Responding to Customer Reviews on Capterra and Software Advice

About Capterra and Software Advice

Capterra and Software Advice are similar to G2 in that they are customer review sites, where users can read and write reviews of different products and services. However, unlike G2, both Capterra and Software Advice are cost-per-click (CPC) platforms, which means that businesses can pay to run sponsored ads on the sites. These ads are typically shown to users when they search for specific keywords or products, and businesses are charged a fee each time an ad is clicked.

Why These Sites Are Important

It is important for us to get new customer reviews on these CPC platforms because positive reviews can help improve the performance of any sponsored ads. When a user searches for a keyword or product related to our business's ads, the search results may include both organic (unpaid) listings and sponsored (paid) listings. Sponsored listings that have positive customer reviews are more likely to be clicked on by users, which means that our business's ads will perform better and we will get more value for our ad dollars.

In addition, positive customer reviews on Capterra and Software Advice can help improve our online reputation and visibility. These platforms are often used by potential customers to research and compare different products and services, and having a strong presence on these sites can help the business stand out from competitors and attract new customers.

Overall, getting new customer reviews on Capterra and Software Advice can help improve the performance of the business' sponsored ads and enhance our online reputation and visibility. This can help the business get more value for our ad dollars and drive more traffic and sales.

Responding to Reviews

The process for responding to customer reviews on Capterra and Software Advice is as follows:

1. Monitor Capterra for new customer reviews. This can be done by setting up alerts or regularly checking the platform.
2. Read the review carefully to understand the customer's experience and the issues or concerns they have raised.
3. Determine the appropriate response. If the review is positive, a brief thank-you message is usually sufficient. If the review is negative, a more detailed response may be necessary to address the customer's concerns and resolve the issue.
4. Reply to the review on Capterra. Keep the response professional, courteous, and focused on addressing the customer's concerns.
5. If the customer's concerns cannot be fully resolved through the review response, follow up with the customer directly to address their issues and try to resolve the situation. This may involve reaching out to the customer via email or phone to provide additional information or assistance.
6. Monitor and track responses to customer reviews on Capterra to ensure that all reviews are addressed in a timely manner and that any issues or concerns are properly resolved. This may involve maintaining a log of customer reviews and responses and regularly reviewing the log to ensure that all reviews have been addressed.
7. Use feedback to continuously improve our products and services.

Tips for Responding to Reviews

Reviews can be difficult to respond to (both positive and negative). Here are some tips:

1. Negative reviews can be damaging to your business, so it's important to respond to them as soon as possible. Responding quickly shows that you care about your customers and are willing to take steps to address their concerns. We have the ability to respond to a Capterra review within 14 days of receipt of the review.
2. When responding to negative reviews, it's important to maintain a professional and polite tone. Avoid becoming defensive or argumentative, as this can escalate the situation and reflect poorly on your business.
3. Acknowledge the customer's issue and apologize for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction they experienced. Taking responsibility for the problem shows that you're committed to making things right and that you value your customers.
4. Keep your responses consistent in terms of tone, language, and messaging. This helps to maintain a professional image for your business and shows that you take customer feedback seriously.
5. If a customer comes back to update their review or provides new information, make sure to update your previous response accordingly. This demonstrates that you're taking the customer's feedback into consideration and that you're willing to make changes to improve the customer's experience.
6. It is important to be honest and transparent when editing your responses. Avoid being defensive or making excuses, and instead take responsibility for the issue and offer a solution.
7. Keep your response brief and to the point, and avoid getting into unnecessary details. This can help to maintain the customer's attention and help them to understand your message more easily.
8. Before posting a response, review it to make sure it is clear, concise, and professional. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that the customer may not understand, and make sure to proofread for spelling and grammar errors.
9. Make sure your response addresses the customer's specific concerns and acknowledges their issues. This shows that you are listening to their feedback and that you are committed to finding a resolution.
10. Instead of just apologizing, offer a solution to the customer's problem. This could be a refund, replacement product, or an offer to make it right in any other way.
11. Check back with the customer to ensure that their issue has been resolved to their satisfaction. This shows that you're invested in the customer's experience and are dedicated to making things right. It also helps you to see if there is any underlying issue that you should address.

It is also worth noting that some review platforms like Capterra may have their own guidelines and rules that you should follow when responding to reviews. Be sure to read and understand these guidelines before posting any responses.

Making Response Edits

It's important to edit your responses to product reviews as needed because it allows you to provide accurate and up-to-date information to our customers. This helps to maintain the trust and credibility of your business. Additionally, if a customer comes back to update their review or provides new information, it's important to update your previous response accordingly.

This demonstrates that we’re listening to customer feedback and taking it into consideration. In case of a negative review, updating a response to show that the issue has been resolved or that steps have been taken to improve customer experience, can mitigate the damage of the initial review. Furthermore, editing responses as needed can help to ensure that your responses are consistent in terms of tone, language and messaging, which helps to maintain a professional image for your business.

Here are best practices for keeping your responses up to date:

1. Perform a monthly response audit and go back through your responses. If circumstances have changed (ex: The product now includes a feature the customer said was missing) write “EDIT:” and follow with the applicable changes.
2. When editing, make it clear what steps you have taken or plan to take to address the customer's concerns. This shows that you are taking their feedback seriously and that you are committed to improving the customer's experience.
3. Keep track of the time frame for editing responses as some review platforms like Capterra allow business owners to update their responses, but only for reviews that have been made within the past 60 days. So, make sure to edit responses within this time frame.
4. Don't over-edit your response. Keep it simple, and professional, and stick to the facts.