Attracting luxury clientele can allow you to charge higher rates, which frees up time so you can focus on the work you enjoy most. But reaching this audience requires a targeted approach. We spoke to an expert at Houzz and two design professionals to find out how you can optimise your Houzz profile and marketing practices so you get noticed by the clients you really want.

There’s much to be said for focusing your business on a luxury market, saysMelanie George, manager of the client success team for Houzz ANZ. “It allows you to be more selective with the type of projects you take on and it can help you break into a market or sector that you want to get into. You can then focus on what you enjoy doing most, make that your speciality, and ultimately charge more for it.”

How Houzz Pro software can help
Houzz Pro software can assist you in reaching higher-paying clientele in the following ways, says George:

• It streamlines and centralises your processes, which saves you time so you can be more selective with the projects you take on and spend more time on what you love.
• Features on Houzz Pro, such as Stop Watch, allow you to accurately estimate and calculate project costs and time.
• You can set templates to align with the projects you want.
• Houzz Pro software allows you to provide a premium service, which means you can charge more.
• The Houzz Pro app allows you to work anywhere, at any time.

How to use your Houzz profile to target luxury clients
George says:

• Upload quality, professional images and your best reviews to build credibility.
• Use professional language and write clear descriptions.
• Select the types of services and projects you want to take on as well as your typical job-cost range.
• Use Houzz Pro analytics and insights to see which projects and images resonate best with the Houzz audience.
• Select standouts that speak to your target audience.

The power of words and imagery
It’s essential to aim your Houzz marketing towards the type of clients you want and the projects you do best,” says Monique Sartor, owner and head designer at Sartorial Interiors.“Part of that is through imagery and part of that is through text.”
When it comes to the images you upload on your Houzz profile, Sartor recommends that you:

• Style them beautifully.
• Always use a professional photographer and plan the shoot in advance so you don’t miss out on any potential ‘hero’ shots in a space.

• Upload the photos that best demonstrate your design strengths. For example, Sartor likes to work with colour, so emphasising projects that have a focus on beautiful and unique uses of colour is a priority for her.
• Show different styles and types of projects, for example, renovations and decorating projects.
• Highlight the finer details of luxe textures and finishes in a project with close-up photos.

As for the copy or wording, Sartor advises that you:

• Aim to sound professional yet approachable.
• Use clear, concise and entertaining language.
• Include mid- to high-end budget parameters for projects.
• Present the projects as a story with a beginning, middle and end. For example, what was the brief and background of the project? What issues arose during the project and how did you resolve them? What were the results? You could use real estate estimates to show that the property value went up or describe how thrilled the client was with the results (and link to their positive review on Houzz). You could also support the story of the project with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.

“Houzz is by far the most successful advertising platform I have ever used,” says Jodie Carter, director and principal designer at Jodie Carter Design.“Even if a client comes to us directly, they will have generally found us on Houzz first and then clicked through to our website. The SEO for Houzz contributes to our SEO too, and we will come up in Google searches because of Houzz.

“Houzz Pro software contributes to our branding of a successful luxury business. Initially, clients will find our Houzz profile and are inspired by the images they see. Once they start to research us, they will find our reviews on Houzz and the easy links to projects where they can view more of our work.”

Consider hiring a stylist
Your project images are your calling card and if you’re targeting a luxury market they need to look the part, says Carter. “Hiring a stylist for your photography would be my biggest tip. Even though as designers we style our clients’ homes, styling a photograph is quite a different skill.
“Our photos have improved greatly since using a stylist. Eventually, I will weed out the older photos that we styled ourselves and just showcase the professional versions,” she says.

Communication is everything
“We make sure we are talking to our high-end, luxury clients in all our marketing,” says Carter. “These clients usually want a complete renovation and all-new furniture. They also generally don’t have much time and don’t want to have to do too much so we talk about taking care of everything for them. For example, we can organise their building permits, use our regular trades on their project and have wonderful relationships with wholesale furniture and furnishing companies. This way they can see that we offer a complete package and they won’t have to lift a finger.

“We also speak to our clients in the first person in our written communications. I share my background and a brief ‘why I do what I do’, which allows them to see me as a real person and to know that I am passionate about my craft,” she says.

Other ways to reach a luxe market, says Carter, are:

• Raise your rates: Your rate reflects your brand. If your rate is not high enough, you will be viewed in the market as cheap. Remember, a luxury client has money to spend on their home. Raising your rates will weed out those clients who are looking for a bargain.
• Charge for your consultations: Your advice is valuable information to a client and you should not give it away for free. A luxury client is far more likely to take your advice and invest in it if they pay for it.
• Be exclusive: We focus only on the luxury client and everything we do is designed to speak to this client. For example, we remove photos on our Houzz profile that are not of high-end luxury homes and make sure we showcase homes with water views and luxe features. A luxury client who comes across your work will be looking for evidence of other luxury clients and high-end homes.