TrustRadius Raises the Bar for Transparency in Business Technology User Reviews & Compliance with Federal Trade Commission Guidelines

First site to disclose user review sources and use of incentives

Austin, TX – November 18, 2015 / Marketwired – TrustRadius, the trusted research platform for business technology based upon in-depth user reviews, today announced it has set a new standard to increase the value and trustworthiness of online reviews. An industry first for business technology reviews, TrustRadius now displays information on the originating source of reviews and use of incentives given to reviewers.

According to TrustRadius CEO Vinay Bhagat, “Business technology buyers are increasingly turning to online reviews to assess products. Consequently, vendors have become much more active in driving reviews. Because there can be selection bias in which customers are invited to write reviews, we strongly believe that it is important to convey how a review is driven. Our mission is to help technology buyers make informed decisions by delivering superior reviews and research that they can trust. These are critical purchasing decisions where the right selection can have a material impact on the company’s bottom line.”

With today’s announcement, TrustRadius also brings elevated compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for product endorsements. The FTC is an independent agency of the United States government whose primary mandate is consumer protection and the elimination and prevention of anti-competitive business practices.

TrustRadius Review Sourcing

Reviews on the TrustRadius platform originate from a variety of sources with most reviewers directly invited by TrustRadius to review software as an unbiased representative sample of users. Independently sourced reviews represent approximately 73% of all published reviews on TrustRadius and are marked as [Invited by: TrustRadius]. Remaining reviews are typically solicited by vendors encouraging their customers to review software products. These are marked as “[Invited by: Vendor]”.

Independent of where a review originates, each reviewer is authenticated via LinkedIn and - unlike other B2B review platforms – every review is vetted by a member of the TrustRadius Research team before publication, with approximately 3% of submitted reviews rejected because they do not meet TrustRadius quality standards.

TrustRadius Incentives

Incentives – typically small online gift certificates - are commonly used in the B2B industry to encourage user reviews. When used with a random, representative cross-section of users, they have been shown to deliver a more diverse and comprehensive set of reviews and ratings and of course, a higher participation rate. TrustRadius reviewers are required to disclose offered incentives to ensure transparency and follow FTC guidelines. The FTC regulates the use of incentives for public endorsements and customer testimonials. The legend [Incentive: Yes] on a review indicates that the reviewer was offered an incentive to write a review.

TrustRadius Incentives and Bias

TrustRadius reviews and ratings integrity policy is internally regulated and strictly monitored. Incentives may not be used to bias or drive a particular response, and reviewers are required to confirm that any incentive received is not contingent upon the ratings given or the language used in their review. TrustRadius does not publish any reviews driven by vendors with incentives tied to particular responses.

More info on TrustRadius reviews and ratings integrity policy can be found HERE: https://www.trustradius.com/static/content-integrity

About TrustRadius™

TrustRadius is the leading research platform for business software based on authentic, in-depth user reviews. We help users make better product selection, implementation, and usage decisions. Every reviewer is authenticated and every review vetted before publishing. Unlike simple rating sites, TrustRadius reviews are structured and substantive, averaging over 500 words. Reviewers can also update their reviews to keep them current. Founded by successful entrepreneurs and backed by the Mayfield Fund, TrustRadius is bringing transparency and efficiency to the $3.7 trillion business technology market.

Media Contacts
Kristine Szarkowitz
kristine@trustradius.com
Director, Corporate Communications
TrustRadius
206-310-5323