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Is Houzz Pro+ Worth It?
Houzz has been around long enough, and so many companies are on it, that I’m assuming you’ve heard of it—especially since you’re reading this post. Houzz is now, to quote Ron Burgundy, “kind of a big deal” for remodeling and other related home services companies. But what’s the deal with Houzz Pro+? Is it worth it for your company?
In this post, I’m going to explain some benefits of this advanced Houzz platform and then give you some additional data/thoughts.
Interested in learning even more about Houzz?
Benefits of Houzz Pro+
With a Pro+ Houzz membership, you can:
Increase your visibility
You are more exposed to Houzz users if you’re paying for the service. Homeowners searching for, say, home remodelers in {your service area} are more likely to see your profile. Houzz lists a number of professionals on each results page. Under Houzz Pro+, 10 of those spots are reserved for Pro+ members.
Choose Multiple Categories & Service Areas
Any business can sign up on Houzz and create a profile. They get to choose a category that best describes their company—landscape contractors, home builders, etc. But with the Pro+ program, you can list your business in more than one category or location. This is beneficial for those companies that fit more than one category and want to be found for both (such as “design-build firms” and “kitchen & bath designers”) and/or serve multiple locations.
Get Insights About Your Profile
Houzz Pro+ members can actually see how their profiles and pictures are performing. The Pro+ Dashboard provides some awesome insights into how Houzz users interact with your profile and photos. Houzz professionals recommend changing your cover/profile photo every three months or so—using the ones that get the most impressions. This can make your profile more appealing and “clickable.”
You can read about these benefits in more detail (and see pictures) on my earlier Houzz Pro+ blog post »
But…The Problem I Have with Houzz Pro+
While Houzz Pro+ certainly could be beneficial, I want to tell you a few more things. Since my last Pro+ blog post, we’ve seen more recent data and received some insights (from both a Houzz representative and a client of ours).
Houzz Pro+ may not be worth it, especially if you have a more limited budget (which most of our small-medium sized business clients do). Why?
Where do the leads actually come from?
While social media is not first and foremost a lead generator, it makes sense that companies who would pay for the advanced services want more out of it (and most companies don’t care about website traffic as much as leads and sales). But there is no way to track where a Houzz lead came from—Pro+/promoted or regular/organic—I heard this straight from a Houzz representative. Frustrating! To get the most ROI, tracking is absolutely necessary. This is why at Blue Corona, we track, test, and tweak (and, if it’s working, repeat). If you’re not tracking a marketing method, how do you know it’s working?
Recently, a client of mine booked a job from a Houzz lead. Curious, I wanted to see if it was a result of Pro+…alas, I was not able to tell. Even though business owners using Houzz can see when consumers save their pictures to their own ideabooks, Houzz doesn’t require the consumer to provide a name or any contact information so that the business owner can then follow up.
One of our clients told us, regarding their Pro+ membership, “I have yet to get a project through this program although I spoke to one of our contractors and he said their business has grown 50% because of the leads that turned into real projects.” But—due to the lack of tracking—there is no way to tell if those leads were a result of the Pro+ program or just regular Houzz presence.
If you’re just starting out and want to expand your online real estate, I think enhancing your Houzz profile (creating one if you don’t have one—and if you aren’t, you’re way behind the times) and engaging with the community is the way to go. Then, after tracking this progress and analyzing the data, if you realize you don’t have the results you were hoping for and want more, consider more advanced methods, such as Pro+ (but TRACK the data so you can see website traffic and leads before Pro+ investment and after) so you can determine if it’s a good long-term solution for you.
The value of pictures
Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words and this is especially true on social media! People engage more with pictures (hell, there’s even a social media platform devoted just to pictures—Instagram), and Houzz is no exception. I’d say that pictures are even more important on Houzz than Facebook and Twitter, since Houzz is solely for remodelers, design-builders, and other companies in an extremely photo-centric industry.
Take a look at these screenshots (of a Pro+ dashboard for one of my clients):
While Pro+ seems to increase profile impressions and clicks (which makes sense since you are paying for that increased visibility), it doesn’t make a difference when it comes to photo impressions. And what do you think Houzz users (homeowners who are planning to remodel or actively renovating their home) care more about—information or pictures?
The long(ish) answer is that it depends on where they are in the buying cycle/how far along they are in the sales funnel. Houzz consumers planning to remodel are higher up in the funnel and are probably looking for pictures for ideas. Those further along in the funnel, who are actually trying to hire a company, are more interested in the information—companies’ credentials, reviews, etc.—but they’ll want to look at the pictures too, naturally.
Before you completely dismiss the idea of Houzz Pro+…
Take a look at some Google Analytics screenshots of one of our clients who is currently paying for Pro+.
More impressions/greater visibility, of course, increases the chances of getting leads and sales—and generally, our clients paying for Pro+ have more website traffic and leads than those who have regular Houzz profiles.
Know Your Goals
Like anything else, Houzz Pro+ can be worth testing (if you’re already investing in SEO and seriously considering (or already investing in) PPC—but we’d want to think about the best way to track all areas so that we can make a data-driven decision to continue the right campaigns. This is true, especially if you are hoping to get more leads from social media, including Houzz.
I’d say if you’re just starting out and/or have a smaller budget, you may not necessarily need to jump right in with Houzz Pro+, especially since there is no proof that Houzz leads come from promoted or organic results. Even with a regular (free!) Houzz profile, you can engage with the community and build your reputation and authority online (which is really what Houzz—and other social media platforms—are all about, not generating leads). Plus, there are other ways to maximize your online real estate and increase your visibility online to potentially get more leads—a free Houzz microsite!
As always, contact our team to discuss your social media goals—it starts with a free analysis:
About The Author: Alanna is the Quality Assurance Manager in Blue Corona's Maryland office. When she's not triple-checking websites and content for errors and consistency, you can find her at the gym with her twin sister or urban exploring with her husband.
View more blogs by Alanna Hernandez
The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Contact us for complete details.
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