This post was updated on April 12, 2018

If you have a service-based business & are looking to reach hundreds, even thousands of local potential customers, Houzz may be exactly what you are looking for. Houzz is a directory, portfolio & social platform all wrapped into one slick interface. On Houzz you can publish your business details, past work and even communicate with potential customers. Whether you have heard of Houzz, have used Houzz or are hearing about it for the first time, here is your guide to becoming a part of this prominent website.

What is Houzz

With over five million photos, two and a half million professionals and three million products, Houzz has honed in on a great way to bring designers, architects and creative people together. Founders Adi and Alon started the site as a way to have an online idea board. The two were working on their own house and found they were stuck in a sea of magazine clippings. The concept brings together professionals in the field as well as a reported 25 million homeowners.

The ease of navigation is one of the best features of Houzz. If you are an interior designer, talking about wrought iron light fixtures with a client, you simply plug in that keyword and “ideabooks” for that search pop up. Pictures of projects and products are easily scrolled through by the user.

Houzz is set up so that professionals and daydreamers will enjoy the site. Many young professionals planning their dream home, while living in a shoe box sized apartment, can create their own “ideabooks” for use when they have finally made the climb up the corporate ladder. Credit on the image always goes to the poster, so when the new homeowner is ready, they have a network of contractors at their fingertips.

The Best Businesses for Houzz

Being a part of any social media network takes work and time. While you could upload a few high-resolution images to the site, unless you build the volume and represent your brand well, just a few images may get lost in the shuffle and would not be as profitable. However, if you are able to dedicate time to curating the information and images placed on Houzz, it can be a huge benefit. Some of the best businesses for Houzz include:

• Architects
• Bath Remodeling Companies
• Build Firms
• Building Suppliers
• Contractors
• Design Firms
• Furniture Designers
• Interior Designers
• Kitchen Contractors
• Landscape Architects
• Lighting Designers

Benefits of Connecting With Houzz

Sales. With over 25 million monthly visitors, Houzz boasts a significant audience of homeowners looking for both design inspiration and local professionals to help them accomplish their goals. Other benefits include connecting with other professionals, and being a platform for customer reviews, portfolio functionality and content marketing opportunities (articles and QA section)

Quick Setup Guide to Houzz

Having decided to make the move join Houzz is a great one. Getting started is easy.

• Create a Profile: Your profile is how potential clients will contact you. Email, phone number, website and address are a must. Many great businesses on Houzz take the time to formulate a little blurb about themselves. Share where you can from and what design you specialize in, such as mid-century modern or Spanish inspired tile work.
• Upload a Portfolio: This is where you show off your work. Upload high-resolution images which are at least 1000 pixels wide. Once images are uploaded you can edit and organize them into Ideabooks.
• Create Tags: Tags not only identify what is in the photo but help people find the photo. A tag could be ‘nursery table’, but should also be ‘Atlanta’, ‘boys room’ and ‘vintage nursery’ in order to get the best response.
• Share Ideabooks: Generating interest and networking with area designers is what will drive business. Create Ideabooks using projects you have completed or with a common theme bringing together many projects. Be sure to make these public so people can share them.

For more a more detailed guide, Hubspot created this handy PDF.

Tips for Maximizing Your Houzz Interaction

Once you are up and running on Houzz, you need to show you are the best in the business. Some top tips to rising in the ranks include:

• Include a Houzz badge on your site to show clients your work
• Ask clients to review you on Houzz
• Contact people you are interested in networking with
• Be helpful on the boards by answering homeowner questions
• Ask questions on the boards to spark conversation
• Upload new content weekly or monthly

These tips and tools should get you started. With a robust, attractive and active presence, Houzz can help get visitors in front of your business.

What Can WebTech Do?

At WebTech, we help businesses become more visible in the online marketplace by posting your products and services on websites like Houzz. These platforms allow you to promote your business on the internet, by offering information and details about your businesses, and the services you provide. WebTech is here to help your ideal customer find you.  Contact us today to find out more on how you can use Houzz and similar websites to increase awareness and add new clients to your business!

WT Digital Agency is an Atlanta marketing agency specializing in brand development, content marketing, website design, SEO, and more. To learn more about what we do, click here.