Why A Review Software Strategy Deserves More Attention
A customer review strategy is a meticulous and organized process by companies to extract, manage, and utilize buyer reviews for their benefit. It's like an online reputation management strategy that follows specific guidelines, processes, and tactics to encourage users to leave reviews. Many companies use review software to identify new reviews on various sites so they can respond promptly to drive engagement and get ahead of negative situations. But why should you even create such a strategy? Requesting reviews is one of the most crucial factors for B2B businesses to gather positive comments, which they can then use to attract targeted leads.
Being active on the best review software sites allows you to increase your online visibility and reputation, boost credibility, and influence buyers. That's why it's important you join the top directory submission sites and ensure your company has a top spot in its category. In the end, a well-defined review software strategy retains your existing clientele, as you show how much you value their feedback, and makes it easier for new buyers to join you.
In This Guide, You Will Find...
- What Is Review Software?
- Why Are SaaS Directories Important In The B2B Buying Journey?
- Steps To Build An Effective Review Strategy
- Generic Vs. Niche-Specific Review Sites
- A List Of Reviews Software And Sites You Can Leverage
- Guidelines To Choose The Right Review Site
- How Does eLearning Industry Benefit You?
What Is Review Software?
Also referred to as review management software, these tools allow you to track, gather, and respond to online reviews. If you're running your own business or working in marketing or sales, you know how hard it is to keep everyone happy. Making a review request is the easy part because you can automate the process, simply choosing the best timing. However, you can't automate replies. And to keep track of all online reviews on social media and on various B2B review sites, you have to use review software. You get notified every time someone leaves a review, so you can go and answer quickly.
Remember that if you want to reduce customer churn, you have to gently ask for people's feedback and act on it in a timely fashion. Even when you get negative reviews, be kind and own up to your mistakes and drawbacks. Avoid getting defensive and making it into a "he said, she said" situation. Even if you disagree with a review, you can contact that client and resolve the matter behind closed doors.
Why Are SaaS Directories Important In The B2B Buying Journey?
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Improve SEO
SEO strategies are undoubtedly one of the most crucial parts of a successful company, and SaaS directories and review sites can help you boost your SEO. How? Imagine you submit your company to ten niche-specific directories, where users can leave their reviews and compare products. You easily generate ten relevant backlinks on high-DA websites, boosting your backlink profile significantly. Additionally, these directories drive traffic to your website, as prospects are curious to find out more about your products. You can add the links of these directories to your review software to keep track of new feedback.
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Boost Visibility
The more present you are on niche SaaS directories, the more reviews you can attract from buyers. And the more reviews you get, the more credible you appear to be for Google. The top search engine's algorithm takes reviews very seriously when it comes to ranking B2B businesses. When you rank higher, you also generate more organic traffic to your website from people using specific keywords to search for software.
Plus, SaaS review sites provide you with the credibility you need to beat your competition. While a free listing may seem enough, you can invest a small portion of your budget to upgrade your listing. At eLearning Industry, when you upgrade your listing, you appear at the top of the page with a clear button leading to your website and your star rating fully visible.
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Social Proof
Recent research found that social proof, like product reviews, expert opinions, or comparisons, influences 90% of B2B buyers. The niche SaaS directories you choose to list your software in are social proof on their own. People visit them because they trust them. They know that they can give them a pretty good idea of each software and its reviews, and create valuable comparisons. So, being present on trustworthy directories, like eLearning Industry, is one of the best decisions you can make. And once again, you can use website review software to ensure you track all reviews submitted on these directories.
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Lead Generation
SaaS lead generation is undoubtedly one of the most important things for any eLearning and HR tech business. However, due to the rising competition, it is a major challenge. How will you stand out from the crowd and meet your future buyers? Social media and online ads are helpful, but niche SaaS directories are even better. That's because people who visit them are actively looking for a solution. So, they are more likely to book a meeting with you and get to know you. This is the first step that is necessary to bring them to your doorstep. And software listing sites act like a chauffeur driving targeted leads to your house.
