![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/tefal.jpg\")
Step #1: Choose a Candidate<\/h3>\n
The first step to developing a case study is picking a candidate. If you offer just one service, select any interesting project and go to step #2.<\/p>\n
But if you offer multiple services, before choosing the client it’s a good idea to pick the services you want more clients for.<\/p>\n
For example, if you’re looking for more clients for your WordPress maintenance service, choose a client who has outsourced maintenance to you.<\/p>\n
So, think if you want to especially push for any of the following services:<\/p>\n
- \n
- WordPress Development<\/li>\n
- Performance<\/li>\n
- Maintenance<\/li>\n
- Migration<\/li>\n
- Theme\/plugin development (or customization)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Alternatively, if you specialize in development and maintenance of a few select niches, choose a client from each of these niches. This will give you a chance to show your expertise in all your target niches.<\/p>\n
Once you’ve chosen the services or niches to promote using case studies, list all the projects you’ve done on those and choose the most interesting one.<\/p>\n
Step #2: Come Up With Interview Questions<\/h3>\n
After selecting the project to feature in the case study, your next step is to write the questions that will help you write a case study on it. And you’ll use these questions to interview the client.<\/p>\n
Different projects require different inputs to create a great case study. And so the interview questions differ from project to project. However, some questions are relevant irrespective of the project. Here are three such questions:<\/p>\n
Q1. What did you need help with? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The answer to this question will help you write the challenge part of the case study (which we’ll get to in step #3).<\/p>\n
You might think that you already know the answer to this question. After all, you solved the client’s problem by developing a site, theme, or plugin. Or, perhaps with your other services. True, but it’s still good to to ask this question because client may express their problem in a way you hadn’t thought of. They’ll give excellent answers here, and your potential clients will be able to relate to your previous clients \u2013 and you \u2013 better.<\/p>\n
Q2. How did you learn about me\/us? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The answer to this question will help introduce the solution, in your case, you or your agency.<\/p>\n
Q3. If you had to recommend me\/us to someone with similar needs as yours, what would you say? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The answer to this question will work as a direct testimonial that you can use word-for-word. Plus, you can use it when you conclude the case study.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Agency](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/93digital.jpg\")
Agency 93digital has included beautifully laid out images to illustrate case studies on its website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Other than these questions, here are a few more specific questions based on service types:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Service Type: WordPress Development<\/h4>\n
Why did you choose WordPress? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
If you have a potential client who’s on the fence about using WordPress, responses to this question can help them decide.<\/p>\n
Why did you choose to go with custom development and not a premium theme and some plugins? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
The answer to this question will help you elaborate on the challenge part of the case study.<\/p>\n
Service Type: Performance<\/b><\/h4>\n
How did your site do before I\/we optimized it? How do the old and new loading times compare? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
The numbers from the answer to this question will help write a better headline for your case study, and will also make a meaty results section.<\/p>\n
How has a fast loading site improved your revenue, SEO rankings, or traffic engagement metrics? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
The response to this question will show a potential client how investing in your service can get them some great ROI.<\/p>\n
Service Type: Maintenance<\/h4>\n
What are your website’s routine maintenance needs? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
The tasks your clients lists in response to this question will ring a bell in the minds of all the potential clients who are considering your maintenance services. They’ll also get that you can help them with those needs.<\/p>\n
How has hiring me for this service helped you? Does it save you time? Or, do you stay calm that your site is always optimized and up to date?<\/strong> <\/i><\/p>\n
This question\u2019s answer will convince the potential clients that outsourcing maintenance can make their lives easier.<\/p>\n
Service Type: Migration<\/h4>\n
Why did you choose WordPress? OR Why did you decide to switch to WordPress? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n
Again, this question will be helpful to people who’re deciding on switching to WordPress.<\/p>\n
What were your biggest fears about the whole migration process?<\/strong> <\/i><\/p>\n
The concerns a client expresses in response to this question will match the concerns of all your potential clients. Also, they\u2019ll see that you moved a site safely without any of these fears turning true.<\/p>\n
How did the migration work? Was it seamless? Was everything intact after making the move, or did you face any issues?<\/strong> <\/i><\/p>\n
Potential clients will be curious to know if there were any hiccups during the migration. It’s okay to share honestly if there were (because hopefully you would have solved them immediately).<\/p>\n
Service Type: Theme\/Plugin Development (Or Customization) <\/b><\/h4>\n
Why didn’t you go for a custom theme?<\/strong> <\/i><\/p>\n
What was the need for developing a plugin?<\/strong> <\/i><\/p>\n
With those questions in mind, you\u2019ve goes quite a bit there to begin with. So, pick the ones that make the most sense for your project and add any other relevant questions you can think of, and create the interview questionnaire.<\/p>\n
You might also want to consider creating a form for your clients to fill out (Google Forms<\/a>, Typeform<\/a>) rather than sending these questions via email.<\/p>\n
Step #3: Reach Out to the Client<\/h3>\n
Once your questions are ready, send the following case study request email template <\/a> to the client.<\/p>\n
Subject line:\u00a0Would like to feature you in a case study? <\/i><\/p>\n
Email:<\/p>\n
Hey [first name], <\/i><\/p>\n
I\u2019m looking to add a new case study to my portfolio and would love to feature your project. <\/i><\/p>\n
All I ask from you is that you fill out this form (shouldn\u2019t take more than 30 minutes). <\/i><\/p>\n
