# Expert Advice and Reviews: SMBs’ Guide to Successful Software Investments | Capterra > Discover why expert advice and peer reviews outperform AI for software selection. Discover where to find the most valuable insights. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/five-habits-successful-software-adopters-habit-2 --- # The 5 Habits of Successful Software Adopters: Habit 2: Seek Expert and Peer Input Written by: Molly Burke Molly BurkeAuthor Senior Specialist Analyst Experience I have been writing content for Capterra since April 2022. I cover technology trends in retail, hospitality, and custome... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mburke/) and edited by: Parul Sharma Parul SharmaEditor Content Editor Experience I have been an editor at Capterra for over two years, contributing to curating and enhancing content for various niches, including ... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/parul-sharma/) Published January 12, 2026 7 min read Table of Contents - [Product research drives successful software adoption](#the-product-research-phase-sets-the-tone-for-software-adoption-success) - [Successful buyers trust experts; AI hype leads to regret](#successful-adopters-prioritize-insights-from-industry-experts-and-user-reviews-while-disappointed-buyers-overrely-on-ai) - [Risks of over-reliance on generative AI](#risks-of-over-reliance-on-generative-ai) - [How to responsibly use AI to support your product research](#how-to-responsibly-use-ai-to-support-your-product-research) - [Where to find expert and peer insights](#where-to-find-expert-and-peer-insights) - [Right insights are key to successful software adoption](#the-right-insights-are-critical-to-a-successful-software-adoption) Only 34% of software buyers succeed in adopting new tools, according to Capterra’s 2026 Software Buying Trends Report. Most face implementation challenges or regret their purchase. What makes the difference? Five habits: defining requirements, seeking expert and peer input, acting decisively, negotiating contracts, and planning for implementation. To help buyers succeed, we examine these five key habits. This article highlights Habit 2: seek expert and peer input.  [Read the full 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to learn more about successful adoption strategies.](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) ## The product research phase sets the tone for software adoption success Selecting new software is a critical decision for any business. The product research phase—where you gather information, compare options, and vet solutions—can determine whether your investment pays off or leads to disappointment. The information sources you trust matter. Once you’ve [identified your business requirements and expectations](https://www.capterra.com/resources/five-habits-successful-software-adopters-habit-1/), as outlined in Habit #1, you’ll need to do product research to narrow your options to a shortlist of best-fit vendors. With hundreds of products to consider in any given software category, this can be a tedious process.  Many buyers turn to generative AI tools as a magic-wand solution: just share your needs, and the tool suggests potential vendors instantly. Capterra’s 2026 Software Buying Trends Report shows that this strategy frequently comes up short. In fact, **disappointed software buyers**—those who experience unexpected implementation disruptions and regret buying their new software—are more likely than **successful software adopters**—those who find the software they need—to lean on GenAI to make their purchase decisions. We’ll explore the causes of this, as well as why industry experts and peer reviews are more trustworthy sources of information for product research and decision-making. ## Successful adopters prioritize insights from industry experts and user reviews, while disappointed buyers overrely on AI Software buyers tend to consult a wide variety of information sources and channels when researching products. This includes advice from industry experts, online forum discussions, vendor websites, hired consultants, and word of mouth from colleagues. The accessibility of sources depends on the software you’re adopting—whether it’s a well-known product or niche, and whether the category is crowded or limited. However, across over 3,300 surveyed software buyers, there’s a clear pattern: successful adopters prioritize information from industry experts and user reviews. Disappointed buyers, on the other hand, are more likely to rely heavily on generative AI tools and informal online forums when gathering information and deciding what to buy. ### Why successful adopters rely on expert and peer input Successful adopters’ top sources of expertise offer authentic, firsthand advice about specific software tools. They tend to include nuanced insights on how vendors and their products meet the specialized needs of specific industries and individual businesses.  For example, industry experts and user reviews offer: - Real-world feedback and lessons learned, including pitfalls to avoid - Access to industry benchmarks and proprietary data - Balanced perspectives from positive and negative user reviews, which often highlight strengths and weaknesses that vendor content may not cover - Screenshots, testimonials, and in-depth reviews that provide insights about implementation, support, and long-term satisfaction Buyers trust that this information is accurate, gleaned directly from real people with objective, experience-driven opinions. ### How buyers generally approach AI matters  That’s not to say that successful buyers are purists when it comes to AI—nearly a third use GenAI tools in their search. Many disappointed buyers also consult industry experts and reviews. **The difference is in the degree of reliance on AI.