at the trends in 2011 and what's hot, here are our predictions for 2012:

1. Mobile marketing will increase in 2012. For Black Friday this year, close to 1 out 10 purchases were made from a mobile device. This percentage more than triples the 3.2% share recorded in 2010. This trend will continue next year with the introduction of near-field communication and other wireless payment technologies such as QR codes.

QR codes are used for a lot of things and in various applications. It is widely used in marketing, fashion, travel and, as this post would show you, in music, too.

Here are some music-related campaigns that utilized QR codes:

Go Gaga with QR Codes

Lady Gaga is much more than a very talented artist; she is also a firm believer of social media and emerging technology. Is it any wonder why she tops the list of leading Facebook and Twitter users?

Teenagers are using their mobile devices even more now. A recent study from Nielsen showed that texting remains to be a favorite activity among teenagers 13 to 17 years old. They found that teenagers on the average send close to 3,500 text messages in a single month, or seven text messages for every hour.

That number is lower than the 3,729 text messages sent in the same period last year. Teen girls texted close to 4,000 messages per month in the third quarter of 2011, while the boys sent "only" a little more than 2,800 messages a month.

The National Environment Agency in Singapore is now using quick response codes during its inspections at hawker centers. The NEA’s use of QR code technology is part of a move to speed up the inspection process.

The QR codes each contain details regarding every registered hawker stall. NEA officers only need to scan the codes using their smartphones and they would get automatic access to a hawker stall’s registration information.

BeQRious' App Ideas series features great mobile apps that we think would be a great starting board if you are looking to build apps to promote your business, products or services. We think that apps are a great complement to your marketing mix, giving you the chance to have top of mind recall with your customers, as well as giving back something to your customers with your apps' features and functionalities! Check out our earlier app ideas!

QR codes have certainly come a long way, from being a technology that only the early adopters have heard about to something that feels like it is everywhere.

We have seen QR codes used by various companies – from small businesses to global brands, retail giants, or a mom-and-pop store – and in pretty much different ways.

Indeed QR codes have really become very common and well-known that we now associate mobile marketing with QR codes.