READ THE CASE STUDY ABOUT HOW CASE STUDIES HELPED MY BUSINESS
“It was all so easy.” That’s how Amy Pierquet of Waterfront Graphic Design describes the process of creating not one but four customer case studies. She worked with freelance writer Katie Corbett, K. Corbett Communications.
Amy had previously created a “case studies” page on her website, but it remained hidden because she didn’t have any stories to feature at the time. Then, she met Katie at a networking event.
“I told Katie that I’ve been looking for years for someone to write case studies,” Amy said. She quickly started working with Katie.
Katie had an efficient plan for creating customer stories. “My part wouldn’t take much time, which is a huge plus for me as a busy business owner,” Amy noted.
Powerful Case Studies – Done Quickly
When Amy first considered working with Katie on a case study, she learned that the writer would manage her projects from start to finish. Katie schedules customer interviews, handles the editing and revision process, and coordinates the graphic design.
With Katie handling all the legwork, case studies required very little of Amy’s time. She simply secured permission from happy customers, prepped Katie with some background on each one, and reviewed drafts.
“The first case study went so well that I wanted to do more,” Amy said.
Now, Amy has four separate stories that highlight different features of her business, based in Lodi, Wisconsin.
Building Trust with Customer Stories
As an award-winning designer, Amy focuses on helping start-up businesses and small- to medium-sized companies experience growth. Her services include website, print, and logo design. Amy promotes case studies because they offer third-party verification of her work.
“People wanted to see how using me to work on their website and provide search engine optimization (SEO) can help their business,” she said. “Someone else’s words have more weight, and you can get the inside scoop on what happened.”
Waterfront Graphic Design’s case studies showcase a diverse range of clients, from holistic health practitioners and freelance writers to a lawyer and yarn business owners. Each story captures how Amy helped her client solve a problem, whether that was creating a website to generate business during COVID-19 shutdowns or improving SEO.
“People remember stories,” Amy said. “When someone recommends you, the prospect will check you out on your website. They don’t just call you; they go and look.”
Creating Confidence with Prospects
Now, with four case studies featured on her website, Amy is already seeing benefits.
“Having case studies has generated business for me. I know people have looked at them,” she said. “They give me a definite advantage when prospects are comparing companies.”
John Keating, the business consultant for Insight BTR (Business Technology Resources), knew his firm would benefit from a website redesign. He learned about Waterfront Graphic Design through a connection on LinkedIn but wanted to verify that Amy would be a good fit for Insight’s needs.
“Waterfront Graphic Design’s success stories helped us feel good about Amy’s abilities,” John said. “Case studies make a much bigger impact than a few sentences of a testimonial.”
Each of the four case studies demonstrated that Amy is “creative and good at bringing prospects to a client’s site, which is what we need,” he said.
John is a firm believer in the benefits of case studies. “You can list all of your services on your site, but case studies bring those services to life and make them more relatable for a prospect,” he said.
Approaching Case Studies Strategically
Amy looks forward to seeing website metrics indicating how many prospects are reviewing her case studies. But for now, she knows prospects are reading them.
There’s a side benefit to creating case studies for business owners like Amy.
“It’s nice to read the extremely kind words from my clients,” she said. “They make me feel good and look more professional.”
Amy also encourages business owners to consider multiple case studies to showcase different aspects of their company.
“Before beginning the process, know your end goal of the case study,” she advised. “What’s your reason for doing it? Then, when the case study is completed, use it to better market your services.”
Amy said, “Through case studies, you’ll learn about yourself, which is always good for a business owner. Case studies show how you work with people. I believe they raise the trust factor when someone is deciding to hire you or someone else.”
