Houzz launched the Houzz Pro Online Impact Score, a marketing, project and client management tool developed for remodelling and design professionals. The platform “gives industry professionals insight into their level of business credibility online.”
Based on an analysis of nearly one million professionals worldwide, including designers, builders and speciality contractors, the score reflects the strength of a website and Houzz profile. Houzz provides the total score and a breakdown of its components, as well as a benchmark against the top 10% of pros in each category.
The Houzz Pro Online Impact Score was the result of a March 2021 survey of more than 500 homeowners on Houzz. The homeowners examined were grouped according to their status: planning, in the middle of, and those who completed renovation within the past two years.
The survey revealed online credibility is a significant factor in homeowners’ hiring decisions, with "two-thirds of homeowners reporting that a professional’s online presence, along with the ability to offer remote collaboration tools, are major determinants (66%)".
It also added even among homeowners who rely on word-of-mouth referrals to find pros, “more than two in five report that they conduct additional research, including reviewing their business website and profile, reviews and project portfolio, before deciding to make contact (47%).”
The Houzz survey also uncovered the key factors impacting homeowners’ decisions to hire a pro for their project. Top priorities included “pricing within budget, communication and organisation skills, and availability (66, 62, and 55% respectively). Houzz Pro offers tools for pros to facilitate communication and streamline and simplify the estimation process.”
Tony Been, ANZ MD Houzz, says the “home renovation industry is booming, but our research shows that a majority of pros could attract and close more of the work the really want.”
He notes that even pros who rely on word-of-mouth referrals “may miss out significant new opportunities, since prospects conduct additional research to confirm the recommendation before reaching out.”
“With a more credible online presence, they’ll build a stronger pipeline for the long-term”, he says.
Been claims: “Houzz is the industry leader when it comes to helping pros build their brands online and making quality connections with homeowners.”
The Online Impact Score, together with Houzz Pro marketing and business management tools, he describes, “are a simple and powerful way to help our pro community build stronger businesses now and for the future.”
Houzz Pro Website Services provide “a credible and beautiful custom-built website for professional builders and designers."
Websites created and hosted by Houzz are optimised for mobile devices. It includes a custom domain and supports unlimited content such as video profiles.
