While a handful of B2B software review sites focus on enterprise products, few offer the hands-on buying guidance that SoftwareReviews does. The site’s software selection advice for buyers and demand generation options for vendors make it a strong option for enterprise SaaS companies and government agencies.
So should your business prioritize SoftwareReviews? In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about SoftwareReviews for enterprise software buyers and vendors—from market research to marketing frameworks to demand generation services.
What is SoftwareReviews?
SoftwareReviews is an enterprise software review site that aims to help information technology (IT) buyers “make better decisions faster” by “accelerating and improving the software selection process.” The site collects in-depth data on end user experience, which it uses to guide buyers toward software that’s most likely to meet their procurement, implementation, and scaling needs.
IT consulting firm Info-Tech Research Group is the site’s parent company. SoftwareReviews was founded in 2015 as a source of reviews to inform its IT clients’ software selection.
The company is based in Canada. It’s headquartered in Toronto.
Who is SoftwareReviews for?
SoftwareReviews is geared toward buyers from enterprises and government agencies needing software selection support to help validate their buying decisions.
Quick overview for B2B software vendors
The site offers free product listings, which we’ll cover here, and paid services, which we’ll cover below.
How do you claim your product profile?
You can claim your product profile from the vendor portal. Once your request is approved, you’ll receive an invitation for an onboarding call.
Then you’ll be able to optimize your profile by writing an overview, providing screenshots and videos, and even uploading whitepapers. Then you’ll be able to start collecting reviews.
What’s an example of a vendor profile?
Analytics platform Zoho Analytics has an optimized profile, with 90+ reviews and an 8.7 out of 10 rating.
Zoho Analytics’ awards display prominently, distinguishing it as a platform with top-rated capabilities and features.
The platform’s profile also shows its emotional footprint (more on this below) and shares customer ratings for several features.
Quick overview for B2B software buyers
For buyers, SoftwareReviews offers reviews, research, and personalized guidance.
How do you research software companies?
As a buyer, it’s helpful to start by researching software categories. SoftwareReviews category pages include overviews and product lists—but that’s just the beginning.
The Business Continuity Management software page highlights awards and research.
It also offers buyer’s guides that detail the category’s Data Quadrant and Emotional Footprint. We’ll discuss both in depth below.
Each product page includes in-depth ratings and reviews. In fact, the site aims to publish the most detailed reviews in the industry.
How do you get personalized buying guidance?
Many software review sites offer brief 15-minute consultations with buyers. SoftwareReviews offers a five-step advisory service designed to help buyers select the right software more efficiently.
This five-step process starts with a needs assessment before exploring market trends and validating a business case. Then it focuses on evaluating top options and creating a decision model before finishing with negotiation and configuration.
Altogether, this standardized process totals 40 hours of guidance, which the company delivers online. The standard engagement fee is $20,000.
For more custom needs, SoftwareReviews offers software selection consulting. This is a full-service option designed for complex buying decisions.
How do you review software companies?
As an end user, you can share your experience by clicking the Write Review button on any product page. In some cases, you may see an invitation to collect an incentive or donate it to charity.
Then you’ll be able to give the software a rating out of 10 and share your thoughts on the value it provides and how likely you are to renew. Then you’ll have a chance to review capabilities, functionality, and more.
Note that if you’re new to the site, you’ll need to choose whether to publish your review anonymously or with your name. The site offers a larger incentive for the latter.
How does SoftwareReviews work?
SoftwareReviews uses several awards and frameworks to highlight top products and guide buying decisions.
What are Data Quadrants?
Data Quadrants apply to software categories. They reflect end user review data only, without considering industry insights or other weighted elements.
Products on the Data Quadrant fit into one of four areas: Product Innovator, Leader, Challenger, and Service Star.
What are Emotional Footprints?
Emotional Footprints reflect customer sentiment, based on the procurement and implementation processes. They also consider the value index for the software, measured by customer satisfaction and total investment.
SoftwareReviews creates downloadable Emotional Footprints for each category. Buyers can also review Emotional Footprints for individual software platforms.
For example, the PandaDoc page shows a Net Emotional Footprint. It also reflects how satisfied customers are with the product at each stage of the process.
How do Gold Medal awards work?
Gold Medal awards go to top products in each category. Like other SoftwareReviews designations, these awards are based on end-user input. Below is an award winner in the contract lifecycle management category.
To determine Gold Medal award winners, the company considers Emotional Footprint as well as end user input on vendor capabilities, product features, and likelihood to recommend.
The site also awards Vendor Capability awards, which highlight products with top ratings in specific areas. Below are some award winners in the contract lifecycle management category.
How can B2B vendors get more software reviews?
Like most B2B SaaS review sites, SoftwareReviews offers review collection campaigns. Some include nominal incentives to encourage end users to complete their reviews. For more information, claim your product profile and book an onboarding call with the company.
How does SoftwareReviews make money?
SoftwareReviews offers several paid services to members. Options include:
- Technology marketing management framework for product-market fit and customer retention.
- Reports and infographics for demand generation and sales enablement.
- Industry insights for visibility into market and technology trends.
Is SoftwareReviews trustworthy?
The company doesn’t share many public details about its methodology or review sorting process. However, SoftwareReviews does verify reviewers via their LinkedIn profiles. The site only publishes reviews that pass a strict quality assurance check.
Next steps to learn more
For enterprise software vendors, SoftwareReviews can be an excellent source for demand generation and industry insights. Browse the top B2B software review sites and choose the ideal options to meet your business goals.
