When deciding what to include in any web design, one of the objectives must be to generate trust from any visitors who land on the website. There are several ways this can be attempted which include ensuring all the security protocols are in place, displaying consistent branding, and publishing reviews and testimonials on your website – check out acclaimed lawyers, www.culshawmiller.com.au to find examples of this.
These are all excellent ways to build trust and credibility for a business via its website, but here is another method, and it is one that, sadly, many websites do not have. We are referring to case studies, which might require somewhat more effort to create than a simple review, but they are certainly more than worth it.
Benefits Of Case Studies
There are several benefits of creating one or more case studies and including them within your web design.
Social Proof: Probably the most obvious one, and hugely important given that the modern consumers online look for as much social proof as they can find whenever they are thinking of buying something.
Sales/Marketing Copy: Whilst you should never turn a case study into a blatant sales pitch, they do provide you with an opportunity to use segments of them and include them in any marketing or sales copy which you use to promote your business.
Content Marketing: Content is essential for any website, not just for ranking purposes, but to also ensure visitors to the website find useful and interesting information that further augments their opinion of the company. Case studies can be unique, interesting, and even entertaining if written correctly.
SEO: By sprinkling a few keywords and keyword phrases within each case study, once the page they are on is indexed by Google, it adds further to your SEO efforts and their objective of improving your rankings on search engines.
Key Principles Of Effective Case Studies
Give Case Studies Their Own Page: For several reasons, you want to give your case studies pages of their own. This includes SEO so that the page is indexed, but more importantly, it provides a distinct destination for visitors who are searching for case studies on your website to go to.
Match Your Target Audience: When creating a case study you should have your target audience in mind, especially if you have customer profiles and personas that you target with other marketing. Use the language that resonates with your target audience, and when it comes to the individuals who are the subject of each case study, ensure that they fall within the demographics of your target audience so that those reading the case study can relate to them.
Format Them For Easier Reading: Do not create huge paragraphs of text in your case studies as nobody will read them. Break them down with bold headers for each section, use bullet points, and add images where possible.
Tell A Story: One of the secrets to persuading anyone to take any action is to use stories, and that is how your case study should be. Explain the situation before, during and after the subject in the case study used your product or service, and make that story as engaging as possible.
Provide Specific Results: Do not be vague when it comes to explaining what results were achieved within your case study. Be as accurate as you can and provide as much detail as possible, including any relevant data.
Spread The Word: You want people to read your case studies so spread the word about them wherever you can. Highlight your case studies on your social media pages, when you email your email subscribers and ensure there is a link to them on every page of your website, especially the home page.