Did you think that customer reviews were only important to the prospects you knew about? Well, that’s not the case. The fact is, 90% of consumers read online reviews before even visiting a business. Similarly, 77% of B2B buyers conduct their own research before talking to salespeople. Not only that, but buyers who consulted online reviews during the software selection process were ultimately more satisfied with their purchases.
Software Advice found that a mix of positive and negative online reviews inspire the most trust in buyers, because they make feedback on the product or service feel more authentic. No surprise there.
Given all that information, there’s no wonder that reviews have become an absolute necessity in the buying process. Third-party B2B software review sites operate in the same manner as review websites for consumers, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, and they can help build awareness about your product.
If you own a B2B software or SaaS company, you should definitely consider building your presence on these sites so people looking for products in your category can find your offering.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular business review directories for listing your SaaS/software products.
1. G2 Crowd
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 10,914
Twitter Followers: 12,900
LinkedIn Followers: 10,638
G2 Crowd describes itself as “the world’s leading business software review platform,” leveraging more than 80,000 user reviews to drive better purchasing decisions. Technology buyers, investors and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software based on peer reviews and synthesized social data. Established by the founder and former executives from SaaS leader BigMachines and backed by roughly $12 million in capital, G2 Crowd aims to bring authenticity and transparency to business technology research.
If your company has received reviews on G2Crowd, you might make it to a Grid Report (additional criteria apply), which is basically a comparison of the top options in a single business software category. You can use the Grid to show off how you stack up against your competitors based on reviews from real users of your product. If you’re curious what a Grid Report looks like, check out the 2016 G2Crowd eCommerce Platforms Grid.
2. GetApp
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 12,163
Twitter Followers: 13,709
LinkedIn Followers: 17,678
GetApp, a Gartner company, claims that millions of professionals use its reviews to discover and compare web-based applications capable of helping their business grow. Some of the most popular categories on the site include Business Intelligence & Analytics, Collaboration Tools, CRM, Finance & Accounting, HR & Employee Management, Integration Solutions, Marketing and Project Management.
The GetApp review process is quicker than on G2Crowd, so it’s easier for your users to leave reviews, but they’re not as in-depth as other review sites. Gartner also owns review sites Capterra and Software Advice. The latter has a slightly different and more high-touch business model that sees Software Advice specialists connect with software buyers on the phone quite often, but Capterra and GetApp are fairly similar and sometimes even share reviews between them, increasing your visibility.
3. Capterra
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 4,496
Twitter Followers: 10,605
LinkedIn Followers: 6,296
Capterra lists B2B software solutions. The website covers 300+ software categories and provides personalized reviews, recommending solutions that are matched to your specific needs. Check out Capterra’s presentation video for more insights into what the site can do for your company’s products.
4. TrustRadius
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 48,788
Twitter Followers: 2,095
LinkedIn Followers: 794
TrustRadius serves both buyers and vendors, allowing products to gain exposure while helping buyers make better product purchasing decisions based on unbiased reviews and in-depth Buyer’s Guides that are similar to a G2Crowd Grid Report. TrustRadius claims to offer insightful, detailed reviews that are more than 400 words long on average, nearly four times the typical length of software industry reviews. Every reviewer on TrustRadius is authenticated and vetted by a Research Team before publication, so you can rest easy knowing you’re getting a reliable, comprehensive review, though authenticating users has become standard practice in this space.
5. Software Advice
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of this site’s popularity): 21,154
Twitter Followers: 5,172
LinkedIn Followers: 20,263
Software Advice claims to simplify software selection for you with more than 390 detailed software guides that include thorough descriptions and reviews covering ease of use, functionality, quality and support, as well as a wealth of helpful screenshots showing the user interface of each product. It’s a good way to make sure a solution will fit your needs before you dive in to more detailed research on vendor websites.
6. IT Central Station
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 71,913
Twitter Followers: 3,233
LinkedIn Followers: 2,085
This crowdsourced software review platform prides itself on pulling together honest feedback from real users, so you get the full picture of what it’s like to work with a product. Software is ranked in different categories by factors such as the overall rating and the number of reviews, comparisons and followers. Count on IT Central Station for an unbiased perspective on the tools you’re considering, no matter what category they might be in.
