Sure, consumers can browse Houzz.com for ideas and inspiration and use websites such as Mydeco.com to design and decorate their homes, but Bobbie Ayers, president and founder of VisApp, in Sarasota, Fla., is taking those concepts and pushing them further — into the realm of lead generation.

“People are more committed to a project and buy into it more if they can visualize it,” says Tal Sneed, owner of American Louvered Roof Systems, in Louisville, Ky. Recognizing this, Sneed has a Pro.Showoff.com VisApp “Build It” button on his company’s website. A software-as-a-service application, Pro.Showoff.com is a “visualizer” tool populated by products and designs that users can apply to their own spaces.

Seeing is Believing

Sneed customized the visualizer with products his company sells, such as patio overhangs and posts. Site visitors use standard photos or upload their own. They choose products found in various tabs then click and drag them onto the photo to create their space.

Once they save their design, the site asks for contact information. Since users leave their information through the Build It button, Sneed knows that he got about 200 leads between February and August. He says his closing rate is around 22%. His salespeople also use the application during sales calls.

How It Works

Your company provides VisApp with the images, specs, CAD samples, color choices, and products (even SKU numbers) it wants made available to clients. VisApp then does the initial setup — fees range from $999 to $4,999 depending on the size of the catalog created. (It is possible for a supplier to do this on its own.) There’s either a monthly fee from $25 to $300 or a fee of $5 to $50 per lead based on the amount of information gathered. iPad and Android versions will be ready in November. 

—Stacey Freed, senior editor, REMODELING.

More REMODELING articles about tools to communicate design ideas:

Interactive Whiteboards Make Design Hands-On for Clients

Virtual Ease: Using 3-D images to help clients experience their project

Reality Bytes: 3-D renderings show clients their future