People often ask us the same question: Does Capterra and Software Advice actually generate leads? And is it worth time and effort collecting reviews on these platforms? There are many Reddit discussions on this, so I’d like to share my own experience and give insights from RetainTrust’s clients.

I worked full-time at three companies before RetainTrust, managing both, reviews and advertising, on Capterra’s pay-per-click (PPC) platform and Software Advice’s pay-per-lead (PPL) system. My previous companies were all in SaaS… in marketing automation, transportation management systems (TMS), and construction software. Here’s how well it worked for me and what I learned.

Reviews Are Extremely Important

Collecting reviews is important, even if you’re not sponsoring any of the platforms. Gartner owns Capterra and Software Advice, and reviews are synced across four different platforms: Capterra, Software Advice, GetApp, and Peer Insights. Without any sponsorship, you’ll still have a profile on all four sites and you can claim and manage it, but only paying sponsors can get a direct link to their website. On Capterra and GetApp, you pay per click (PPC) for traffic and appear above non paying profiles.

From my personal experience, positive reviews are valuable for marketing materials like case studies, my go-to-market strategies, and account-based marketing (ABM). Having good reviews and rankings across these networks adds credibility and helps when prospects search on Google, Bing, or AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT. As mentioned before, ChatGPT takes into consideration Capterra reviews.

In the past we wrote a post on how to manage Capterra reviews, highly recommend to read!

Nurturing and Influencing the Prospects

Reviews also support your sales process. A sales person can show prospects those reviews for comparison, and it is very useful in competitive scenarios. I used Capterra reviews as part of a multi-touch strategy to nurture leads and convert them from MQLs to SQLs. I used reverse IP tracking software Lead Forensics and was able to see that many companies in my marketing funnel and sales process revisit website by clicking Capterra, indicating that they read reviews while making decision.

Review of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising on Capterra

When I ran PPC campaigns on Capterra, I saw an increase in both, traffic and leads. For example, in the TMS category I received 10 to 30 leads per month, depending on seasonality (less leads in the summer and during the holidays). Lead volume fluctuated based on how aggressively Capterra advertised my category through their own PPC efforts. I noticed some periods when Capterra dominated paid search results and then where their ads disappeared, impacting the number of leads I was getting.

Lead Quality

For all 3 companies I worked for, the lead quality was not great but okay, varied by category and target market. If your software product targets small and mid-market customers, some leads can be good. However, as you move more toward enterprise clients, expect less leads and lower quality. Also, if you are targeting very small businesses, you may receive a lot of low-quality leads.

Cost of Advertising on Capterra

Capterra charges per click, and the average CPC is different depending how popular your category. In competitive categories, anything below $20 per click puts you at the bottom with minimal to no traffic. I tried to run a campaign with $5 bid for TMS and got only 2 clicks in 1 month. A $20 bid is a safe starting point. Capterra gives real time bidding insights, showing your position right away and you can adjust on the spot.

When it comes to position, I normally went for #2-4 and not #1, it was my “sweet spot”. Most serious buyers would click 3-4 companies and compare, therefore no need to overpay just to be on the first spot.

In addition, Capterra offers managed PPC services but I preferred to handle campaigns myself since the platform is easy to use and don’t require much time to manage.

Review of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising on GetApp

GetApp advertising can be activated through the Capterra PPC admin panel. GetApp is a “younger sibling” to Capterra, even most categories are the same. It has less traffic but a similar research experience for software buyers. In my experience, GetApp delivered about 15-20% of the leads I received from Capterra. For TMS, it was 3-5 leads per month. The average CPC on GetApp is slightly lower due to less competition.

Review of Pay-Per-Lead Advertising on Software Advice

Software Advice operates differently, it is not a PPC platform, it provides tech consulting to businesses and recommends software, it is pay-per-lead (PPL). To be included in their recommendations, you must pay. Their advisors/consultants present a balanced review of your product with pros and cons. And if a prospect is interested, you receive a lead. But, these leads are shared with multiple competitors who also pay, meaning your sales team must compete and win the deal.

For my TMS product, I received about 10-15 leads per month; for construction software it was 20-25 per month. My sales team closed around 10% of the deals, making the investment profitable, see the cost breakdown.

Cost Breakdown

I paid around $70 to $250 per lead, depending on lead/company size and revenue. It meas I was spending spending around $1,500 for 10 leads, closing 1 deal worth $20K to $50K in annual revenue. On my first year, I received more than 100 Software Advice leads and closed 13 customers.

Pay attention to each lead, some leads were irrelevant or, in my opinion, not qualified, I was sometimes able to dispute those leads for a refund. However, Gartner team didn’t always approve my disputes and stood by their decision.

Can Businesses Advertise on Peer Insights?

No, Peer Insights is strictly for reviews. Businesses can not advertise or sponsor content there. The only way to stand out is by having the best reviews.

My Final Thoughts

Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice can definitely generate leads or at least influence the prospects, but results depend on your category, target market, your settings, and budget. Reviews are important for credibility and visibility, and PPC advertising can work, especially for small to mid-market products. However, lead quality can vary. And Software Advice leads require fast follow-up and good sales person to close. If used proactively, these platforms can be a valuable part and great marketing channels.