7. FinancesOnline
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 22,968
Twitter Followers: 546
LinkedIn Followers: 250
This review platform says it focuses on B2B software products that will impact your bottom line in terms of leads, conversions and revenue. FinancesOnline includes detailed descriptions of software products along with user reviews, pricing details, integrations and alternatives to consider, as well as a handy comparison tool.
8. Top Ten Reviews
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 3,792
Twitter Followers: 12,676
LinkedIn Followers: 298
There’s a familiar value proposition here: Tired of sorting through long lists with dozens of options for every type of application you need? Top Ten Reviews will help you narrow down your options with – you guessed it – top ten lists comparing the best products in all kinds of categories, from software to electronics. Save time by letting someone else do the initial investigation for you and focus your search on the options that have been proven to work.
9. SaaSGenius
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 481,464
Twitter Followers: 2,363
LinkedIn Followers: 92
If you don’t want to download anything, SaaSGenius will hone in your search on software options that are designed for online use only. Users can submit reviews to SaaSGenius, but all submissions are evaluated before posting to avoid any inaccurate or biased information. It looks like you can count on this site to deliver a complete directory of SaaS products, covering basic information, pricing, reviews, alternatives and comparisons.
10. PCMag Business Software Index
Alexa Traffic Rank (an estimate of the site’s popularity): 994
Twitter Followers: 354,464
LinkedIn Followers: 6,299
[data from the global PCMag]
Finally, the PCMag Business Software Index focuses on providing comprehensive reviews for business software across 30 categories, including accounting and finance, business operations, collaboration, IT management and security, project management, sales, and many more. This Index combines curated user experiences with PCMag Lab-tested reviews by PCMag editors.
Tips for Promoting Your Software on a Review Site
Now that we covered a bit what a B2B software review site is about, you might be thinking about getting some presence one or more of these sites. Here are some important tips to keep in mind when promoting your B2B SaaS software solution on a review site:
Check out the categories
Once you’ve made a short list of sites to target based on popularity and influence (you can use our list of 10 sites as a starting point), begin by checking the categories supported by each review site. Some sites will be more relevant than others to your business, based on the category criteria.
Check out the competition
Look where your competitors are listed, with what products, how many reviews they have, what ratings they’ve received and what categories they’re in. The answers to these questions can help you focus your profile creation and review efforts more effectively.
Some sites allow users to filter by several criteria: general (Star Rating), or specific to each business category. Take these options into account to see how you stack up against the competition, or if you have influence in a particular segment.
Start with a free profile
Once you select the sites where you want to be listed, start by creating a free profile (all of the sites should have this option). On review sites, prospects are often faced with information from dozens of your competitors, all claiming similar benefits and business outcomes, so your most important task here is to communicate a clear and unique value proposition. Use images, videos, add links to your site and aim to provide as much information as the free profile allows.
Ask for reviews
Some reviews will come organically, but to truly support your value proposition, encourage your users to write more reviews. It’s okay to provide some guidance, but don’t ask users to copy and paste a template review. This will raise red flags among review site editors and prospective buyers alike. You’ll also be surprised by how much you can learn about your customers from authentic reviews. When you ask clients for a testimonial, they’ll most likely write a positive blurb or review and approve one for you, provided they’re happy with your services. When writing a review, however, customers are faced with a few in-depth questions that they have to answer more objectively. One of the questions is usually “What do you want to see improved?” or “What are you dissatisfied with?” These questions offer a great way to gather customer feedback that will help you grow. Some constructive criticism is always useful for making improvements.
Keep an eye on reviews
Monitor review sites regularly. If you get good reviews, great! Consider highlighting and quoting them in your marketing efforts. Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, one customer review is worth a thousand promotional brochures.
If you get any negative reviews, be prompt in replying to the client to show that you care and that you’re doing your best to fix the problem. If a review with inaccurate information pops up, work with the reviewer or website to see if it can be corrected.
Get some leads
Besides getting you some credibility, ultimately, all of these sites also serve the purpose of generating leads. That’s why premium profiles and add-ons are available. Keep in mind that it may not be so efficient to gather leads from the start. First, you’ll need to take the time to gather some reviews, increase your visibility and get some validation. Explore these paid options as a second step and, regardless of your strategy, always keep encouraging your clients to provide fresh, authentic reviews of your products.
Don’t hesitate to comment below if you have any additional review websites you know about!
The post 10 Review Directories for Listing Your Software & SaaS Products appeared first on Rethink Commerce Blog.
