It’s a do-it-yourself culture as more and more homeowners undertake improvement projects from small to large.
Seventy-five percent of current DIYers are new homeowners looking to purchase products and services from brands and companies that share their interest in the environment, technology and improving their homes, according to diyconsumer.com. The site helps building material companies understand this vibrant and growing audience.
While many of today’s DIYers are tech-savvy Millennials who tend to research brands and products online before buying, they’re equally likely to be older Generation Xers and Baby Boomers, each with its own preferences and purchase styles. Knowing their characteristics and shopping habits can translate to brand connection, loyalty and sharing with friends and associates. And that can translate, in turn, to greater market share, sales and profits.
“DIYers spend billions of dollars annually on home improvement,” notes Zack Williams, founder and creative director of Venveo, a digital marketing agency focused on home improvement brands and makers of durable goods, and the company behind diyconsumer.com. “They’re not just crafty housewives with a Pinterest board. They cover a large demographic and care more about buying unique, high-quality products than pinching pennies.”
Here are five key characteristics William’s website has identified as particular to today’s DIYers:
- Nearly 50 percent of DIY consumers are women, and 52 percent are ages 24-44.
- Although saving money can be a factor in their purchases, just 39 percent of DIYers says saving money is most important. The majority feels both capable of completing the project and enjoying the work. “People want to have a positive home improvement experience,” says Williams, “which means they are willing to pay more for products that will help make this happen.”
- DIYers know their limitations, especially when it comes to major renovations and construction. That’s why in the past a majority hire professional contractors to complete these kinds of projects.
- Eighty-four percent say they are looking for inspirational content year-round, not just when starting a project, and they’re finding it through Pinterest, social media posts and YouTube videos. Eighty-eight percent watch how-to-videos online and 65 percent say they would be more likely to buy from a brand that provides videos for home improvement projects.
- Like many other consumers today, DIYers turn to their tablets and mobile devices before, during and after making in-store purchases, which means that makers of home improvement products and providers of services must ensure their sites and online resources are mobile too.
The takeaway? Anybody anywhere in the home improvement supply chain must make an effort to reach today’s do-it-yourselfers where they’re most likely to be found: online.