And as a gesture of thanks, I\u2019d love to give you *a XX% discount on your next project. <\/i><\/p>\n
Once I\u2019ve written the case study, I\u2019ll send it for your approval. If you\u2019re happy with it, I\u2019ll go ahead and publish it. <\/i><\/p>\n
I\u2019d be really grateful for your help. <\/i><\/p>\n
Thanks, <\/i><\/p>\n
[your name]<\/i><\/p>\n\n
Step #4: Write the Case Study<\/h3>\n
As soon as the client gets back to you with their answers, you\u2019re ready to write the case study!<\/p>\n
If you’ve read other case studies, you’ll know that they typically take a three-part structure: the challenge, solution, and result. They aren\u2019t always labelled as the same, though.<\/p>\n
This three-section case study format can be easily fine-tuned for web development projects. With a little more detailing, a good web development case study takes the following structure:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Headline<\/li>\n
- About<\/li>\n
- The Brief<\/li>\n
- The Process<\/li>\n
- The Results<\/li>\n
- Client quote<\/li>\n
- Call to action<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let’s now see how to fill out these sections.<\/p>\n
Headline<\/b><\/p>\n
Case studies generally follow a variation of the ‘How-to’ style headline.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0How [client name] saves X hours\/week with my WordPress maintenance services<\/i><\/p>\n
About<\/b><\/p>\n
The about section gives a quick client introduction. (See the about section in example #2 to get a better idea.)<\/p>\n
The Brief<\/b><\/p>\n
Here, you’ll use content from the project brief. Focus on the project objective or goal. In addition to this, quote the client’s answer to the first question from the questionnaire.<\/p>\n
The Process<\/b><\/p>\n
The process section of the case study lays down the steps you did to solve the client’s problem. You can use details like the different project stages from your proposal to add here.<\/p>\n
The Results<\/b><\/p>\n
The results section states the final deliverable like the website, plugin, theme, or an on-going service like maintenance.<\/p>\n
Client Quote<\/b><\/p>\n
Quote the client’s answer to the third question\u00a0from the above questionnaire.<\/p>\n
Call-to-Action<\/b><\/p>\n
The call to action can\u00a0be a simple sentence asking the client to contact you.<\/p>\n
For instance: If you too are looking for [service type], submit your project brief or email me\/us for a free consultation.<\/i><\/p>\n
Step #5: Get Approval to Publish<\/h3>\n
Once your case study is ready, show it to the client and ask if they\u2019d like any changes. You\u2019re ready to publish it on your portfolio as soon as the client gives the go-ahead.<\/p>\n
Case Study Examples of WordPress Development and Maintenance Services<\/h3>\n
#1 : TechCrunch’s WordPress site redesign case study <\/a> via 10up<\/h4>\n
According to WordPress agency 10up, “During TechCrunch\u2019s 2011 relaunch on WordPress.com VIP, they invited 10up in as development partners to help meet an aggressive build and launch schedule.”<\/p>\n
The company’s case study for the project includes a rundown of the technologies used, an explanation of the project, and a great quote from the client:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could not have done the redesign without you, and your continued support is critical \u2026 I know our team appreciates you.\u201d – Heather Harde, former CEO of TechCrunch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
#2: A publisher WordPress site development case study <\/a> via Moove.<\/h4>\n
Moove’s case study for its work\u00a0redesigning and developing the new InvestmentEurope.net website is a beautiful and comprehensive one-pager website in itself.<\/p>\n
The case study includes:<\/p>\n
- \n
- The brief and deadline,<\/li>\n
- The results,<\/li>\n
- Quotes from the client,<\/li>\n
- Photos of the team that carried out the project,<\/li>\n
- The 10-step process for the redesign,<\/li>\n
- Images for different responsive designs,<\/li>\n
- Advanced WordPress development, including paywall integration,<\/li>\n
- Migrating data from the old site to the new one,<\/li>\n
- Security for the site, and<\/li>\n
- Ongoing maintenance work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Overall, this case study is impressive, comprehensive, and shows that the folks at Moove really know their stuff when it comes to WordPress design and development.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Moove's](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/moove.png\")
Moove’s casey for its work redesigning the new investmentEurope.net website is in-depth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n As you can see, all these examples are very different from each other. 10up goes for a compact format; Moove goes for a visually stunning style; whereas the Plugin Development case study focuses on content alone.<\/p>\n
When you’re just starting out, it’s okay to start with a simple ‘How-to’ style post. You can keep improving it as you go.<\/p>\n
It’s Time to Write Your Case Studies<\/h3>\n
So there you have it, the steps you need to take to write great case studies, along with sample questions, an easy format, and examples.<\/p>\n
But easy though the process is, it won’t work if you just read this post and move on without actually putting pen to paper, so to speak. So right now, why not add a draft to your portfolio and name it “Case Study.” Then spend 10 minutes each day on this draft. And in no time at all you’ll start making yourself more hireable and land more clients and projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So there’s this guy who runs a business. Let’s call him Joe. Joe runs a contest on 99Designs and has shiny PSDs for his soon-to-be-built WordPress site. But he needs a developer and somehow he lands on your portfolio and he likes what he sees. He browses through your website and notices a resource called […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":431536,"featured_media":161057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"blog_reading_time":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tutorials_categories":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10469],"tags":[10139,10296],"tutorials_categories":[],"class_list":["post-160809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-marketing","tag-case-studies","tag-freelancing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/431536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160809"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165294,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160809\/revisions\/165294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160809"},{"taxonomy":"tutorials_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tutorials_categories?post=160809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}