Write a case study page a sceptical buyer will believe
A case study is evidence, and buyers read it the way they read evidence: looking for the catch. The ones that persuade name the client, state the problem in the client's terms, explain what was actually done, and give a result with a number the client has agreed to. Give each case study its own page so it can be sent, searched and found.
The shape that works
- A headline that states the result: "How Harbour Dental halved missed appointments in six months", not "Harbour Dental case study".
- A summary box: client, sector, size, what you did, the headline result, and the timeframe.
- The problem, in a paragraph, ideally in the client's words: what was going wrong and what it was costing them.
- The approach: the decisions you made and why, including what you tried that didn't work.
- The result: the numbers, how they were measured and over what period.
- A quote from the client, attributed by name and role, saying something specific.
- What to do next: a link to the service and a way to get in touch.
Five hundred to a thousand words is usually enough for a case study page. Buyers skim the summary box first; if it doesn't match their situation, nothing below it will be read.
Numbers the client will stand behind
The result is where most case studies lose credibility, usually by claiming more than can be shown. Agree the figures with the client before you write, in writing, and keep their approval email.
- Give a baseline and a period. "Enquiries rose from about 30 to about 55 a month between March and September" says far more than "83% increase".
- Say how it was measured: the client's booking system, analytics, invoices.
- Attribute honestly. If a price change or a new hire also helped, say so.
- If the client won't share numbers, describe the change in concrete terms ("the practice stopped needing a temporary receptionist on Mondays") and use their quote to carry it.
- Use real names only with permission. An anonymised client ("a 40-person law firm in Manchester") is weaker but better than a fictional one.
One page per case study, in a collection
A single case studies page listing every project as a paragraph is hard to send and hard to find in search. Keep case studies as a CMS collection instead: one entry per project, with typed fields for client, sector, service, headline result and the body. Each entry is served as its own page at /<collection>/<slug>, and the collection's index page lists them all, so you can send a prospect straight to the case study closest to their situation.
Entries are edited in the dashboard, which keeps the design consistent: whoever writes the next case study fills in the fields and the layout stays the same. Group the index by sector or service once you have more than six or seven; buyers look for their own industry first.
What the Critic catches, and what it doesn't
Anticode's Critic runs nineteen design checks before anything is published, and the design gate blocks a few basics outright, among them stock AI phrases, placeholder text and empty links (a blank address, "#" or javascript:). On a case study website that matters more than usual: a sentence that reads like boilerplate, or a "see the result" button with no address, makes the whole page feel less true. Outside links, such as the client's own site, are yours to click through before publishing.
Building it
Describe the site and the collection: "a consultancy site with a case studies collection, fields for client, sector, result and timeframe, and the first three studies". The Architect shows a plan with the sections before building. Upload project photos or screenshots to the build and give them alt text that says what they show. The publish a client case study workflow covers getting approval and publishing in order.
Limits
- No gated downloads. Pages are public and forms take no file uploads; there's no "enter your email to download the PDF" delivery built in.
- No video testimonials on the page. Video can't play on design-engine pages; link to it on YouTube or Vimeo.
- No filtering on the page as you type. Index pages are static; organise by sector headings instead.
Questions people ask
How many case studies do I need?
Three good ones covering your main types of work beat ten thin ones. Add more when you have results worth writing up.
Should case studies show prices?
Rarely. A budget range can help qualify buyers, but most clients won't want their spend published.
Can I update a case study later with longer-term results?
Yes. Edit the entry in the dashboard and add a dated note, such as "Update, one year on".