The business value of G2 reviews and ratings

As the world becomes more software dependent, the number one challenge for B2B buyers is access to unbiased product reviews. Learn how leaving a user review on G2 can benefit both your business and fellow tech buyers.

When was the last time you booked a hotel or ordered an item online without having prior, informed knowledge of the product?

Getting unbiased information about a $100 hotel room shouldn’t be easier than getting it about a $100,000 piece of software.

More than ever, tech buyers rely on the opinions and expertise of colleagues, peers and networks when researching and making purchase decisions. This is why verified user reviews and authentic peer advice have become staples of the B2B software purchase process.

Xait sat down with Tai Gantois, Relationship Manager at G2, to talk about why businesses should review and rate the software they choose – and how this is a win-win for buyers and suppliers.

Who is G2?

G2 (formerly G2 Crowd) is the world's leading B2B software and services review platform, helping software buyers understand the best software fit for their needs based on real, verified and objective user reviews.

Reviewing the software you use will benefit your business

The power of quality online reviews and peer recommendations to impact purchase decisions is becoming apparent for more and more B2B businesses. In fact, the value of product reviews goes far beyond their ability to influence purchases.

Increasingly, companies actively solicit reviews and ratings of their products and services, as it’s become one of the most important marketing tactics. According to G2’s Tai Gantois, however, there are also more “self-interested” reasons why software buyers should consider reviewing and rating the products and services they purchase.

– Leaving a review is not about merely telling the company that you are happy with their product; it’s about helping them understand it better and even improve on it. If certain aspects of the product should be different, your feedback will be a great opportunity to impact any changes or developments. What’s more, user reviews help the vendor know where they could or should invest more money to make the product work even better for their clients.

Gantois illustrates her point with an example from her own organization. G2 uses a U.S.-based corporate gifting service, and Gantois finds it a bit limited for use in Europe:

– I recently gave them feedback about this issue, and they got back to me, wanting to have a conversation with me about it, which I’m very keen to. Because I know I’m going to have to use the service regardless, as it’s a company decision. If I can help them make a change, it’s better for us.

Another important reason businesses should review and rate the software products they have purchased is to make sure that great features aren’t removed.

Gantois elaborates:

– Let’s say a company is considering changing a product feature that you really like, because they haven’t gotten much feedback on it, and they might think it’s redundant. By leaving a review and talking about how that particular feature benefits you and your organization, you really help the vendor make it even better – and it will also guarantee that it stays within the product.

How does leaving a product review benefit your peers?

In today’s digital marketing environment, brands need to build trust with B2B buyers. This can no longer be achieved through brand marketing and vendor-supplied content alone. We’re in a trust crisis, and approximately two-thirds of customers steer clear of branded content altogether.

What do savvy SaaS buyers trust, then? Their peers. This is why user reviews at G2 are crucial for businesses actively looking for solutions such as proposal software.

Says Tai Gantois:

– I trust a business like mine, and I trust someone who has the same job title. What products they are using and how they think about those products is really important to me. Nowadays, we don’t even book a table at a restaurant without reading a review or getting feedback from someone who went there. The same goes for B2B software and services. So it’s selfish to go, “Okay, I’ll just read what other people think”, if you’re not also offering your views and expertise, to help your peers sort through multiple solutions and make the right tech choice.

XaitPorter reviews: The ideal rating range

In January 2019, we announced that G2 identified XaitPorter as one of the highest-performing proposal software solutions on their review platform.

Knowing that reviews bring value for both our clients and us, we encourage XaitPorter users to review and rate us. Currently, our average rating is 4.7, which we’re very happy with. In fact, research from Northwestern University shows that products with an average star rating in the 4.2–4.7 range are MORE likely to be purchased than those with near-perfect ratings.

The bottom line

From a software user perspective, there are two key reasons why you should leave a review at G2.

1. To make sure the solution you use is getting better and better.
2. To help fellow businesses looking for a similar solution make the right decision.

To find out more about G2 and how the review platform can help you find the right software for your business, click here.

About G2

The world’s most trusted buyer discovery platform, G2 is making B2B tech buying easy by connecting buyers to vendors based on authentic customer reviews and real-time ratings of business software and services.

About XaitPorter

XaitPorter is the benchmark team co-authoring and automation software solution. Ideal for complex tenders, proposals and reports. Implemented by major corporations around the world.