The Digital Demand Report · For software development companies

Your next clients are already describing their problem. In public.

We read 281,901 public Google reviews of small and medium-sized businesses across 68 local markets. Find where their customers say the processes break, which problems software can fix, and how to open the conversation with their problem, not your portfolio.

See what's inside first

Reviews to 22 October 2026 · One report · Instant access

The headline finding

When a customer mentions the phone line, it is almost always a complaint.

Of 607 reviews that mention phone lines, call-backs or being on hold, 500 are one or two star reviews. Across all reviews, only 6.6% are. Payments and billing behave the same way, at 79%.

82%of phone mentions are 1-2 star
281,901
Reviews analysed
Aug 2024 to Oct 2026
68
Local markets
vets, dentists, garages, venues, removals and more
16,104
Eligible businesses
each with 50+ Google reviews
9,300
Digital mentions
reviews naming a digital or contact process

The Digital Pain Index

One in five poor reviews describes a broken process.

Among one and two star reviews, 3,706 of 18,598 mention getting through, replies and updates, payments, the website or app, booking or tracking. Among three to five star reviews it is about one in fifty. That gap is software demand, written down in public.

Share of one and two star reviews mentioning each theme

No. 01
7.8%Payments
No. 02
6.3%Updates
No. 03
6.0%Web & app
No. 04
In the report
No. 05
In the report
No. 06
In the report

The report names all six themes, with counts, the share that is negative, and real customer quotes for each.

In the customer's own words

The brief is already written. By their customers.

Owners of small businesses do not buy a portfolio. They buy relief from a specific, daily problem. Their customers describe it in reviews, often in more detail than any discovery call.

★★☆☆☆

"can't say that I like the current Whatsapp booking system - taking an hour to do what could have been done over a two minute phone call."

Two star review Used car dealer One of many

The report sets out two quotes for each complaint theme, edited to remove names and identifying details, so you can see exactly what customers fault and what a fix would need to do.

Inside the report

Six things worth knowing before your next outreach.

Each one comes from the same review base. Together they turn a vague sense that "SMEs need software" into specific problems, specific products and specific first lines.

No. 01
The one contact theme where 82% of mentions are complaints, and what that means for a build.
With evidence In the report
No. 02
The five products that follow directly from what customers fault most.
Ranked In the report
No. 03
An opening line for each theme that leads with the client's problem, not your case studies.
Ready to use In the report
No. 04
The best channel and the best moment to send each opener.
Theme by theme In the report
No. 05
Five public demand signals, and a simple score that combines them into one number.
Method & weights In the report
No. 06
How to run it every week with AI: monitor, classify, prioritise, write.
Step by step In the report
Built from 281,901 reviews, not a hunch

What you actually get

Five sections. Written for founders who sell.

A market research report you can read in one sitting and act on the same week. It opens in your browser the moment your payment clears.

  1. Overview
    The executive summary, the headline figures and why most dev houses struggle to fill their pipeline beyond referrals.
    Key figures The problem
  2. Method
    Five demand signals that point to a business ready for software, and the scoring method that ranks them.
    Five signals Scoring formula
  3. Findings
    The Digital Pain Index, all six complaint themes with counts and negative share, and real customer quotes for each.
    Digital Pain Index Six themes Customer quotes
  4. Playbook
    Five products that follow from the findings, an opening line, channel and timing for each theme, and a weekly AI workflow.
    Products Opening lines AI workflow
  5. Appendix
    How the figures were produced, the inclusion rules and the limitations, set out plainly so you can judge the evidence yourself.
    Data & scope Limitations

One report, one price

The whole report, not just the preview.

The Digital Demand Report
£15
  • All six complaint themes, with counts and negative share
  • Real customer quotes for every theme
  • Five demand signals and the scoring method
  • Five product opportunities that follow from the data
  • Opening lines, channels and timing for each theme
  • Accessible from any browser, yours to keep

Delivered in minutes · Yours to keep

Stop pitching your portfolio. Start with their problem.

The themes, the quotes, the products to build and the first line to send, all in one report, the moment your payment clears.