BONUS: Read the case study how-to guide.
Case Study Template
Used 9980 times | Updated
Good case studies tell a compelling story to potential clients of how your company rose to the occasion. The Case Study Template will help you showcase your company’s credibility in solving a particularly challenging client problem and prove to potential clients that you have what it takes to perform well. Specifically, case studies can help you:
- Highlight your expertise in delivering measurable results based on KPIs.
- Position your brand as an authority in your industry to attract potential customers.
- Provide visual proof of your skills, experience, and expertise as a company.
- Showcase your perseverance in handling difficult projects or campaigns.
Xtensio is your team’s deliverables workspace.
Create, collaborate, and deliver client-ready docs—then keep them current.
Join 394,458 using Xtensio.
Xtensio is the workspace for professional deliverables.
Make one deliverable today—then build a repeatable system for every client and project.
This is where teams create, collaborate, organize, and deliver the documents that run their work.
Everything stays on-brand, current, and ready to share.
Organize every deliverable
Keep strategy, sales, marketing, and client docs together by workspace.
Create fast, stay consistent
Start from 200+ templates or AI drafts, then apply your brand kit.
Collaborate in the doc
No more “final_v7.pdf” loop.
Standardize across deliverables
Apply your brand kit + reusable modules so every deliverable matches.
Improve what you send
See engagement, iterate, and reuse what works across projects.
Other Case Study Templates
How to create an effective Case Study with Xtensio
- Click and start editing, no account or credit card required.
Follow along with the instructional copy. Add charts, graphs, images, and videos to customize your case study. Drag & drop. Resize. It’s the easiest editor ever.
- Customize everything to match your brand.
Define your style guide; Add your (or your client’s) brand fonts and colors. You can even pull colors directly from a website to easily brand your case studies.
- Work on the key details of your case study together on the cloud.
Add colleagues (or clients) to collaborate on the case study template. Changes automatically save and sync across all devices, in real-time.
- Share a link. Present a slideshow. Embed. Download a PDF/PNG.
Your case study seamlessly adapts to your workflow. No more jumping from tool-to-tool to create different types of deliverables.
- Reuse and repurpose.
Save your own custom case study templates. Or copy and merge into other documents.
What is a case study?
An effective case study is a great way to show potential clients, customers, and stakeholders how valuable your product or service is by explaining how your business solved a particularly challenging client problem.
Marketing case studies examine a single client situation in-depth and provide a detailed analysis of how your organization resolved the challenge.
The best case studies not only tell a story about your company but also contain some hard measurable metrics. This allows you to highlight your successes in a way that will make an ideal potential customer become your customer. Essentially, a case study is an effective way to learn about your business and a great marketing tool.
When looking for potential projects to use for a case study, look for ones that:
- Involved a particular challenge that required a unique set of skills that your company possesses
- Received special awards, press coverage or accolades
- Involved a high profile project
- Involved a well-known (preferably Fortune 500) brand or company
The most important element of your case study is that it must show a real-life example to relate to your target client. While a good case study showcases your company, a great case study makes the reader want to start a conversation with you.
What information should be included in a case study?
The first thing to consider is who will be reading your case studies. Messages and their delivery resonate differently, depending on who is on the receiving end. For example, a thirty-something software entrepreneur will measure success differently than a fifty-something CEO of a large corporation. Understanding your target audience will help you tell your case study in a way that will effectively speak to them.
When gathering information for your case study, interview happy customers and ask questions to your potential case study subject that align with the story you are trying to tell. No case study will be the same, and your questions will vary from client to client.
Before you contact the customer, consider interview questions so you have an idea of what you need to produce a compelling case study demonstrating your potential to succeed.
At the end of the information-gathering process, you should have a solid understanding of the following to outline how your product was the best solution for the customers’ particular challenge:
- The client’s initial challenge
- Why did the client choose your company
- Your company’s approach to the problem
- The solution and implementation process
- The results and final measures of success
Some questions to ask your client during the initial interview:
- Can you give a brief description of your company?
- How did you first hear about our product or service?
- What challenges or pain points prompted using our product?
- What were you looking for in a solution to your problem?
- Did you have any roadblocks while using our product?
Don’t forget to talk to your colleagues and get their perspectives on the project when writing your case study. You may also want to include some quotes from internal stakeholders or project leads to make an even more compelling case study.
How do you write a case study?
When writing a case study, make sure you know who you’re talking to. Your audience, i.e. who would be interested in your product or service, should be your main focus when you create a case study. Once you’ve compiled your facts, format the story so that it will appeal to potential customers.
The format and content of case study templates vary, but in general, your business case study should look like a strong landing page: brief, pictorial, and engaging.
