Case Study Design Examples (388)

What the strongest case study pages do differently

Sorting these 388 case study pages by how they score against the conversion rubric, then comparing the strongest 77 with the weakest 77, is the fastest way to see what actually separates them.

Strongest 77Weakest 77Share of case study pages in each band, 0 to 100%

Navigation

1. A search box or filter, see the case study pages that have it
   19%100%
   +81
2. An industry filter, see the case study pages that have it
   4%74%
   +70
3. A use case filter, see the case study pages that have it
   4%57%
   +53
4. A link on every card, see the case study pages that have it
   78%100%
   +22
5. A company size filter, see the case study pages that have it
   4%22%
   +18

Other

1. A results strip, see the case study pages that have it
   20%85%
   +65
2. A customer logo on the page, see the case study pages that have it
   32%85%
   +53
3. A customer quote, see the case study pages that have it
   48%100%
   +52
4. A results section, see the case study pages that have it
   48%98%
   +50
5. A photo of the person quoted, see the case study pages that have it
   12%53%
   +41
6. A timeframe on the results, see the case study pages that have it
   28%68%
   +40
7. A solution section, see the case study pages that have it
   68%100%
   +32
8. A challenge section, see the case study pages that have it
   68%96%
   +28
9. A description of the situation before, see the case study pages that have it
   76%100%
   +24
10. A note on the customer's size, see the case study pages that have it
    20%43%
    +23
11. Links to other case studies, see the case study pages that have it
    60%79%
    +19

Proof

1. Numbers on the cards, see the case study pages that have it
   8%67%
   +59
2. Customer logos on the cards, see the case study pages that have it
   63%100%
   +37
3. An embedded video, see the case study pages that have it
   3%20%
   +17
4. Video case studies, see the case study pages that have it
   12%29%
   +17

Layout

1. A featured case study, see the case study pages that have it
   40%83%
   +43

How to structure a case study page, by the numbers

The questions a team asks when it rebuilds one, answered from the 388 here. The set splits about evenly between index pages and single stories, so each answer says which. Where the strongest 77 and the weakest 77 disagree, that gap is the answer.

How should the index be organised?

• On the index pages, 53% give the reader a way to narrow the list
• An industry filter on 36%, a use case filter on 24%
• One story pulled out as a featured case study on 60%

What goes on each card?

• 81% put the customer's logo on the card
• 91% link every card through to its own page, so nothing on the index is a dead end

How is a single case study laid out?

Three blocks, in the same order almost every time.

• A challenge section on 94%, a solution section on 96%, a results section on 83%
• 96% describe how things were before the product, which is what makes the after mean anything
• The results section is where the bands split: 98% of the strongest against 48% of the weakest

Where do the results go?

• 51% set the headline numbers apart in a strip instead of leaving them in the prose
• 44% tie the results to a period

Put a period on every number. It is the cheapest way to turn a figure into proof.

Who tells the story?

• A direct customer quote on 89%
• A photo of the person quoted on 47%, the customer's logo on 68%
• 46% say how big the customer is, so a buyer of the same size knows the story applies to them

What does the button ask for?

A demo is the most common ask on both the index and the single stories, with a free trial second. That fits the reader: someone who has read a case study to the end is closer to a conversation than to a signup form.

How often does the ask come back?

• The ask comes back 2 times on the median page
• 27% repeat it three times or more
• 70% of single case studies link on to other stories

The moves almost nobody makes

Each of these is on a quarter of the market or less, with the strongest page that uses it.

Numbers on the cards

24% of index pages put a result figure on the cards, so the list sells before the story does. Among the strongest it is 67%, against 8% of the weakest.

The customer on camera

17% of single case studies embed the customer telling the story, and 24% of index pages carry at least one video case study.

A filter for company size

13% let the reader narrow the list by how big the customer is, which is the filter an enterprise buyer reaches for first.