Houzz Inc., the online platform for home renovation and design, has launched the Houzz Pro Online Impact Score, to give industry professionals insight into their level of business credibility online.

Based on an analysis of nearly one million pros worldwide, including designers, builders and speciality contractors, the score reflects the strength of a pro’s 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 born from the results of a March 2021 survey of more than 1,000 homeowners on Houzz who are planning, in the middle of or who completed a renovation within the past two years.* The survey found that online credibility is a significant factor in homeowners’ hiring decisions, with two-thirds of homeowners reporting that a pro’s online presence, along with the ability to offer remote collaboration tools, are major determinants (66%). Even among homeowners who rely on word-of-mouth referrals to find pros, more than half report that they conduct additional research, including reviewing their business website and profile, reviews and project portfolio, before deciding to make contact (54%). 

Liza Hausman, Vice President of Industry Marketing at Houzz, said: “The home renovation industry is booming, but our research shows that a majority of pros could attract and close more of the work they really want. Even pros who rely on word-of-mouth referrals may miss out on significant new business opportunities, since those 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.

“The Online Impact Score, together with Houzz Pro marketing and business management tools, are a simple and powerful way to help our pro community build stronger businesses now and for the future.”

The Houzz survey also uncovered the key factors impacting homeowners’ decisions to hire a pro for their project. Top priorities included pricing within my budget, communication and organisation skills and the speed of receiving a quote (74%, 58% and 39%, respectively). Houzz Pro offers tools for pros to facilitate communication and streamline and simplify the estimation process. 

Pros can learn how to find out their Houzz Pro Online Impact Score here. Learn more about Houzz Pro and sign up at houzz.co.uk/pro.

The Houzz community includes more than 65 million homeowner and home design enthusiasts and over 2.7 million home renovation and design professionals around the world in more than 100 categories, including architects, interior designers, contractors and landscape professionals. 

*Data was sourced from an online survey fielded to UK Houzz users between March 9 and March 16. N=1015.

www.houzz.co.uk