Modern software buyers—your buyers—want the full truth. They tune out your polished marketing. They go straight to sources they can relate to, sources they trust: their peers, their network, and of course, reviews.

But sometimes reviews are taken with a grain of salt too. In the B2C world, fake reviews are rampant. (See the Reddit threads offering fake positive reviews of your product on Amazon—or negative ones of your competitors.) And even when they’re not fake, sometimes reviews are filtered. We’ve all heard, “Did you have a fabulous experience? Leave us a review!”

In B2B, reviews are widely used and extremely influential—when they are trusted. But if fake reviews are a problem in the B2C world, they could be even worse in the B2B world. After all, the stakes for an enterprise software purchase are much higher than the stakes for a meal out or a hotel room.

Questionable review practices look a little different in the business world though. Sometimes it’s individuals creating fake profiles for gift cards. We catch those by vetting every review, but other review sites sometimes turn a blind eye to fraud, whether because they’ve cut their moderation budgets or because it’s just not a priority for them.

But more often, it’s vendors doing everything they can to get a few positive reviews to secure a good position on a quadrant. For example, one large security vendor is known to pay their Account Executives $1,000 for securing a good review on a peer review site.

TrustRadius has always aspired to be the most useful, high quality, trustworthy information source for business technology buyers. We’ve vetted every single review since day 1 (ensuring no fake reviews), and we introduced our TRScore algorithm in 2015 (ensuring scores and rankings can’t be gamed).

But even if vendors can’t game the system, how can buyers know which vendors are committed to a level playing field? How can buyers know which companies are inviting all their customers—not just the advocates—to write reviews? These companies are not only transparent but use TrustRadius as a listening post to gather honest, detailed customer feedback. How can buyers know which vendors understand that all feedback is useful, even the negative?

Buyers deserve a clear and easy signal that they are indeed getting the full picture from reviews. Today, we’re relaunching our TRUE program, introduced last year, to get more vendors on board with paving the way towards a more ethical software market.

About TRUE

The TRUE program recognizes vendors who are Transparent, Responsive, Unbiased and Ethical in sourcing and using customer reviews.

We’re going beyond rejecting inauthentic reviews, to showcase companies that are committed to truly helping their buyers make the right decision. When buyers read reviews for a TRUE-certified vendor, they know the vendor has committed to transparency and takes their customer feedback seriously. This means they can make an eyes-wide-open decision about the product—and that once they’re a customer, their voice will be heard.

Companies who understand the value of authenticity and already follow these high standards are signing up to become TRUE certified. We’re happy to have IBM Cloud, SAP, TIBCO, Sage Intacct, AT&T Cybersecurity, Blackbaud, SolarWinds and AT Internet on board as TRUE program members, and more signing up daily.

What makes for a TRUE vendor?

TRUE vendors must certify that they will be transparent, responsive, unbiased and ethical in managing their review programs. Any vendor can apply and earn the badge for the calendar year. There is no fee to be a part of this program.

TRUE vendors must:

• Provide equal opportunity for product users to safely share honest feedback in reviews
• Disclose how they source reviews and how incentives are used
• Read all published reviews and respond when necessary
• Represent review content accurately in sales and marketing materials
• Disclose the use of intent data for marketing purposes

What are the benefits?

Becoming TRUE-certified helps you:

Build trust

The TRUE program verifies that your brand has a vested interest in helping buyers make great decisions. Buyers will know they’re getting the whole truth from your reviews so they can be more confident in their purchase decision. 

Stand out 

As a TRUE certified vendor, you will earn a TRUE badge that helps you stand out in your market, both on the TrustRadius site, in TrustRadius marketing programs, and in your own marketing campaigns. The 3rd-party accreditation sets your brand apart by communicating to buyers that your reviews on TrustRadius are unbiased. 

Expand market presence

TRUE-certified vendors will have the opportunity to be interviewed and featured in TrustRadius content as an industry leader. Vendors who apply by March 31, 2021 and receive TRUE certification will be recognized in our “Class of 2021” announcement. Apply now to leverage this publicity.

Are you ready to build trust with your buyers on TrustRadius?

Apply to be recognized as a TRUE vendor. There is no deadline, but why wait? TRUE badges will display on TrustRadius as soon as qualifying applicants are approved.