Xtensio’s case study template includes instructional copy to show you everything you need to know to create a real-life example of your company’s strengths. The template is organized into sections and modules designed to make your case study flow like a well-planned story and we’ve broken the template into three main sections: the snapshot, the body and the footer.
The Snapshot
This section is designed to give a quick overview of your story and prompt readers to want to learn more. Consider it an executive summary, a book cover, or a brief description in an online store. It should have enough information to grab a potential customer’s attention, but not so much that they will stop reading. Include client details, the project name, and a brief description of the problem, as well as quantitative metrics that demonstrate your accomplishment.
You can also include the date the case study was originally published here to help potential customers identify if your product or service is a good fit for them right now.
The Body
This section is the meat of your case study and will focus on customer results. Like any good story, it will have a beginning, a middle and an end. Classic western storytelling uses a pretty standard formula that includes a problem, the approach taken to solve it, the solution and the end results. The body of Xtensio’s case study template is divided into four key areas that align to these story elements: the Challenge, the Approach, the Solution and the Results. Here, make sure you explain using your product for a certain use case and describe how your service helped the client.
The Footer
To close your case study, end with a short paragraph about who your company is, as well as your contact information. This is handy if your business case study becomes separated from your company’s website information somehow.
If you plan on sharing the case study online, make sure to add the links to your website and social media handles, using our social media module. If you are planning to print, then don’t forget to spell out the name of your website and/or add a contact phone number and email address.
Invite feedback and participation by your colleagues and the client by inviting them to collaborate on the case study template in real-time. Once you are satisfied with your case study, you can add it to your website, share it on your social channels, use it in presentations, or send out emails to potential clients. You can also download a pdf version that can be printed and shared.
Design, manage and share beautiful living documents… easily, together. Explore Xtensio
- Click and edit anything… together.
- Customize to match your branding.
- Share with a link, present, embed or download.
Related to the Case Study Template
Fully customizable templates that you can make your own.
Case Study Formats That Convert
Not every case study should follow the same structure. The format you choose depends on your audience, the complexity of the project, and what you want the reader to do after reading it. Here are four proven formats and when each one works best.
Problem-solution-result (the classic)
This is the most widely used format because it mirrors how buyers think. Start with the customer’s challenge in specific terms (not “they needed a better solution”), walk through what you did and why, then close with measurable results. This format works for B2B audiences who need to justify a purchase to a committee. The key is specificity: “reduced onboarding time from 3 weeks to 4 days” persuades far more than “significantly improved efficiency.”
Before-and-after
The before-and-after format is visual and immediate. Show the customer’s situation before your product or service and after, side by side. This works especially well for design services, marketing campaigns, or any engagement where the transformation is visible. Include screenshots, metrics dashboards, or photos that make the contrast undeniable. This format is effective on landing pages and in sales decks because it communicates value in seconds.
Customer interview
Let the customer tell the story in their own words. A Q&A format feels authentic because the reader hears directly from a peer, not from your marketing team. Prepare five to seven questions that guide the narrative: what was the problem, what did they try before, why did they choose you, what was the implementation experience like, and what results did they see. Edit for clarity but preserve the customer’s voice. This format builds trust because it reads as testimony, not advertising.
Data-driven deep dive
For technical audiences and enterprise buyers, a data-heavy case study with charts, benchmarks, and methodology details carries more weight than narrative storytelling. Include the baseline metrics, what you measured, the timeframe, and the statistical significance of the results. Name the tools used and the team size involved. This format takes more effort to produce but serves as a reference document that technical buyers share with their evaluation committees.
The best approach is often a combination. Lead with a brief narrative for quick readers, then include detailed data for evaluators. Build your case studies in Xtensio and share them as live links so you can update results over time rather than publishing a static snapshot that becomes outdated.
5 Case Study Mistakes That Undermine Credibility
A weak case study can actually hurt your sales process by signaling that you do not have strong results to share. Avoid these five common mistakes.
No specific metrics. “The client saw significant improvement” tells the reader nothing. If you cannot share exact numbers due to confidentiality, use percentages or ranges: “reduced support tickets by 40%” or “increased conversion rates between 2x and 3x.” Without quantifiable outcomes, your case study reads like a testimonial, not evidence.
Generic testimonials. “Great to work with!” or “Would recommend” are filler, not proof. Push your customers for specific quotes about what changed: “We went from spending 8 hours per week on reporting to 45 minutes” is a quote that prospects remember and repeat to their buying committees.
Too company-focused. The case study is the customer’s story, not yours. If every paragraph starts with your company name, you have written a capability statement disguised as a case study. Center the narrative on the customer’s challenge, decision process, and outcomes. Your role in the story should be clear but not dominant.
No clear takeaway. Every case study should leave the reader with a specific conclusion: this type of company can expect this type of result in this timeframe. Without a clear takeaway, the reader finishes and thinks “interesting” instead of “I should talk to them.” End with a summary that makes the relevance to the reader’s situation obvious.