Steps To Build An Effective Review Strategy
1. Choose Your Platforms
Not all business software review sites are ideal for your eLearning and HR tech business. There are many sites that promise visibility and clicks, and while they may provide those, the traffic may derive from irrelevant audiences. For example, if you want to promote your LMS, you won't find any use in listing your business on a healthcare directory like Zocdoc. You must identify sites that attract niche buyers in the eLearning, L&D, and EdTech fields, because this is where your high-quality business leads are, and these are the websites they visit to find their ideal solution. Also, they are more likely to leave reviews on these industry-specific review sites.
2. Encourage Reviews
Do you know how to ask for reviews? To generate triumphant customer feedback, start by offering not just a great product but also top-notch customer service and onboarding. Then, you should find the right timing to request reviews. For example, you may ask for them after a successful purchase, a customer service experience, or loyalty milestones. Make each request feel personal, and avoid incentivizing requests by offering massive discounts or free stuff. This might result in insincere reviews from customers who simply want to leverage your offerings. You can send respectful reminders every once in a while via text or email.
3. Respond To Reviews
This is where your review software can be a lifesaver. Once you've created a list of your top niche-specific directories to list your business, it becomes hard to manually track all reviews. On top of your social media platforms and forums like Reddit and Quora, going on each site every single day takes hours. Review B2B software sends you alerts every time someone submits feedback so you can respond quickly. For positive customer testimonials, express your gratitude by thanking users. For negative reviews, answer empathetically and respectfully. Address the issues at hand and make a promise to improve. You can automate your responses depending on whether they are positive or negative. That said, we believe that it's best to treat them individually.
4. Take Advantage Of Positive Reviews
Business software review sites grace you with various positive reviews. Gather the most triumphant and leverage them to your benefit. For example, you may have a loyal client who left a wonderful review about your authoring tool. It's not just positive, but it goes deep into explaining how beneficial your software is. Use this testimonial on your website to improve your credibility and instill a sense of trustworthiness in your visitors. It's also worth mentioning that when you shed light on your buyers' feedback, you actively show how much you respect their input and increase customer lifetime value.
5. Learn From Feedback
There is no point in using review software to track and respond to people's feedback if you do nothing about it. In the same way you care about your customer success metrics, you should also care about their viewpoints. When you see the same drawbacks being mentioned by users, it means that you have to take swift action. Use their feedback to improve your product and practices. Show them that you don't only care for those five stars but are willing to put in the work to elevate your services. Also, new technologies and industry trends arrive very often, so you may need to adapt your review strategy accordingly.
Generic Vs. Niche-Specific Review Sites
The Limitations Of Generic Review Sites
Business owners and marketers often believe that one of the best demand generation practices is to utilize generic software listing sites. Why? Because they generate really high traffic from various audiences. G2 and Capterra are two characteristic examples of generic software review sites. Sure, they may generate millions of views every year, but people from every imaginable industry visit them to find software reviews.
No one guarantees that they are popular among buyers in your niche. For instance, you may need to attract leads interested in HR software. While generic review sites may feature this category, they also receive thousands of clicks from buyers in healthcare, manufacturing, and law. These views don't benefit you in any way.
The Advantages Of Niche-Specific Sites
Contrary to generic review sites, niche directories are targeted toward specific industries. People who visit these directories are actively searching for products in this field. This way, their research is more targeted, and you position yourself as a viable solution to their challenges. One of the core benefits is trust and credibility. These directories usually have strict review verification processes, making it hard for fake reviews to get published. This way, buyers are influenced massively by product reviews from experienced industry experts. These reviews usually detail a product's features and functionality, making it easier for buyers to understand its worth.
Most of these niche directories have been optimized for on-page SEO factors and rank high for specific keywords. This way, your organic reach is immediately boosted. Lastly, they offer you the opportunity to compete with other players in your field and position your business as an industry expert.