**  A helpful way to frame this lies in the correlation between disappointing purchases and aggressive adoption of AI. Disappointed buyers are nearly twice as likely as successful adopters to identify as aggressive AI adopters, eager to test and deploy emerging AI use cases. Aggressive adopters are willing to tread the cutting edge and invest in computer vision, autonomous robotics, and expert systems, for example. Meanwhile, three-quarters of successful adopters are balanced AI adopters, sticking to proven technologies that come with less risk, such as automated scheduling and analytics tools. This generally measured approach to AI deprioritizes GenAI tools from being the most influential sources in product research.  In other words, successful adopters are willing to use GenAI to shorten decision timelines, but they prioritize human expertise and feedback in their research. Disappointed buyers are more likely to over-index on generative AI. The takeaway is that while GenAI can assist a successful adoption, it shouldn’t take the lead on decision-making.  ## **Risks of over-reliance on generative AI** If GenAI tools are trained on human-generated data, like expert-written articles and user reviews, why should it matter whether buyers get their information from ChatGPT, a user review website, or straight from an expert’s mouth? AI’s tendency toward hidden bias, opaque sources, and hallucinations impact the accuracy of its output, and by extension the success of purchase decisions made based on that output.  The software sales landscape is rapidly evolving to accommodate the rise in AI-assisted search. AI agents specifically designed to assist with software purchasing are coming online; software vendors are restructuring their online content to be more AI-friendly.[\[1\]](#sources) In the meantime, today’s GenAI tools are fast and accessible, but they have limitations: - **Regurgitated marketing copy:** AI can crawl vendor websites and present marketing hype and incentivized testimonials as fact, artificially inflating the value or functionality of a given tool.  - **Out-of-date information:** It may present dated information or misrepresent context that would be helpful for decision-making, such as through vague summaries of hundreds of reviews from users with staggeringly different needs.  - **Hallucinations:** Frequently, GenAI will completely fabricate information, which is never helpful when making investment decisions.  Buyers who rely too heavily on AI for product research and decision-making trade accuracy for speed. Businesses and their needs around software are highly nuanced, and while AI can personalize its output, users can’t trust that it is always factual.  ## How to responsibly use AI to support your product research AI can be a helpful starting point for generating options or summarizing information. However, the most successful buyers use AI as just one tool among many. Successful buyers follow best practices when using GenAI to research products: - Use AI early in the product research phase to better understand needs and gather a broad list of options, not to make final decisions on what software to buy. - Cross-check AI-generated recommendations with expert opinions and user reviews. - Treat AI as a supplement—not a substitute—for human expertise. As buyers progress through the buyer journey and approach the critical final purchase decision, nuanced human input is increasingly important. AI can help with early fact-finding, but real-world experience makes humans better guides when it’s time to decide.  ## Where to find expert and peer insights Capterra publishes [thousands of verified user reviews](https://www.capterra.com/) across over 900 software categories. Our human-led verification process ensures reviews are unbiased and reflect a range of experiences and outcomes related to each product in our catalog. Capterra’s product pages also include helpful information from vendors including pricing, features, screenshots, and FAQs, so you can get a full understanding of each product in one place.  We also offer resource content including: - [Guidance from career experts](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVO2PEag_6xZcRhRZ3ORAHkse_sCsGQld) on how to adopt software for functions such as HR, project management, customer experience - Proprietary research on the [trends and challenges driving software adoption in 2026](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) - Trend reports for industries such as [construction](https://www.capterra.com/resources/category/construction/), [medical](https://www.capterra.com/resources/category/health-and-medicine/), and [accounting](https://www.capterra.com/resources/category/accounting-and-finance/) - [Guides and tips for buying software](https://www.capterra.com/resources/category/buying-software/) in any category Here are other ways to find information from industry experts and peers for your next software buying journey: - Attending industry events, such as conferences and webinars - Joining professional and industry associations, which can often be found on LinkedIn - Browsing software review and comparison sites like Capterra - Participating in online communities, forums, and peer groups (Just be sure to vet contributors for credibility ## The right insights are critical to a successful software adoption The research phase is your opportunity to set your software investment up for success. It’s incredibly important that as you research vendors, you prioritize industry expertise and peer feedback and reviews. While GenAI can be an effective aid to product research, the data is clear: businesses that take a balanced approach to AI and consider it as one among many sources are more likely to find software that fits, avoid disruption, and derive long-term value from their investment. **Ready to make your next software purchase a success?