Having a strong online profile is essential to attracting, winning and retaining clients. A recent Houzz survey showed that even when homeowners receive a pro referral by word of mouth, over 60% still do their own research on the web, browsing through online portfolios and previous client reviews. To help ensure your business shines online, we put together the 2021 Reputation Management Guidebook to help you strengthen your digital brand reputation, propel your businesses forward and build trust with homeowners.
In our previous articles we covered:
Part 1: The Power of Images, Online Presence and Your Impact Score
Part 2: Taking Control of Your Online Reputation With Customer Reviews
Part 3: Raising the Bar on Customer Experience With Online Presence, Kindness and Compassion
In this fourth and final instalment of the Houzz Pro 2021 Reputation Management Guide, we address how to strengthen your business’ credibility online and off.
How to win a Best of Houzz award
Your professional portfolio is what homeowners are most likely to browse before contacting you, and listing your awards can help them make that decision more quickly. Earning a Best of Houzz award is an enormous credibility builder and a coveted and powerful marketing tool for professionals on Houzz. Best of Houzz is a community-based award for our professionals who contribute great content to Houzz and who provide excellent customer service to their clients.
Earning a Best of Houzz award for Customer Service, for example, begins simply by having your clients submit quality reviews. Best of Houzz awards carry prestige and weight because they are based on direct feedback from the Houzz community. Houzz also provides a customisable press release template, which enables you to share the news with your network on social media channels or with local media.
A Best of Houzz winner receives an automatic badge on their profile and for their website. Click here to access the Houzz logo, Houzz badges, and their embed codes needed to add them to your site.
You’ll see all the badges available for your account. Select the appropriate badge, then copy the HTML code provided in the box on the right side of the page to embed the badge on your business website.
Only 3% to 4% of pros win Best of Houzz awards, but you can boost your credibility right away by adding any affiliations, schools, associations or nonprofit organisations to your free Houzz profile. To display them, simply click Edit Profile, scroll down to Affiliations, then type the name of the organisation you belong to. If they have provided badges for their members to use on Houzz, you will find them here. Select the organisation to display its badge on your profile.
Take pride in your online affiliations and watch your reputation grow.
Strengthen your profile to keep building your brand
Homeowners look for values and ideals that align with their own when searching for products and services. For example, if someone is conscious about the environment or supporting minority-owned businesses, they might be more interested in a professional with those same values. With a Houzz Pro premium profile, you can also take your reputation management further by adding various business standouts. With standouts you can clearly and quickly signal what sets your business apart, using highlighted text that grabs homeowners’ attention. Meet homeowners at the intersection of their values and interests with standouts as they can make you sound even more credible, and they also increase the chances of your business being found through a specific online pro search.
Entice homeowners further by including a personalised business description on Houzz Pro that can help prospective clients better understand you and how your company might differ from other pros in the industry.
Key branding features of a premium Houzz profile include the option to create a captivating custom video about your business as well as adding a business headline. An eye-catching video integrated into your Houzz profile can make your pro services stand out to homeowners. Add a quick-read business headline to give homeowners a snapshot of your specialty. With a premium profile, you can also upload an unlimited number of your own videos to showcase your work and expertise.
Online reviews are incredibly important — homeowners want to read them before they decide whom to hire. With a Houzz Pro premium profile, you can highlight your best review so you can showcase it prominently to potential clients. Having customised information like the video, headline about your company and reviews will strengthen your profile and show that you’re a serious competitor.