A List Of Review Software And Sites You Can Leverage
- eLearning Industry (eLearning, SaaS, EdTech, L&D, HR Tech)
- Slashdot (IT)
- TopBusinessSoftware.com (Various categories)
- TrustRadius (Enterprise buyers and IT)
- GetApp (Cloud-based and SaaS)
- Geekflare (Tech)
- Product Hunt (Startups)
- TechnologyAdvice (Tech)
- Gartner (Various categories)
- PeerSpot (IT, Cybersecurity)
Guidelines To Choose The Right Review Site
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Check Credibility
Does a site look irrelevant to your niche or too obscure even if it is niche-relevant? You want to pick software review sites that are popular and people in your field actually visit when they need to purchase tools. So, check their monthly visits and how good their rankings are.
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Pick Niche Sites
You may have 50 great reviews on Facebook or Google, but do they really matter? Anyone can post reviews there. B2B buyers are interested in checking out customer testimonials on credible review sites. Pick a niche instead of a generic domain that instills a sense of trust in prospects.
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Choose Ethical Sites
Top B2B sites for reviews have a strict policy regarding submitting feedback. Their goal is to discourage and even punish businesses trying to review themselves and their competitors. Also, the top 10 B2B review sites don't allow gating, which is the practice of filtering out negative reviews. This way, users can check both good and bad aspects of a product. Another thing you should look out for is websites that don't allow reviews in bulk. Usually, they advise companies not to solicit many reviews at the same time. So, check a site's guidelines before creating your listing.
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Check Analytic Capabilities
The future of internet marketing heavily relies on analytics and insights to help professionals make informed decisions. The best review sites usually allow you to check how much traffic you get and how effective certain reviews are in generating customer interest. You should expect to access this sort of information through a dashboard.
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Analyze User-Friendliness
Most B2B clients are more than happy to share their experiences and feedback regarding your business. However, if they encounter issues submitting their testimonials, they might abandon the entire process. Check the user-friendliness of review sites to ensure the process is easy and quick, as complicated and long processes will discourage customers from finishing the task.
How Does eLearning Industry Benefit You?
eLearning Industry offers niche directories for businesses in the eLearning, L&D, HR tech, and EdTech spaces. We have PPC directories on various industry-specific software, including LMSs, project management, content providers, courses, payroll, time tracking, employee engagement, employee onboarding, and much more. Our audience is business owners, CEOs, marketers, and HR pros who are looking to find effective tools to simplify their business processes. This is what sets us apart from generic review sites that don't have a niche specification.
Our traffic is 82% organic, and we rank for over 219,000 keywords. Imagine the organic traffic and clicks you'll get just by being featured in one of our directories. You can start by listing your software for free. Or, you can opt for a PPC listing upgrade that will bring you to the top of your directory. Not only will you be viewed first, but you will also get a CTA button that leads users directly to your website. Plus, your review stars will be on display, which is not the case with free listings.
Key Takeaway
Most businesses are always on the lookout for lead generation techniques that will bring new clientele to their doorsteps. Online campaigns, gated content, and social media marketing may not be enough when you deal with niche audiences. Industry-specific directories are great at targeting the right people and increasing your conversions. They help your SEO to improve, your credibility to rise, and your social proof to close more deals. Once you get the hang of encouraging customer reviews, you should start using review software to track new testimonials.
Make sure to respond to every review respectfully and appreciate people's input. But don't just submit your business and products to every review site available. Choose ones that have industry expertise and get visits from a targeted audience. Check website rankings to ensure their traffic is good enough. It's important their traffic is mostly organic, meaning people discover them easily on Google. Finally, ensure their practices are ethical and all reviews are genuine.
Is your product review-ready? Visit eLearning Industry's directories and see the reviews your competitors are getting. It's time you start collecting reviews to outrank them in every possible way. The more reviews you get, the higher the chances of being featured in one of our top lists, and even winning first place on our People's Choice LMS list!
