SoftwareSuggest’s Tech Trends: Factors Shaping Enterprise Software Decisions

Both SMBs and enterprises experience software purchase regrets, but the factors leading to their decisions—and eventual dissatisfaction—vary greatly.

After examining data from 2600 software buyers worldwide in SoftwareSuggest’s 2025 Tech Trend Survey, we discovered that small and midsize businesses (SMBs, 5-999 employees) and enterprises (1,000+ employees) have several common factors influencing their software purchasing choices.

• Both SMBs and enterprises expect to expand and allocate more funds toward software this year.
• The primary focus will be on enhancing IT security and incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations.
• Over 55% of businesses in both categories have regretted a software purchase within the last 18 months.

The most striking contrast lies in how SMBs and enterprises navigate software decisions. As they move into 2025, they encounter distinct challenges and experience software purchase regret in different ways. Recognizing the risks associated with your business size can help you make more informed software choices.

SMBs And Enterprises: Same Tech Story, Yet Different Challenges

Heading into 2025, both SMBs and enterprises are confident about their growth prospects. Around three-quarters expect to expand in the next 18 months (77% of SMBs and 74% of enterprises), and above 65% plan to boost their software budgets (67% of SMBs, 69% of enterprises).

Their spending priorities are also similar, with IT security, IT management, and artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as the top three areas where both business types plan to invest.

The driving factors behind software investments differ for SMBs and enterprises, as do the challenges they foresee in adopting new technology.

For SMBs, workforce limitations pose a significant challenge. SMBs are 14% more likely than enterprises to cite labor availability as a key external factor influencing their business objectives. Additionally, employee adoption and training are major concerns when implementing new software. Investing in IT management and AI helps optimize their small teams’ efficiency, but ensuring employees adapt to these technologies remains a hurdle.

Enterprises, however, are more focused on the risks and rewards of emerging technologies. Enterprises are 11% more likely than SMBs to see technological advancements as a crucial external factor shaping their goals. Their primary challenges involve smoothly integrating new tools with existing systems and avoiding costly implementation missteps.

While enterprises rely heavily on technology to stay competitive, they are also more mindful of its risks. Cybersecurity, in particular, is a top priority—enterprises are more likely to emphasize managing and preventing security threats, understanding the high stakes of cyberattacks. This heightened awareness appears to be rooted in past experiences, as IT security software ranks among their most regretted recent purchases.

Key Insights for Software Buyers

• Plan for Research & Training – SMBs, often lacking dedicated IT staff, should ensure they have the right personnel to research software options and effectively implement new tools.
  
• Evaluate Support & Onboarding – When comparing software, SMBs should prioritize setup guides, vendor support, and training assistance to facilitate smooth adoption.
  
• Set Clear Goals for Software Adoption – Enterprises must avoid adopting new tech just to stay competitive; each purchase should align with well-defined business objectives.
  
• Define Selection Criteria Early—To prevent purchase regrets, Enterprises should establish clear evaluation criteria, focusing on feature requirements and integration needs.

SMBs Face Implementation Challenges, While Enterprises Struggle with Unintuitive Interfaces

SMBs and enterprises are looking to make better software investments with their expanded budgets this year, but the causes of potential regret differ between them.

SMBs and enterprises experience software purchase regret for different reasons.

• Implementation issues impact SMBs. Many SMBs lack dedicated IT staff, making them reliant on vendors for software setup. This often leads to delays, with 30% of SMBs citing missed vendor deadlines as a regret factor, compared to 27% of enterprises.
  
• Post-implementation frustrations for enterprises. Larger companies are more likely to face usability challenges, inadequate technical support, or software that doesn’t meet their complex requirements.
  
• Balancing advanced features with usability is tough. Enterprises need powerful software, but it must also be easy to use—a combination that’s hard to achieve.
  
• Vendor overpromises fuel disappointment. Due to their intricate needs, enterprises (38%) are more likely than SMBs (34%) to feel misled by vendors who didn’t meet expectations.

What Software Buyers Need To Consider

SMBs should focus on finding vendors that offer strong implementation support and ongoing maintenance, as they often lack dedicated IT teams. Reading reviews about setup experiences and utilizing free trials can help identify potential challenges before committing to a purchase. Ensuring that the vendor meets deadlines and provides adequate onboarding can prevent future regret.

Enterprises, on the other hand, must prioritize user experience when selecting software. Since usability issues can become major roadblocks for large teams, thoroughly testing the product through free trials is essential. Additionally, enterprises should be patient with the onboarding process, as training employees on advanced software takes time. Instead of rushing to replace a system, businesses should focus on optimizing training to improve adoption.

How Regretful Software Purchases Affect SMBs and Enterprises Differently

The reasons behind purchase regret vary for SMBs and enterprises, as do the consequences. Recognizing how a poor software investment affects businesses can help you steer clear of costly mistakes.

For SMBs, every decision carries weight—growth is exciting, but financial missteps can be hard to recover from. With limited budgets and fewer resources than large enterprises, SMBs must be especially mindful of their spending. When they invest in software that falls short of expectations, the most immediate concern is wasted money—funds that could have been better allocated to business growth.

One of the main reasons for this regret is a lack of familiarity with business software purchases. While the license fee may appear to be the biggest expense, there are often unforeseen costs for things like training employees, migrating data, and accessing premium support. When SMB buyers aren’t aware of these extra expenses, they can be caught off guard by the total cost, leading to disappointment and second thoughts about their investment.

Key Insights on Software Purchases in an AI-Saturated Market

• AI Market Overload: 30% of companies are prioritizing AI in their 2025 software budgets, but with AI software listings on SoftwareSuggest nearly doubling in the past year, buyers feel overwhelmed. The number of businesses struggling to assess AI tool value and risk has increased 65% year-over-year.
  
• Lack of Clear Goals Drives Regret: Regretful buyers cite defining clear goals (38%) and aligning stakeholders (34%) as top changes they’d make in future software purchases. Companies with well-defined objectives see better outcomes than those buying just to stay competitive.
  
• Time In Taking Decisions Reduces Success Rates: The most successful buyers (59%) evaluate and purchase software within three months, while 56% of regretful buyers take over five months, leading to overanalysis and missed opportunities.
  
• Experience and Reviews Matter: Successful buyers rely on vendor reputation and prior experience, while regretful buyers often trust ads and social media. Those who make smart choices are 45% more likely to factor in previous product experience.
  
• Product Trials Boost Confidence: Free trials help businesses test functionality in real-world scenarios. Buyers who prioritize trials in their decision-making are 22% more likely to be satisfied with their final choice than those who don’t.

Closing Thoughts

To make smarter software investments, businesses should prioritize clear goals, rely on trusted reviews, and leverage product trials. A well-structured evaluation process can significantly reduce regret and ensure long-term success.

Leveraging insights from SoftwareSuggest, businesses can make informed software decisions by setting clear goals, relying on trusted reviews, and using product trials. A strategic approach to software selection reduces regret and maximizes long-term value.

Supriya Bajaj

About the author

Supriya is a highly skilled content writer with several years of experience in the SaaS domain. She believes in curating engaging, informative, and user-friendly content to simplify highly technical concepts. With an expansive portfolio of long-format blogs, newsletters, whitepapers, and case studies, Supriya is dedicated to staying in touch with emerging SaaS trends to produce relevant and reliable content.