Managing a bunch of social media platforms can be a pain. As a marketer myself, I understand that sentiment. That’s why it’s important to select the social media platforms that will deliver the most bang for your buck.
It’s also why I’d recommend checking out Houzz.com, a relative newcomer to the social media scene. Founded in 2009, Houzz is a web site and online community about architecture, interior design, landscape design and home improvement. Homeowners not only use Houzz to get inspiration, but they also use it to find professional contractors. That’s why you should consider creating a professional profile on Houzz.
Today, there are more than 25 million active users on Houzz. What’s more, according to recent statistics, those users visit an average of 8 pages per session, and spend, on average, over 6 minutes per day on the site. What does that mean? They’ve got a very engaged user base.
If you decide to take the plunge, here are some tips to help you get started generating new revenue for your green industry business from Houzz:
Keywords Matter.
The first thing you want to do is create a Houzz account. That’s as simple as going to the site and clicking the Sign Up With Email button. Then, enter your email address and a password. Finally, be sure you select “Pro” as the type of account. That will set you up with a business account.
Now it’s time to enter your description and pick a category. Pick a category that fits primarily what you do. If you maintain lawns and install and repair sprinklers, select the Lawn and Sprinklers category. If you do more landscape design and installation, select landscaping.
Next, spend some time writing your description. Like any search engine, Houzz uses an algorithm to determine which pros to show users when they’re looking for contractors. So use keywords that they may use to find your business. Irrigation installation, hardscaping, landscape lighting, etc. may be some of the terms you’ll use. Also include a list of ALL the cities you serve. That way, you’ll have better odds of being found by someone searching from one of the towns in your service area.
Lastly, upload your profile photo. Make it personal. Use something other than your logo. Make it a picture of you or your team. Barrett Lawn Care is a good example of someone with a good Houzz profile, which may explain why they were the #1 result when I searched Lawn and Sprinklers in my hometown of Maplewood.
Get reviews.
You want to be the first professional on the list in your service area? Then get your customers to write reviews. If you can get three happy customers to review you, you’ll probably rank very high in the Lawn and Sprinkler category for the towns you serve.
Need help getting reviews? Customers who use our service business marketing add-on, HindSite Connect Pro, are much more likely to have great reviews on popular sites like Yelp, Angie’s List and Houzz. Why? Because HindSite Connect Pro enables you to send customer satisfaction surveys immediately after you complete a service. Even better, it can automate asking for reviews from your most satisfied customers. So when someone rates you a 5 out of 5 on a survey, you can immediately send them a link to Houzz to leave a review. It’s quick, easy, and can help you generate a lot of new business by moving your listing to the top of Houzz.
Reviews are prominently displayed on your Houzz profile, so be sure you get them!
Pictures are the key to your success.
Houzz is at its core a way to share pictures of your work. You can create Projects that highlight your work. Even better, you can add keyword-rich descriptions that help those Projects - and your business - get found.
A great Project idea is to take before and after pictures of your most ambitious projects. Want to get even more visibility? Upload pictures that are at least 1000 pixels wide. It’s better if you can get professional photos, as well.
A good example of photo use in a Project is Mickman Brothers’ “Casual Comfort” project. They took some great pictures of their work, which landed them in a lot of Ideabooks (basically a way for users to save their favorite designs) and even generated a question about how the water feature in the picture had such clear water.
You’ll be rewarded for interacting.
Houzz wants its professionals to interact with users. So they reward those that do by ranking them higher. So be sure to login to Houzz daily and interact - heck, that’s the whole point of a social media platform, anyway, right?
Here are some tips:
-
Follow other professionals. Find people in other markets that do what you do, complementary services in your local market (photographers, interior designers, spa and pool installers, etc.), or other active users.
-
Answer questions. Hopefully, after you’ve posted some great pictures of your projects, you’ll get a ton of questions from interested users. Answer them promptly! Plus, don’t limit yourself to answering only direct questions. If other pros aren’t answering questions that you have the knowledge to answer, help a user out by answering it.
-
Search discussions for topics of interest. As a professional, you’ve got a ton of knowledge stored up in that brain of yours. Leverage it by responding to discussions around those topics. A simple search for “irrigation” in discussions turned up over 600 discussion threads, many from homeowners looking for advice. Spend a minute or two a day answering some of those questions. Not only do you get to flash your knowledge, but you get free publicity and Houzz sees you as an engaged professional.
-
Create a before and after discussion. People love rags to riches stories. It’s why there are a ton of makeover stories on TV. Share your own! If you turned a boring landscape into an outdoor mecca, create a discussion about it. Explain the process you went through and - if possible - get the homeowner involved in the discussion.
Hopefully, these tips will help get you started to a successful social media presence on Houzz. Like any social media platform, taking a little extra time to understand the platform, and then carving out time every day or week is the best way to ensure your success.
