How to Get Testimonials and Reviews for SaaS

Testimonials and reviews reduce the risk a buyer feels when choosing a new product. They are most useful when they are specific, verifiable and placed where the buyer is making a decision. They are least useful when they are generic, edited beyond recognition or collected only from friends.

This guide covers when to ask, how to ask, what to publish and how to handle the awkward parts.

TL;DR

• Ask after a real result, not after a signup.
• Ask for a specific before-and-after, not a generic compliment.
• Make the request short and offer a choice of formats.
• Get permission in writing and keep the original context.
• Disclose incentives and follow the rules of the review platform.
• Publish the testimonial where the buyer is deciding, not only on a separate page nobody visits.

Disclosure: ZeroRaised publishes this guide and is a launch and discovery site for bootstrapped products. It appears near the end as one place to present a product, not as a source of guaranteed reviews.

Why testimonials matter for a bootstrapped SaaS#

A new SaaS product has a trust problem. The buyer may not know the maker, the product may not have a long track record and the switching cost may be real. A testimonial does not remove that risk, but it gives the buyer a reason to believe that someone like them used the product and got a result.

Testimonials are useful when they answer the questions a buyer already has:

• Does this product work for someone like me?
• What did it replace?
• Was it difficult to adopt?
• What changed after using it?
• Would this person recommend it to a peer?

A quote that says "Great product, highly recommend" answers none of those questions. A quote that says "We used to reconcile invoices in a spreadsheet every Friday; now the export takes a few minutes and the errors are easier to spot" gives the buyer something to evaluate.

The strongest testimonials are specific, plausible and consistent with the rest of the page. If the product is for small design studios, a quote from a large enterprise may create more confusion than trust.

When to ask#

Timing matters more than the wording of the request. Ask when the customer has a reason to be positive and a concrete experience to describe.

Good moments:

• After activation. The customer has completed the core action and seen the first result.
• After a support win. You resolved a problem quickly and the customer said thank you.
• After a renewal. The customer chose to keep paying, which is a meaningful signal.
• After a milestone. The customer hit a goal that the product helped with.
• After a successful migration. The customer moved from an alternative and the switch worked.

Poor moments:

• immediately after signup, before the customer has used the product;
• in the middle of an unresolved support issue;
• after a price increase or a service outage;
• when the customer has not had time to see a result.

If you ask too early, you get a polite comment about the onboarding. If you ask too late, the customer may have forgotten the details. The window is after the result and before the experience fades.

How to ask#

A good request is short, specific and easy to answer. It gives the customer a reason to help and a clear idea of what you need.

A short email template#

Hi [name],

I am glad [specific result or milestone] worked out. Would you be willing to share a short testimonial about your experience?

Three questions are usually enough:

1. What were you doing before [product]?
2. What changed after you started using it?
3. What would you tell someone in a similar situation?

A few sentences is plenty. If you are comfortable with it, I would also like to use your name, role and company. I will send you the exact wording before it goes anywhere.

Thank you, [your name]

This template works because it:

• references a specific result;
• asks for a small commitment;
• gives prompts rather than a blank page;
• explains how the quote will be used;
• promises to show the final wording.

Do not send the same email to every customer at once. Personalise the first line and the result. A customer can tell the difference between a request and a mass mailing.

Offer a choice of formats#

Some people prefer to write. Others prefer to talk. Offer:

• a short written quote;
• a recorded voice note or video;
• a 15-minute call that you turn into a draft;
• a review on a third-party site;
• a short case study with a follow-up interview.

The easier the format, the more likely you are to get a response. A recorded call can produce a better quote than a rushed email, but it requires more of the customer's time.

Make permission explicit#

Ask for permission to use the quote, the person's name, role and company, and any logo. If the customer wants to remain anonymous, respect that. A quote from "a product manager at a mid-sized SaaS company" can still be useful, but it is weaker than a named source.

Keep a record of the permission. A simple email confirmation is enough. If the customer later asks you to remove the quote, do so.

What makes a good testimonial?#

A useful testimonial has four qualities.

1. Specificity. It names the situation before the product and the change after it. "It saved time" is vague. "The weekly reconciliation used to take an afternoon; now it is a short check" is specific.

2. Relevance. It comes from someone the buyer recognises as a peer. A quote from a similar role, company size or workflow is more persuasive than a famous name from a different context.

3. Plausibility. It sounds like a person, not a marketing department. Avoid editing the quote into a slogan.

4. Context. It explains the conditions. If the result depends on a particular setup, say so. A testimonial that implies everyone gets the same result is misleading.

