How to Use B2B Product Review Sites to Boost Conversions and Build Trust

Online reviews can have a huge influence on the types of products that consumers buy; why should things be any different for B2B companies?

No matter what industry you’re in, gaining third-party validation and positive notices is important. Just like a consumer is more likely to buy a well-received product on Amazon or Wayfair, your customers are more apt to purchase your services if you have peer groups and other customers actively touting the benefits of working with your company and its solutions. Statistics show that 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review, while displaying product reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%. 

Building Trust--and a Customer Base

To improve your organization’s chances of getting noticed, ensure that your company is prominently featured on one of the many sites that specialize in corporate and product reviews. A positive review can go a long way toward building your clientele and engendering trust between you and your customers. In fact, 76% of consumers trust content shared by their peers rather than content shared by brands. 

Most of these sites will give you the added bonus of better search engine visibility. Just as a consumer searching for restaurant reviews on Google will likely be directed to Yelp, there’s a good chance that an IT manager searching for a particular piece of software will be presented with a list of results that include at least one or two of the top B2B review sites. 

We took a look at several of those sites and created a list of the ones to target to expand your online presence. A few of these have free tiers, but some may be what is considered “pay-to-play” and involve some upfront expenditure. You may find the ROI is worth the added expense.

G2 Crowd

G2 users have left more than one million customer reviews for B2B software products and companies. The site receives around five million visitors each month. Businesses with G2 profiles can use the platform’s series of tools to send outreach emails to garner reviews from customers and learn more about their audience.

G2 recommends collecting 50 reviews to experience a jump in profile traffic and engagement. The platform also has a series of review outreach campaign templates and resources for companies to use.

Capterra

Capterra boasts over 700 categories for customers to sort through, review, and research new types of software. For companies, the platform offers two profile options: Basic and PPC. With the upgraded profile, businesses receive premium directory placement and advanced analytics.

B2B technology companies can also enjoy SEO benefits by directing customers to their website from their Capterra profile.

Clutch

Clutch mainly focuses on four industries: Advertising & Marketing, Web & Software Development, Mobile App Development, and IT Services & Solutions. Those main categories are broken down into 500(!) subcategories, meaning that it’s highly likely that customers will be able to find a business that’s right for them.

A positive review on Clutch can be a business-driver and Clutch reviews have been enormously beneficial to REQ. In fact, many of our clients first found us on Clutch.

Serchen

While Serchen may not boast as many reviews or categories as its competitors, the web-based reviews company has been helping customers find the software that best suits their needs for over 22 years.

On top of asking customers to review software, users can rate other customers’ reviews. Naturally, customers look for reviews with excellent ratings from other users to determine the trustworthiness of the review and product, respectively.

GetApp

GetApp is a great solution if you’re looking to market an app that you’ve developed. The site focuses on providing small businesses with application reviews and profiles. It includes a recommendation engine that matches up businesses’ needs with the best applications to meet those needs.

GetApp includes more than 1,000,000 reviews arranged by category, which makes it easier to get noticed. Plus, the recommendation engine can help get your application in the hands of the customers who need it the most.

By the way, both GetApp and Capterra can also be found via Gartner Digital Markets, a portal that connects technology buyers and sellers. It’s yet another way for your services to get exposure.

TrustRadius

Like many of the B2B business profiles on our list, TrustRadius focuses on software reviews and recommendations from customers. However, TrustRadius’s user profiles are verified on LinkedIn, adding another layer of validation for reviewers and businesses alike.

Also, TrustRadius doesn’t sell ad space or support paid placements, meaning companies cannot pay to have their software ranked higher on the platform. Reviews are generally very detailed, averaging more than 400 words, and they’re vetted for quality and accuracy before being published. 

For B2B technology vendors, TrustRadius provides in-depth analytics, including which companies are reading your competitor’s reviews.

GoodFirms

On top of collecting customer reviews for top business software platforms, GoodFirms also conducts extensive technology research and surveys each year. As of this publication, the company has conducted more than 700 research projects on industry trends, technology, and advancements.

Users can review software and participate in Q&A discussions, allowing them to fully comprehend the software before purchasing. GoodFirms ranks each B2B technology company by their reviews, research, reliability, quality, and other criteria.

For companies looking to leverage B2B profiles for brand awareness and an SEO boost, GoodFirms offers payment plans with advanced features, such as priority review submission.

An essential addition to your third-party marketing mix

Companies generally seek third-party recognition and validation through analysts, influencer relations and media coverage, but adding peer- and user-generated feedback to this marketing mix can help you take things to a new level. You’ll have a better chance at converting new customers, building trust in your products and services, and owning the categories that are most important to your business.