But did you know it is a great marketing tool as well?
Houzz positions itself as a "leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish." It is a social media network, an inspirational search engine, a business directory, digital scrapbook and a tool to collaborate with clients
Finally, it is a great way to discover and shop a great variety of home-related products - Vendors on Houzz are offering more than 2.5 million products for every style and budget.
It is not surprising that Houzz is growing at a fast pace if you look at the rapid adoption of Pinterest, which is a visual social media platform that caters mostly to women and drives enormous traffic to DIY & craft, home decorating and food related websites. And HGTV is enjoying an enthusiastic following attracting flocks of DIYers and homeowners! Currently, there are 20 million active users on Houzz.
Most of the non-professional users are homeowners (90%) and have big plans in the next 2 years, whether it's redecorating (84%), building an addition or remodeling (40%) or even building a custom house (10%). According to Houzz, there are more than 400,000 designers, architects, carpenters, interior decorators, contractors and more in across 60 professional categories.
Houzz also is becoming a valued resource for its users - there are more than 10,000 editorial guides and advice written by industry pros and contributors around the world covering every topic imaginable.
So, you might be asking yourself how you can use Houzz as a marketing tool. There are many options:
Houzz allows architects, interior designers, furniture designers and other professionals to create a Pro Profile.
A professional can add lots of information in his or her profile to attract new leads. This includes a business description and links to your website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and your blog. You can also include a description of the services you provide, what the typical cost is and what area you serve. In addition, you can fill in your license number if your profession requires it and add any certifications and awards that you might have.
Houzz is the perfect place to show off all the projects you have recently completed. In Houzz terminology, a project "is a collection of photos of your own work or products. Projects are usually best organized by client, job site, or product line." Once you created your profile, navigate to "Your Uploaded Photos" and click on Add Photo. Use well-lit, professional HD photos of your past work. Make sure you adhere to the Houzz guidelines for uploading high-quality photos.
Houzz allows users to create ideabooks where you can collect inspiration, show off your style or even collaborate on a project virtually with a client. Ideabooks can be private or public. Let's say I am in the market for a kitchen remodel and I love white cabinets and lots of natural surfaces. I can browse through close to 600,000 pictures and add them with a few clicks to my ideabook "amazing kitchens" and add a comment what exactly I liked about it and even share or send it to someone.
But one of the best ways to get the word out is to comment on discussions, be social and share some valuable piece of information. You do not have to give away any trade secrets but helping others is establishing you as an authority and shows expertise. The more you share, the more people will check out your profile and connect with you!
