Beyond Star Ratings: The New Trust Signals for Choosing Software When Everything Can Be Faked

Remember when we would depend on the star ratings or the reviews of a software before buying it?

Whether it is from one of those third-party platforms for reviews, or even on Google Play’s application review section, we have always relied on word-of-mouth to determine whether something is worth investing in.

When bots and AI came in, that specific trust signal lost its merit. What was once the best way to discern if the software you are thinking of is the right one can no longer be trusted because the internet is filled with fake reviews, some of which are even automated.

So, what should be the baseline to determine whether an application is worth using? Here are the new signals that not only go beyond the star ratings, but may give you a clearer picture of the softwares you can choose.

Use a Detector If You Are Concerned About AI

Have you ever found yourself lost in those review platforms, unable to determine whether a comment is real or fake?

While most bot-generated comments are very easy to spot, the marketers and their affiliates are getting more and more sophisticated with their fake comments now. And, while both types of reviews exist, one is easier to spot than the other.

A bot-generated, unedited comment sounds like everything is perfect with the software. When you read them, it will almost feel like the software is an entity that the reviewer is trying to flatter. And, when something sounds that nice and inflated, our natural instincts only say one thing: this is too good to be true. But these are the easy ones to ignore.

If an affiliate is getting some sort of monetary gain from making such a review, they may be willing to go beyond the bot and use an LLM to generate an in-depth review infused with made-up “lived experience.” These are much more difficult to discern.

However, if AI is the problem, it can also be a solution. Next time you see a comment that almost seems real but also a bit off, like it’s trying too hard, use an AI detector to see if the review is generated. Because an individual who is reaping the benefits of a software wouldn’t need AI to write a review.

Hard Compliance & Security Audit

You can easily buy good reviews, ask people to write them for you, or use AI to get them generated, but you can't really fake compliance certification and security audits.

Independent compliance audits like SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HIPAA/GDPR are reliable third-party verifications of internal controls. These compliance frameworks are for softwares, specifically those that are cloud-based software or SaaS, enterprise platforms, and mobile applications.

These audits evaluate the companies creating and hosting the software to verify and ensure that the application they are creating is secure, reliable, and legally compliant.

These certifications have a set standard that ensures things like software infrastructure, security risk management, data privacy, and safety. If there is software directly related to people's health, then they also need to pass the healthcare standard to ensure it is safe for use.

These audits should be treated as trust signals, as they are more like awards than something you can buy, making them a reliable source for software scrutiny.

Verifiable Customer Review

If you are looking for the right review, choose one that is from a verified user. When you check reviews on platforms like G2 and Capterra, where the user needs to have a verified profile and proof of software use to be able to leave a review, it doubles down on the possibility of the review being real.

No matter which platform you use, you have to notice the signs that this person has probably used the application.

Even if you are looking up the software on Reddit, a fake review on such a niche platform is unlikely, because they run on people's opinions, so bots don't really survive there.

However, even then, you must consider checking or even asking to see the product in use, to ensure this is a verifiable customer.

Another way of doing so is by checking review videos. While these do tend to be sponsored, if you know a creator who generally provides a more comprehensible review, giving you the good and bad, you can trust their judgment on the software.

Quality of the Review

Let's say you are checking out a software on a third-party review platform. You see an unusually large review that reads very human.

Whether it is praises or complaints, when the review sounds quite genuine, you would know. The emotions would be there. No matter how logically based the use of software may be, if it has helped the user or caused them frustration, you would see it in their review.

An anonymous review that reads “Excellent software. Better than others I have used,” sounds impersonal and bland. On the other hand, if it’s a paragraph of a person at 3 AM, frustrated at the glitches and pain points of an application, it is highly likely to be true.

The most important thing here is discernment. If something feels too good to be true, it generally is. If you can see that there are only 5-star reviews about a software, it is more likely to be bought reviews.

The key is to grow a muscle for scrutiny. Feel free to ask the reviewer a question if there is an option for that, and see how well they know the software. We are naturally equipped to question what is suspicious, so use that capacity to discern what is real and what is fake.

Try it Out For Free

Whether it is a SaaS or a mobile application, most of these come with a free trial period. The business that created the software generally presents this opportunity to people, especially when they are confident that the user will like the software if they get a taste of what it is like.

In fact, this confidence in itself can be a telltale sign that the software is worth your money. But more importantly, once you use the free version, which is the most basic version of the platform, software, or app, and if it works well, you will know for yourself that the service is worth buying.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s an AI tool, a mobile app, a comprehensive platform, softwares these days can be quite expensive, and if you are in need of one, you will need to check reviews. Use third-party platforms that only accept reviews from verifiable users.

Check niche places for reviews, where bots are unlikely to be, like Reddit, or even a random comment section on social media. Be more mindful of which reviews you can accept.

The point is to be able to understand what is real and what is fake. If you can use the free version of the software, go ahead and do that. These practices help you see beyond the ratings and towards something that is more tangible and real.