If you’re tired of cold prospecting that goes nowhere, you’re not alone. The best B2B sales teams don’t just spray emails—they target companies based on what the company actually uses behind the scenes. If you want to build smarter outreach lists, knowing a website’s software stack is pure gold. This guide is for B2B sales, SDRs, and marketers who want to cut the guesswork and put Similartech to actual use.
Forget hype. Here’s how to segment website lists by tech stack, avoid dead ends, and get real signals for your outreach.
Why bother segmenting by software stack?
- Relevance: If your product only works with Shopify stores, or is a better alternative to HubSpot, why waste time on everyone else?
- Personalization: Mentioning the actual tech a prospect uses shows you’ve done your homework. That gets replies.
- Efficiency: Filtering out the noise saves you hours (and a lot of embarrassment).
If you’re still sending the same pitch to every site on your list, you’re working way harder than you need to.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Tech Signals Matter
Before you even open Similartech, get specific on what you’re looking for. Not every platform, plugin, or script is a buying signal. Ask yourself:
- What tech does my ideal customer need to have (or not have)?
- Am I replacing something? Integrating with something?
- Do I care about the type of technology (e.g., e-commerce, marketing automation, analytics)?
Pro tip: Don’t chase every little widget. Focus on big-ticket platforms that actually predict a real need or fit.
Step 2: Source Your Starting Website List
You need a list to filter—Similartech isn’t a lead gen tool, it’s a tech profiler. Here’s where you can get your initial list:
- Your own CRM/old prospects: Clean up and enrich what you’ve already got.
- Lists from web scrapers or data vendors: Just make sure they’re not garbage (no parked domains, no dead companies).
- Industry directories: Trade associations, conference attendee lists, etc.
Get your list into a spreadsheet with at least the website domain in its own column.
Step 3: Use Similartech to Analyze Tech Stacks
Now comes the main event. Here’s how to get tech stack info at scale:
A. Bulk Lookups (the paid way)
- Upload your list: If you have a paid Similartech account, you can upload a CSV and get a breakdown of each website’s detected technologies.
- What you get: Usually a list of platforms, plugins, analytics tools, ad networks, and more.
- Limits: Bulk lookups aren’t cheap, and accuracy isn’t perfect (nobody’s is).
B. One-off Checks (the free way)
- Browser extension: Similartech’s Chrome extension gives you an instant readout for the site you’re on.
- Manual work: Painful for big lists, but fine for high-value targets or spot checks.
C. API Access (for the technical crowd)
- Automate lookups: If you’re handy with code, Similartech has an API. You can script lookups and pull tech data right into your workflow.
- Note: You’ll need a paid plan, and some basic coding chops.
Reality check: No tool catches everything. Some technologies are hidden, custom, or just not detectable. Treat the output as signals, not gospel.
Step 4: Segment Your List
Now you’ve got a list of websites with a bunch of tech fields. Time to slice and dice.
Common ways to segment:
- Has/doesn’t have a specific platform: (e.g., “Only show me sites using Magento.”)
- Uses a competitor: (e.g., “Sites running HubSpot, because I sell a HubSpot alternative.”)
- Stack complexity: (e.g., “Are they using lots of martech tools, or just one?”)
- Recent tech changes: (Some advanced users can flag when a site added or removed a tool—worth looking for, if critical.)
How to do it:
- Spreadsheet filters: Sort and filter by tech columns.
- Tagging: Add a “segment” column (e.g., “Shopify users,” “Google Analytics holdouts,” etc.).
- Remove junk: Delete sites with “unknown” or “undetectable” stacks unless you have a reason to keep them.
What to ignore: Don’t get lost in the weeds with tiny, obscure scripts or ad trackers. Focus on signals that actually matter for your outreach.
Step 5: Build Outreach Lists That Don’t Suck
You’ve got your segments. Now, make them actionable:
- Tighten your messaging: Write templates that reference the actual technology you found. (“I see you’re using Shopify…”)
- Prioritize by fit: Start with the segments that match your best customers.
- Add contact data: Use a tool (like Apollo, Hunter, or manual research) to append emails or LinkedIn profiles to your list.
Pro tip: Don’t send the same email to everyone in a segment. Personalization always beats a mail merge.
Step 6: Track What Works (and What Doesn’t)
- Monitor replies: Are certain tech stacks leading to more replies or demos?
- Spot patterns: Maybe WooCommerce sites are more open to your pitch than Shopify stores. Adjust as you go.
- Update regularly: Tech stacks change. What was true last quarter might be out of date now.
Reality check: Some websites fake or hide their tech. Or, the site is just a brochure and not active. Don’t stress—just keep iterating.
What’s Good, What’s Not, and What to Ignore
What works: - Targeting by tech stack does increase reply rates and meeting quality—if your product depends on (or replaces) a specific platform. - Combining tech signals with other data (company size, industry, etc.) is even better.
What doesn’t: - Relying only on tech stack. You’ll still need to qualify for pain points, budget, and authority. - Trusting every detection. Some tools are misidentified, and some sites run a Frankenstein stack.
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (“Look, 50,000 sites run Google Fonts!”). Focus only on tech that matters for your pitch. - Over-complicating. Don’t let segmentation become analysis paralysis.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Getting value from tech stack segmentation isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little discipline. Don’t overthink it: pick your signals, filter your list, and test what messaging lands. If you’re stuck, cut steps out—not add more. The best prospectors keep it simple and tweak as they go. Good luck.