You can help a customer produce a good quote by asking better questions. Instead of "What do you think?", ask:

• What were you using before?
• What was the hardest part of the old process?
• What changed first?
• What surprised you?
• What would you tell someone who is considering the switch?

Edit lightly and disclose clearly#

You can fix spelling, grammar and length with permission. Do not change the meaning, add claims the customer did not make or remove a caveat that makes the quote honest.

If you shorten a quote, use an ellipsis or brackets to show the edit. Keep the original wording in your records. If the customer wants to approve the final version, send it to them before publishing.

If you offered an incentive, disclose it near the testimonial or in the page's disclosure. Rules vary by country and platform. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides explain that material connections between an advertiser and an endorser should be disclosed. Read the current guidance and the review platform's rules before offering anything of value.

Do not offer an incentive that is conditional on a positive review. That turns a testimonial into a purchased endorsement and can violate platform rules or consumer protection law.

Where to publish testimonials#

Place the testimonial where it helps a buyer decide.

• Landing page: one or two strong quotes near the primary call to action.
• Pricing page: a quote that addresses value or risk.
• Checkout or trial signup: a short reassurance from a similar customer.
• Case study page: a longer story with the before, the change and the result.
• Comparison pages: a quote from someone who switched from an alternative.
• Sales conversations: a relevant quote or case study sent after the call.

Do not create a separate testimonials page and assume buyers will find it. The quote should appear at the moment of doubt.

Third-party review sites can add credibility because the review is outside your control. They also have their own rules, audiences and moderation. Ask customers to review you on the platform where your buyers already look, not on every platform at once. The free startup directories guide covers some of the places where products are listed, though review sites are a different category.

Reviews on third-party platforms#

A third-party review can be more convincing than a quote on your own site because the reader can see the reviewer's history and other reviews. But the platform controls the rules.

Before asking:

• Read the platform's review guidelines.
• Check whether incentives are allowed and how they must be disclosed.
• Do not ask employees, friends or family to review the product as customers.
• Do not submit reviews on behalf of customers.
• Do not ask for a specific rating.
• Do not dispute a negative review unless it violates the platform's policy.

A review request can be simple:

If you found [product] useful, would you consider leaving a review on [platform]? It helps other people in a similar situation decide whether it is a fit. No pressure either way.

That is a request, not a condition. The customer can decline or leave a mixed review.

Responding to negative reviews#

A negative review is not a disaster. It is a public test of how you handle problems.

Respond calmly and specifically:

• thank the person for the feedback;
• acknowledge the problem without excuses;
• explain what you have changed or what you will investigate;
• offer a private channel for account-specific details;
• avoid arguing about facts in public.

If the review is inaccurate, correct the record politely. If it violates the platform's rules, use the platform's reporting process. Do not pressure the customer to remove it.

Common mistakes#

• Asking too early. A signup is not a result.
• Writing the testimonial for the customer. A quote that sounds like your marketing copy is less credible.
• Editing out the context. A short quote can become misleading if the caveat is removed.
• Offering a discount for a five-star review. This can violate platform rules and consumer protection law.
• Ignoring negative feedback. Silence looks worse than a calm response.
• Publishing only on a separate page. Put the proof where the decision happens.

A 30-day testimonial plan#

This is a sequence, not a guarantee.

Week 1: identify the right customers. List people who have completed the core action and seen a result. Choose a mix of roles and situations.

Week 2: ask five people. Personalise each request and offer a choice of formats. Keep the ask short.

Week 3: draft and approve. Turn the responses into quotes or case studies. Send the exact wording to the customer for approval.

Week 4: publish and place. Add the approved quotes to the landing page, pricing page and relevant comparison pages. Ask two customers to review on a third-party platform if they are willing.

Where ZeroRaised fits#

ZeroRaised is a launch and discovery site for products built without institutional venture capital or accelerator equity. If you have a product people can try, you can submit it here. The pricing page explains the current options, and the archive shows how product pages are presented.

A ZeroRaised product page can include the context a buyer needs, but it is not a review platform. Use it alongside your own testimonials and the places where your buyers already compare products. The early adopters guide and the customer discovery guide cover how to build the relationships that make a good testimonial possible.

Sources and further reading#

• Federal Trade Commission, Endorsement Guides
• ZeroRaised: how to find early adopters
• ZeroRaised: how to run customer discovery interviews
• ZeroRaised: how to reduce SaaS churn