Burying the results. Do not make the reader scroll through three pages of background to find the payoff. Put the headline result in the first paragraph or in a callout box at the top. Busy decision-makers skim. If they see strong results immediately, they are more likely to read the full story. If the results are hidden at the bottom, many readers never get there.
Keep your case studies organized by industry, use case, and outcome in an Xtensio workspace. When a sales conversation requires a relevant example, your team can find and share the right case study in seconds. Track who opens it and how long they spend reading with engagement analytics so your sales team knows which prospects are seriously evaluating.
Teams use Xtensio to create, share, and improve professional deliverables.
Trusted by 394,458 teams, founders, and consultants.
Jerome Katz
Professor of Entrepreneurship @
Jake Peters
CEO @
Robin Bramman
Founder and Chief Brand Mixologist @
Olakunle Oladehin
Executive Director @
Aaron Friedland
Executive Director @
The Walking School Bus
Robin Eyre
Owner @
Adam Sher
CEO @
Stephen Paterson
Chief Product Officer @
What to create after your case study
A case study proves you delivered. These deliverables help you win the next engagement:
- Capability Statement — Lead your next pitch with the strengths your case study just validated. One page, client-ready.
- Consulting Proposal — Reference the case study as proof when proposing a similar engagement to a new client.
- Fact Sheet — Distill your best case study results into a shareable company overview for media and prospects.
Keep all three in the same Xtensio workspace. Share as live links — update the numbers as new results come in, no re-sending required.
Create and deliver beautiful work, professionally.
Build, brand, and deliver living documents your clients actually engage with.
How to Write a Case Study
A great case study tells a story with a clear before, during, and after. The reader — a potential client evaluating your services — needs to see themselves in the client you’re describing. Here’s the structure that works:
1. Set the Scene with the Challenge
Describe the client’s situation before they worked with you. What problem were they facing? What was the cost of not solving it — in time, money, or missed opportunity? Be specific: “The team was spending 12 hours per week manually compiling reports” is better than “they had an inefficiency problem.”
2. Explain Your Approach
Walk through what you did, step by step. Don’t oversimplify into “we solved it” — the process is what builds credibility. Prospects want to understand your methodology, not just your outcome. This section also demonstrates expertise.
3. Show the Results with Numbers
Quantify everything you can. Revenue generated, time saved, churn reduced, deals closed, engagement increased — whatever metrics matter most in your space. If you can’t share exact figures, use percentages or relative comparisons (“reduced by more than half”).
4. End with a Quote
A direct quote from the client adds authenticity no amount of polish can replace. Ask for something specific about the measurable impact or the experience working with you — not just “they were great to work with.”
5. Close with a Clear CTA
End with one action: schedule a call, request a proposal, or see more examples. Don’t make the reader figure out what to do next.
Case Study Examples by Industry
Case studies look different depending on your industry and audience. Here are the most common formats:
Agency Case Study
For marketing, design, or creative agencies: lead with the business goal, show the creative or strategic approach, and close with campaign metrics (CTR, conversions, reach). Include visual before/afters if you have them. Xtensio’s template includes placeholder sections for all of this — swap in your actual content and share the live link with new business prospects.
Consulting Case Study
For consultants and advisory firms: structure around the diagnosis (what you found), the recommendation, the implementation, and the measured outcome. Consulting case studies work best when they demonstrate a repeatable methodology — not just “we fixed their problem” but “here’s how we approach problems like this.”
SaaS / Product Case Study
For software companies: lead with the pain point the customer had before your product, show how they use your product specifically, and quantify the improvement. Include a customer quote and, if possible, reference the specific features they use most. This format works well paired with your marketing plan as part of a broader content strategy.
Case Study Best Practices
- Get sign-off before publishing. Always confirm with your client what can be shared publicly, what requires anonymization, and whether they want review rights over the final version.
- Write for the next client, not the past one. Your reader is evaluating whether to hire you. Every word should build confidence in your ability to solve their problem.
- Keep it scannable. Use headers, bullet points, and callout stats. Decision-makers read case studies between meetings — design for skimming.
- Update it when you have new data. Xtensio’s live link format means you can update results as they improve without re-sending the document. A case study from 18 months ago with a note “updated results: 3x improvement” is more credible than a stale one.
Share Your Case Study as a Live Link
Instead of attaching a PDF that goes out of date, Xtensio lets you share your case study as a live link. Prospects see the latest version every time they open it. You can track who opens it, how many times, and use that signal to time your follow-up. When results improve, update the document once and every existing link reflects the change.
For related business documents, see the consulting proposal template, the capability statement template, and the marketing plan template.
Join 394,458 professionals delivering work with Xtensio.
