Have you heard of Houzz? It’s a social network centered around the home improvement industry. Think of it as a Facebook that connects homeowners with contractors, designers, and architects.

Logging into Houzz for the first time can be overwhelming and a bit confusing. But with tens of millions of homeowners using Houzz every month, it can be an amazing source of leads for your hardwood floor contracting business.

People searching for home improvement professionals in their area will see a list of Houzz profiles and pictures posted by local companies. If you’re not there, you’re missing out on potential sales.

A Houzz professional profile is free and easy to set up, so why not take advantage of this awesome marketing tool? Here are some tips for advertising your hardwood floor contracting business on Houzz:

Do it now

If you need one major reason to get on Houzz sooner rather than later, it is this: many of your local competitors probably don’t even know what Houzz is. This is especially the case if you’re not based in a major city.

If you get on Houzz before your competitors do, your profile will be miles ahead of theirs by the time they start looking into the site.

Even if some of your competitors are already on Houzz, it’s worth it to create a profile anyway to start rising in the ranks and getting found by local homeowners.

The fact that you’re already thinking about Houzz means that you’re ready to make the jump, so why not do it now?

Pictures are worth a thousand words

A picture that’s properly set up with careful lighting conveys a much more professional image than a quick pic snapped with a smartphone. For this reason, it’s usually more than worth it to have a professional take pictures of your work once it’s done.

If you can’t afford to hire a professional photographer, try to take your pictures with a camera of higher than average quality (or ask your niece who’s in art school to take some pictures).

It doesn’t matter how old or recent the projects represented in the photos are — as long as they are high-quality and they make your work shine, put them up on your Houzz profile. Your pictures will speak for themselves; when done right, they will really show off the quality of your work and encourage people to call you.

First impressions matter, so follow these steps to choose the photos that appear when you turn up in someone’s Houzz search results:

Click “Edit Profile” just under your profile name and scroll down to the “Cover Photos” section.

Click a photo tile. In the window that appears, scroll through the photos and select your best five.

Ask for reviews

Reviews act as social proof, which is very important for someone who’s just heard about your business and has to decide whether or not to investigate you further. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely people will trust you enough to seriously inquire about your services.

Encourage your customers to review you on Houzz — it never hurts to ask! Ask them in person after a job well done whether they’d be willing to provide an honest review. You can also place a Houzz button on your website leading to your profile to encourage reviews.

Fill out 100% of your profile

Using the “Edit Profile” button, fill out your address, website, contact information, business information, and all of the other fields that Houzz provides you. A robust profile with a lot of information is always more appealing than a profile with the bare minimum filled out.

Potential customers will look at this information to vet you and see whether you’re someone they would like to do business with. Make sure it conveys a sense of professionalism and a passion for your craft. If it bores your visitors or turns them off, they’ll probably hit the back button.

In conclusion…

Investing some time into your Houzz profile can really help spread the word about your company to thousands of local homeowners. Take time to flesh out your profile, order professional pictures, and ask for reviews. The exposure you’ll get is priceless.

Want more tips for marketing your contracting business online? Sign up for our free ebook, “11 Ways to Advertise Your Hardwood Floor Contracting Business on the Internet”.