“Houzz works for only 20 percent of contractors. For Art or custom builders. If you’re on the visionary side, not on the commodities side – with custom and artistic custom design – Houzz will work for you.”
Houzz is all about the pictures. It’s basically Pinterest for home building, remodeling, and exteriors – if you inspire people with your ideas and design – you can inspire them into working with you on Houzz.
But for many – it’s not going to lead to the type of leads you’re hoping for – especially if you only work it short-term and aren’t consistently interacting with people who comment on your photos. It still takes work on your end to manage and engage with your Houzz audience. It’s not as plug-and-play as it may seem. It’s almost like managing a social media account—time and effort will truly get you the engagement you desire.
In fact, Houzz is going to be less useful for leads and far more useful for collaborating with other experts and businesses, plus keeping up with industry trends. You can get all of these benefits with a simple Houzz profile—no need to upgrade.
Why did we provide this resource? We serve contractors and home service companies with marketing + web design! Check out our blog posts about Plumbing Leads, Electrician Leads, Roofing Leads, HVAC Leads, Construction Leads, Remodeling Leads and our Plumbing SEO, Electrician SEO, Roofing SEO, Contractor SEO, Remodeling SEO, and HVAC SEO services!
What does it mean to really leverage Houzz Pro+well – even if you aren’t paying on Houzz Pro Plus?
Do your best to create inspirational galleries for recent projects, and showcase your very best work on a regular basis around themes – and consistently. If you win a ‘Best of Houzz’ – use it on your site, and showcase it along with any other honors. As a relatively household name, no pun intended, Houzz does carry weight with many homeowners who use it to get inspired.
Here are some amazing insights / Houzz reviews from comments on ‘Roofing Insights’ Youtube videos.
“Advertising on Houzz is impossible to Cancel.”
“The sales pitch was focused on my initial needs which were to sell on Houzz Marketplace. Turned out to be a total scam – I still have “pending” account status at the market place after paying $250 per month for more than a year and now I have been told that my cancellation request was not accepted because itwas not “in writing” and 30 days before the renewal period despite me telling my account rep I wanted to cancel twice over 12 months! Check out their shiny F rating at the BBB!
Don’t advertise unless you have a lawyer present when you want to cancel.”
– Peter D. on SiteJabbber.com
“My company decided to advertise with Houzz for a year. There was not a single qualified lead sent our way. Not one, meaning no sales and zero return on our investment. I called to cancel and was told that my account automatically renewed for a year and we would have to pay a penalty if we wantedout. Customer service is horrible and this is a complete and utter waste of money.”
– Stephanie W. on SiteJabber.com
“I feel I was greatly misled by this company as a new architecture firm just starting out and wanting to get more referrals. The salesperson I initially spoke with said it would be no problem that I didn’t have many reviews or project photos and that I would be able to get a lot of work if I signed up for Pro. Then once they had my money and a 1-year contract, and months went by and I didn’t get a single lead, they blamed it on me for not having enough reviews and project photos. I really regret paying over $300 a month for Pro. This is a really big expense for me just starting out and I’m not getting anything out of it. I would recommend NOT signing up for Pro unless you’re a well-established designer or contractor and have a ton of photos and reviews. When I voiced my concerns to my reps they blew me off and didn’t address what I said. Save your money for better uses and don’t fall for the hypey, upbeat sales pitch.”
– Anne Baker, on TrustPilot.com
“Horrible company for contractors. Houzz started my company in a contract at $300 a month for 1 year. I stated that I wasn’t going to be in a contract for a year at $300 a month without knowing if the advertising works for my business. They reiterated that the contract can be canceled at anytime without penalties. After 4 months of never receiving any jobs from Houzz I decided to cancel. They told me I couldn’t and they had a manager make contact with me. He then apologized and said he would credit the account for two months and lower the payments to $150 a month. He said he would help us receive better leads but still almost one year later we’ve never received a good lead. Well we receive tons of work for other forms of advertising, nothing from Houzz. To make it even worse I thought the contract was ending shortly, but no after speaking with them about wanting to cancel they started the contract over from the time they lowered the monthly bill. I now have an additional 4 month on this contract. Be careful contractors, don’t trust what they say.”
– A1 Painting Services, on TrustPilot.com
“We canceled our subscription with Houzz.com but the company refuses to release our website. I have talked multiple times with them but get no results. This is hurting our business tremendously and I am very frustrated with the company. I will never recommend, or use them again!.”
– Michelle Pivetti, on TrustPilot.com
But it’s not all negative – here’s a positive one! (Seems like there’s a lot more positive from the customer and not the Houzz Pro side, so had to sort through those.)
Thank you, Houzz you saved my business from closing. My name is Robert McJones. My business was about to close because of low production. Last month I received a call from Mr. Jason Lopez and offered me a project for residential interior painting for one of their Real Estate Investors. At first, I did not qualify because my insurance was too low in coverage but thank God Mr. Lopez was able to me with the insurance also. Now the competition is not an issue for me because of the steady production Houzz provides me. Thank you Houzz, thank Mr. Lopez.
– Robert McJones, Trust Pilot
Does Houzz work for small business? We believe in getting leads from every and all viable angles –
I didn’t try to curate these (very mixed reviews) to rip on Houzz. It can work wonders for many small businesses, if not for free access to thousands of other professionals’ ideas and industry trends alone.
Houzz can also give you a leg up on customer service as you can interact freely with potential customers via reviews and Q&A platforms. Sharing tips and inspiration on your own via the Houzz website start building that relationship, and they may be more likely to work with you in the future.
