Since its launch, Houzz has become an essential social networking tool for designers and home improvement brands. As the Houzz site touts, “Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world.” While this is an excellent audience to tap into, brands getting on board are competing with over 2 million uploaded photos and a variety of already established home improvement brands. What can you do to make your efforts stand apart? We spoke with a seasoned Houzz user to see what has worked for her brand.
Emily Belyea is the marketing coordinator for Crestview Doors. Not only has Houzz become an essential part of Crestview’s marketing and sales efforts, Belyea also uses it personally.
lonelybrand: What, in your own experience, have been the essential elements to include in your brand’s profile?
Belyea: In my personal experience, the success of our Houzz efforts hasn’t necessarily been due to any essential elements, but more from how we have laid out and organized our profile. Just like with all websites, users become accustomed to things working one way, and like it or not – we, as marketers, need to use those design trends to get users to do what we want them to. For Houzz, it’s creating Projects and Ideabooks that are titled to make the user want to click on them. A call to action and a few good adjectives paired with a perfectly chosen cover photo, are a great way to get clicks. For example, an Ideabook featuring painted orange doors might be labeled “Get the look: How to pull off an orange door in 2014.” An example for a Project featuring a couple of closet doors we did for a client in LA might look like this: “Charming Makeover in LA.”
lb: What else has worked to get your brand’s Projects noticed?
Belyea: Putting the location of the project in the title, and including photos of the entire project, and not just the part you worked on. Remember — the Houzz user wants to see the whole project, not just your part! Let your Projects and Ideabooks tell stories and add the other trade professionals you worked with as collaborators on the project. That way, you’re building more connections for your business and stretching your Project’s reach even further.
What tactics have you used to improve your brand’s visibility on Houzz? Share them with us! Or, if you’re looking to conquer the basics of Houzz first, check out our guide.
