Did you know that photos are the #1 way homeowners find & connect with professionals on Houzz? Millions of homeowners browse and save photos on Houzz to find ideas, identify styles they like, and connect with pros who can make those ideas come to life. 

Read on to learn best practices on how to get your business maximum exposure on Houzz through uploading quality photos. 

1. Upload project photos regularly to your Houzz profile. 

Consistently updating your Houzz profile with new photos from recent projects you’ve worked on keeps homeowners coming back to see your latest work - and  the Houzz algorithm rewards pros who upload their latest work on an ongoing basis. When you keep your photo presence active, homeowners who follow you will see your new photos in their feeds, you’ll show that you’re in demand, and you’ll give homeowners more reasons to discover your business and reach out.  

“We’re constantly updating our profile so people searching on Houzz don’t see the same photos,” Jenny Sneller of Sneller Custom Homes says. “If people don’t see any change to our profile, they might wonder if we’re still doing projects worth posting or if we’re going downhill. We want to show potential clients that we’re still churning out new stuff.”

2. Hire a professional photographer. 

Hiring a professional photographer to do your work justice is an investment that pays off. “Don’t shortchange yourself by not opting for professional photography,” Eugene Sakai of Studio S Squared Architecture advises. “You may think you’re saving money, but in reality, you’re costing yourself potential clients by not representing your work in its best possible light.”

Professional photos are more likely to be viewed, saved, featured in the photo stream, and featured by the Houzz editorial team in one of their stories, which is viewed by thousands of homeowners and promoted through email. And now you can have your professional photos taken hassle free with PerfectCapture™ — a new photography service from Houzz Pro. We work with seasoned photographers who will capture your latest work. Follow our simple process to schedule the shoot, prep the space and within a week crisp, professional images will be uploaded (and noticed) on your profile! Want to book a shoot? Click here. 

3. Upload lots of large, high-quality photos. The more the better! 

Beyond using professional photography (photo pros will know what they’re doing!), what exactly makes for a high-quality photo? Let’s start with the basics: photo sizes. High-quality photos will have a minimum size of 1000px (wide or tall). The ideal high resolution is at least 2560px x 2560px. 

Photos should be taken with good lighting, which includes natural light and generally well-lit environments which can include light from lamps and light fixtures. You just want to avoid photos that are too dark or shaded, or too bright and washed out. 

You’ll also want your photos to feature good composition. An easy rule of thumb is to take photos from the perspective of a homeowner. What would they like to see if they were to walk around your space to view the work in person? 

The more photos you add to your Houzz profile, the more chances you have to be featured on Houzz. Featured pros get free extra exposure on Houzz.

4. Amplify the impact of your photos with keywords and descriptions. 

The Houzz photo stream displays photos to homeowners based on an algorithm that takes multiple elements into consideration, including image size, keywords, search filters, descriptions, and locations. 

 Houzz Pro Ultimate members get increased exposure through targeted, local advertising, they get dedicated support from a Client Success Manager who helps them optimize their photos for maximum exposure. 

There are plenty of ways that you can amplify the attention your photos get organically as well. Provide thorough descriptions and make full use of keywords to describe your images and expose them to more Houzzers as they perform searches on the site. 

“Once I upload photos, I’ll tag them with brands, products, and details about actual material and finishes because a lot of times homeowners are searching for those specific things,” Julie Lehite of KabCo says. “The more informative I can make the descriptions and keywords, the more likely users are to find the photo.”

Have questions about what makes for a great photo on Houzz? Ask us in the comments!