For small businesses with just a few small projects under their belts can quickly share those projects in Houzz’s ideabooks which can be found and shared amongst users like Pinterest. What easier way to get your work out there to prospective homeowners?
We believe in some value of being on Houzz for sure, though perhaps not paying for their premium listing options through Houzz Pro. From a marketing perspective, you are still very much going to want to invest in your own marketing and put in the work—Houzz won’t do it for you.
If you’re a construction company, you should be finding the best options for getting your company out there on a regular basis – and sometimes that may mean augmenting your ‘owned marketing’ with HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Houzz and other listing services.
But the ideal is – that you OWN more of it than you’re paying for, and you’re building a marketing system that honors your brand and attracts people to YOU – not just ‘someone who does what you do.’
SEO + Houzz
Optimizing your basic Houzz profile to include proven SEO components is another reason you don’t need to pay for a premium account. Either on your own, or with an SEO or marketing agency, you can optimize your Houzz profile to include tags, meta descriptions, and keywords that will make it that much easier for people online to find your Houzz account. This adds an extra “oomph” to your marketing efforts and how prospective customers find you online.
The 5 Things You Need to Succeed
If your Houzz profile doesn’t have any of the following, then you need to up your game before you can even consider upgrading to Houzz Pro.
- Good Reviews
- Plenty of Project Photos
- High Engagement
- GOOD, High-Quality Photos (before and after photos are essential)
- 5-20 Keywords Attached to Said Photos
The importance of owning your brand, and ranking on Google with your website
So overall – I’m suggesting ‘Search Engine Optimization’ – alongside these methods. Search Engine Optimization is built for the long-term, so that you OWN your lead-generation machine, and continue to build it with content and links back to your website from other places on the internet.
We can help you do that! Check out our 40+ 5-star reviews on Google, our case studies, and send us a message now to get started increasing your construction companies’ visibility, it’s our specialty!
Frequently asked questions about Houzz
Is Houzz free for contractors?
It’s a free showcase – until they do get somewhat aggressive to upsell you. You’re able to display the projects you’ve done for other clients, at absolutely no cost. You can set up a free account, upload those photos, and get free advertising out of Houzz. We suggest sticking with the free account 100% and spending your effort getting your best work in front of more people. Resist their heavy-duty sales approach.
How do I use Houzz for my business?
1. Consider including a house badge on your site 2. Ask clients to review you on Houzz (first have them review you on Google if you don’t have many reviews there.) 3. Contact other vendors or companies on Houzz that you want to network with. 4. Be helpful to customers asking questions on Houzz. 5. Ask genuinely helpful questions to engage people on the platform.
How do I cancel Houzz pro?
Houzz Pro membership is generally a 12-month deal with no option for cancellation.
If you want to deactivate your account:
- Go to Your Houzz, then click Edit Profile and Settings.
- On the left bar, click “Advanced Settings.” From the “Advanced Settings” page, you can deactivate your Houzz account.
Consider this before signing up – from a concerned contractor – I didn’t read many good reviews about the program, even in the heavier populated cities. They all had one thing in common, very poor ROI. Few calls, expensive advertising ($300 – $700 per month), and many quoted them as the worst mistake they ever made in their business advertising.
Another contractor responding to the first – My leads from Houzz have all been really weak. I’m with Ben – have a solid Houzz profile, but invest your time and/or money into a good website that converts.
What is Houzz, and how does it work?
Houzz is a remodeling directory, a resource for contractors to get in front of prospects, but not a great central hub for all your marketing efforts. According to Houzz, they are – the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish.
Is Houzz free?
Yes, for homeowners – and the basic Houzz pro account is also free. Be prepared for heavy upsells, though.
Is Houzz Pro+ Worth the Hype?
Short answer—nah. You can make a killer Houzz profile that gets you leads with time and effort.
Other Ways to Market Your Company Outside of Houzz
Of course, the aforementioned SEO is a great way to ensure that you’re getting in front of your preferred customers. But what are some other ways you can beat out the competition when it comes to your marketing efforts? Here are some quick tips to try today (or at least get started on this week) to improve your marketing efforts.
Improve Your Website
At Hook, we always ask potential clients if the quality of their website reflects the quality of work that they do. If your website is outdated, hard to navigate, and is super slow, it’s time for a change. The best way to do this is to work with a professional web design and development team. A good website isn’t cheap, but it won’t take long for you to see a positive ROI on your new website investment.
Your website is oftentimes the first instance someone will have interacting with your brand. Make sure that first impression is a good one by creating a quality website.
Go Through the Storybrand Excercise
In addition to smart, clean, modern, and simple web design, we’re huge proponents of Storybrand. If you haven’t gone through Storybrand or a similar branding framework, make sure to put it on your to-do list. Don’t worry, it won’t lead to a totally new brand, but it will help you with your messaging and marketing efforts. The idea is that you’re the guide for a hero of a story. They come to with your problems, and you help guide them to making the right decision. It’s a simple but highly effective framework to work into your brand.
Utilize Social
Now that you’ve (hopefully) got some high-quality images to your name that illustrate the quality of your services, share them for the world to see! Think of this as boasting a little a bit. You’ve worked hard to build your company. And now you’re delivering awesome results for your clients. Let everyone see your successes and that you can help people make their visions for their dream home a reality.
Update Your Web Copy
In addition to reworking your website if the design is outdated, take stock of your web copy. Does the copy represent what your company is today? Does it effectively relay the results from your Storybrand excerciese? Are their engaging headlines that tap into the emotions of your customers? Those are the key questions you should ask yourself when reviewing your web copy.
