How to Create an Online Presence That Wins More Clients
A designer who’s also a business coach shares tips for maximizing your Houzz profile
Now is a great time to market your business in order to win more clients, and your online presence is an important part of that effort. Designer and business coach Cheryl Kees Clendenon of In Detail Interiors in Pensacola, Florida, recently sat down with Reisa Elden of Houzz to discuss how designers, general contractors, architects and other pros can make the most of their online presence on Houzz.
Read the following recap of their conversation to get tips, or watch the full webinar by clicking on the link below the first photo.
Read the following recap of their conversation to get tips, or watch the full webinar by clicking on the link below the first photo.
Choose Photos Carefully
Photos of your projects really matter. But it’s not enough to upload just any photo to Houzz. To stand out to homeowners, your photos need to be good: well-lit, attractive and ideally styled in an inviting way.
For high-quality photos, pros who aren’t designers might consider hiring a home stager or interior designer to style their projects for photography. Then, use only the best photographs from the professional shoot. Resist the urge to upload any that are just so-so.
The most important photo for each project is the one that lives on the main page of your Houzz profile as the project’s cover shot. Clendenon calls that photo “the money shot” and says it should highlight whatever is unique about the project. You might emphasize a moody color palette, or the fact that the project is in a downtown condo, or maybe its midcentury style. Whatever that unique element is, the photo should show it. “Before” photos are also helpful to include so your leads can see the changes you made.
Clendenon also likes to include at least one shot that shows part of the location of the project, whether it’s a residential neighborhood, a remote property or the beach. “It’s visually interesting,” she says. “It’s a human interest thing.”
The project title should create a story line for the project. An example of a title with a good story line might be “Dining Room to Home Office” or “Coastal Condo Remodel.” It succinctly describes what happened in the project.
The project description should be as detailed as possible. “Talk about what you did,” Clendenon says, whether that’s moving a wall or installing new cabinetry, and how those changes met the homeowners’ needs. Remember, words on a website are searchable, so you want to choose terms for your photos and projects that homeowners might be searching for.
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Photos of your projects really matter. But it’s not enough to upload just any photo to Houzz. To stand out to homeowners, your photos need to be good: well-lit, attractive and ideally styled in an inviting way.
For high-quality photos, pros who aren’t designers might consider hiring a home stager or interior designer to style their projects for photography. Then, use only the best photographs from the professional shoot. Resist the urge to upload any that are just so-so.
The most important photo for each project is the one that lives on the main page of your Houzz profile as the project’s cover shot. Clendenon calls that photo “the money shot” and says it should highlight whatever is unique about the project. You might emphasize a moody color palette, or the fact that the project is in a downtown condo, or maybe its midcentury style. Whatever that unique element is, the photo should show it. “Before” photos are also helpful to include so your leads can see the changes you made.
Clendenon also likes to include at least one shot that shows part of the location of the project, whether it’s a residential neighborhood, a remote property or the beach. “It’s visually interesting,” she says. “It’s a human interest thing.”
The project title should create a story line for the project. An example of a title with a good story line might be “Dining Room to Home Office” or “Coastal Condo Remodel.” It succinctly describes what happened in the project.
The project description should be as detailed as possible. “Talk about what you did,” Clendenon says, whether that’s moving a wall or installing new cabinetry, and how those changes met the homeowners’ needs. Remember, words on a website are searchable, so you want to choose terms for your photos and projects that homeowners might be searching for.
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Ask for Reviews
Reading reviews is a key way potential clients research you and your firm, often before they reach out. Clendenon says it’s important to proactively ask for reviews rather than sit back and hope clients write them. If you have a good relationship with your client, you can even suggest areas for them to emphasize in their review.
“Lead the witness a little,” Clendenon says. “Whatever makes that job unique, you want to have them talk about.” For instance, if you want to show potential new clients that your firm can be relied on for smooth project management, ask your client to mention how having your team involved from start to finish helped the project and the homeowners’ stress levels.