** - [Read the full Capterra 2026 Software Buying Trends Report](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) - [Explore Capterra user reviews](https://www.capterra.com/) - [Check out more expert content from Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/resources/) Explore the full [Capterra 2026 Software Buying Trends Report](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buying-trends-2026/) for more insights and tools to guide your software purchase. ## Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report ### Download our 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to see how successful software adopters avoid disappointment and how your business can, too. * * * Sources 1. [B2B CMOs Need to Prepare for the Future of AI Buyer Agents](https://www.gartner.com/document-reader/document/7189730?ref=pubsite), Gartner 2. [Gartner Says By 2030 that 75% of B2B Buyers Will Prefer Sales Experiences that Prioritize Human Interaction Over AI](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-08-25-gartner-says-by-2030-that-75-percent-of-b2b-buyers-will-prefer-sales-experiences-that-prioritize-human-interaction-over-ai), Gartner * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Authors [### Molly Burke](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mburke/) Molly Burke is a senior analyst and writer for Capterra. She covers customer experience and marketing in the retail and restaurant industries, with a focus on how emerging technology is transforming the way everyday people shop. Her insights on generative AI, social media, and other tech trends have been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, BBC, CNBC, Forbes, and the Financial Times, among other publications. [### Parul Sharma](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/parul-sharma/) Parul is an editor at Capterra with over half a decade of experience curating news, IT, software, finance, lifestyle, and health content. She excels at simplifying complex terms into engaging content for SMBs. Parul has worked as a feature writer for DNA India, India’s premier media portal. She was also the highest scorer in her English literature graduation and post-graduation class. ### RELATED READING - [How To Choose a Manufacturing Software With Confidence: Insights From Real Buyers](https://www.capterra.com/resources/manufacturing-software-buyer-insights-report/) - [Still Planning Production in Spreadsheets? Here’s When Manufacturers Move to MRP Software](https://www.capterra.com/resources/mrp-software-vs-spreadsheets/) - [Research Agenda](https://www.capterra.com/resources/research-agenda/) - [How to Choose ERP Software: 4 Steps Backed by Nearly 1,000 User Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/resources/erp-selection-guide/) - [2026 SaaS Buying guide: How to Purchase Software for Your Business](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-buyers-guide/) - [Habit 3 of the 5 Habits of Successful Software Adopters: Shortlist Decisively to Maintain Decision-making Momentum](https://www.capterra.com/resources/five-habits-successful-software-adopters-habit-3/) - [3 Must-Do Things To Ace Your Software Implementation](https://www.capterra.com/resources/must-do-software-implementation-tips/) - [3 Tips for Reducing Cost and Risk When Negotiating a New Software Purchase](https://www.capterra.com/resources/software-negotiation-tips/) - [4 Signs It's Time to Move On and Check Out New Software](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-to-evaluate-new-software/) Capterra 2026 Software Buying Trends survey was conducted online in August 2025 among 3,385 respondents in Australia (n=281), Brazil (n=278), Canada (n=293), France (n=283), Germany (n=279), India (n=260), Italy (n=263), Mexico (n=288), Spain (n=273), the U.K. (n=299), and the U.S. (n=588), at businesses across multiple industries, ages (1 year in business or longer), and sizes (5 or more employees). Business sizes represented in the survey include: 1,676 small (5-249 full-time employees), 822 midsize  (250-999), and 887 enterprise (1,000+). The goal of this study was to understand the timelines, organizational challenges, research behaviors, and adoption processes of business software buyers. Respondents were screened to ensure their involvement in business software purchasing decisions. For the purposes of this report, successful software adopters are those who did not experience unexpected software implementation disruption or software purchase regret (n=1,147), while disappointed software buyers are defined as those who experienced both an unexpected disruption and purchase regret (n=1,368).