Obviously, you can’t control exactly what people say, but making a directional suggestion to the client can help you elicit comments on the benefits of working with your firm that you want to promote. “You don’t need to have 100 reviews,” Clendenon says. “You need to make them quality.”
Pros on Houzz who use Houzz Pro can also select their best reviews to feature at the top of their Houzz profiles.
Download our ebook 8 Online Marketing Terms Every Pro Should Know
Reading reviews is a key way potential clients research you and your firm, often before they reach out. Clendenon says it’s important to proactively ask for reviews rather than sit back and hope clients write them. If you have a good relationship with your client, you can even suggest areas for them to emphasize in their review.
“Lead the witness a little,” Clendenon says. “Whatever makes that job unique, you want to have them talk about.” For instance, if you want to show potential new clients that your firm can be relied on for smooth project management, ask your client to mention how having your team involved from start to finish helped the project and the homeowners’ stress levels.
Obviously, you can’t control exactly what people say, but making a directional suggestion to the client can help you elicit comments on the benefits of working with your firm that you want to promote. “You don’t need to have 100 reviews,” Clendenon says. “You need to make them quality.”
Pros on Houzz who use Houzz Pro can also select their best reviews to feature at the top of their Houzz profiles.
Download our ebook 8 Online Marketing Terms Every Pro Should Know
Tweak Your Profile Regularly
Remember, marketing is an ongoing process, not something you do just once. So think about your Houzz profile as something you tend to periodically. “I think it’s good quarterly to make sure you go in there and refresh your profile,” Clendenon says. “Don’t just set it and forget it. You need to go in there and massage it and work it.”
As you review your profile, look at the words in your project descriptions as well as how you describe your firm. Did you get a new award or finish a new project? Are you offering a new type of service? Make sure those are highlighted.
Your client success manager at Houzz can also help you maximize your profile — reps have some great ideas and suggestions.
Marketing does take an investment, but the upside can be great. “The last three Houzz jobs we got were a total of $131,900 in — minimum — gross revenue for those three leads,” Clendenon says. Because her firm structures contracts with a minimum product expenditure plus a design fee, the total gross revenue could end up totaling far more if her clients spend more than the minimum on products.
Watch the full webinar here
Remember, marketing is an ongoing process, not something you do just once. So think about your Houzz profile as something you tend to periodically. “I think it’s good quarterly to make sure you go in there and refresh your profile,” Clendenon says. “Don’t just set it and forget it. You need to go in there and massage it and work it.”
As you review your profile, look at the words in your project descriptions as well as how you describe your firm. Did you get a new award or finish a new project? Are you offering a new type of service? Make sure those are highlighted.
Your client success manager at Houzz can also help you maximize your profile — reps have some great ideas and suggestions.
Marketing does take an investment, but the upside can be great. “The last three Houzz jobs we got were a total of $131,900 in — minimum — gross revenue for those three leads,” Clendenon says. Because her firm structures contracts with a minimum product expenditure plus a design fee, the total gross revenue could end up totaling far more if her clients spend more than the minimum on products.
Watch the full webinar here
Tell Your Story
It can be easy to quickly dash off a description of your firm on your Houzz profile without giving it a lot of thought — but Clendenon says this isn’t a good strategy. “People make a mistake thinking nobody reads that,” she says. “People read that, and they read our reviews and talk about [them].”
Your profile is your opportunity to show off what makes your firm unique, both in terms of the projects you do and the personality of your team. The words you use and the photos you choose should reflect your company. “We’re a little sassy and a little irreverent and like to have a good time and laugh a lot,” Clendenon says. And she lets that show through in her profile.
In fact, In Detail Interiors’ lead profile photo — at the top of the Houzz profile page — shows Clendenon raising a glass of wine in a toast, an image that reflects the firm’s slightly irreverent attitude. Whether your brand personality is offbeat and quirky, serious artist or service with a wholesome smile, the lead photo is a great opportunity to convey your brand attributes.
Download our ebook Allocating a Marketing Budget for Builders