From first glance, your best projects are doing more than “looking pretty”—they’re solving problems for real clients and quietly selling your next job before you ever shake a new hand. A case study–style project page is one of the easiest ways to put that proof to work on your website over and over again.
Why case studies sell landscape projects
Homeowners and commercial clients want more than pretty photos. They want to see themselves in your past projects and feel confident that you can solve their specific problem. A clear, story-style case study does that better than any generic “services” page.
Case studies work so well because they:
- Show real problems and real results instead of vague promises
- Let prospects “try you on for size” before calling
- Provide proof that your team delivers on time, on budget, and at the quality you claim
The good news is you don’t need a fancy design or a marketing team to create them. You just need a simple, repeatable template you can use for every standout landscape job.
The case study style template at a glance
Here’s the basic structure you can reuse for any landscape or outdoor living project:
- Project snapshot
- Client and property background
- Problem or opportunity
- Your plan and approach
- Before-and-after highlights
- Results and impact
- Client quote
- Call to action
You can build each of these sections into a blog post, a portfolio page, or even a PDF that your sales team emails to prospects. Use the same headings every time so you can build a library of case studies that feel consistent and professional.
1. Project snapshot
This is your quick overview—the “at a glance” section that helps scanners decide whether to keep reading.
Include:
- Location (city or neighborhood, not full address)
- Property type (residential backyard, HOA entrance, commercial office park)
- Core services (design, installation, lighting, irrigation, maintenance)
- Project size or scope (e.g., “full backyard renovation,” “front entry refresh”)
Example:
“Full backyard renovation for a busy family in North Dallas, including drainage correction, new patio, low-maintenance plantings, and landscape lighting.”
Keep this to 2–4 lines. Your goal is clarity, not poetry.
2. Client and property background
Next, introduce the people and place. This gives context and helps prospects recognize themselves in the story.
Answer questions like:
- Who is the client (young family, retired couple, property manager)?
- How do they use the space now?
- What was the yard or property like before you started?
You don’t need personal details—just enough to paint a picture: “The clients entertain often but had a sloped, muddy yard with no comfortable seating area.”
3. Problem or opportunity
This section is where you spell out what wasn’t working and why it mattered.
For landscape projects, common problems include:
- Drainage issues and standing water
- Overgrown or outdated beds
- Unsafe, uneven hardscaping
- Lack of privacy or shade
- No clear outdoor “rooms” for dining or relaxing
Explain the stakes in simple language: “Heavy rains left standing water near the back door, making the space unusable and raising concerns about the home’s foundation.”
The more clearly you articulate the problem, the easier it is for a future client with the same issue to think, “That’s exactly what we’re dealing with.”
4. Your plan and approach
Now you move from problem to solution—and show your expertise. This is where you can quietly educate while you impress.
Outline:
- How you diagnosed the situation (site visit, soil assessment, grading review)
- Key decisions you made and why (materials, plant choices, layout)
- Any constraints (budget, HOA rules, existing structures you had to work around)
Keep the language client-friendly. Instead of “We regraded the site to adjust the negative slope,” try, “We reshaped the yard so water would flow away from the house and into a discreet drainage system.”
You can use short bullets under this section if the scope was large:
- Corrected drainage with a French drain and swales
- Added a larger, level patio for dining and lounging
- Selected drought-tolerant plants suited to full sun
5. Before-and-after highlights
Pictures are powerful, but words should pull their weight, too. Think of this section as the “tour” you’d give if the prospect were standing beside you on site.
Describe:
- What the client saw “before” (mud, bare spots, failing plants, broken hardscape)
- What they see “after” (defined beds, healthy plants, inviting seating, improved flow)
- Any small details that make the space feel finished (lighting, edging, containers)
Pair each short paragraph with photos on your website:
- “Before: Narrow, cracked concrete pad with no shade or seating.”
- “After: Expanded paver patio with shade structure, seating for six, and warm lighting for evening use.”
This is where prospects start mentally walking through their own future yard.
6. Results and impact
Don’t stop at “it looks great.” Spell out the real-world benefits—ideally with a few numbers.
Examples of landscape project “results”:
- Usability: “The family now hosts weekly dinners outdoors instead of avoiding the backyard.”
- Maintenance: “The new plant palette reduced weekly upkeep for the homeowner.”
- Safety: “Level surfaces and better lighting reduced trip hazards for older relatives.”
- Business impact (for commercial): “Improved curb appeal helped attract new tenants or customers.”
If you can, quantify: “The new design added two distinct outdoor rooms and increased usable patio space by approximately 40%.” Even simple estimates help people understand the change.
7. Client quote
A short, authentic testimonial instantly adds credibility and warmth.l
Prompts you can use when you ask clients for feedback:
- “What was your yard like before this project?”
- “What do you enjoy most about your space now?”
- “Would you recommend us to a neighbor or colleague? Why?”
On the page, you only need one or two sentences:
“Now we spend more time in our backyard than in our living room. The team listened to what we wanted and made it even better than we imagined.”
Even if clients aren’t comfortable being named, you can attribute by neighborhood or property type (e.g., “Homeowner, North Dallas”).
8. Call to action (CTA)
Every case study should end by gently inviting the reader to take the next step.
For landscape companies, simple CTAs work well:
- “Ready to solve similar drainage issues in your yard? Schedule a consultation.”
- “Thinking about a backyard renovation? Contact us to talk about your project.”
On your website, link that CTA text to your contact form, request-a-quote page, or scheduling tool. The goal is to make it easy for a prospect who just thought, “That’s exactly what we need,” to act on it while the project is fresh in their mind.
How to turn this template into a repeatable system
One strong case study is helpful. A small library of 5–10 is a serious sales asset.
To make this easy on yourself:
- Standardize your headings: use the same eight sections for every project
- Add “case study intake” questions to your close-out process
- Capture before-and-after photos on every job, even small ones
- Prioritize variety: include different neighborhoods, budgets, and styles
Over time, you’ll build a portfolio that quietly answers objections (“Have you done a project like ours?”) before a prospect even picks up the phone.
You can also repurpose each case study into email newsletters, social posts, and printed handouts for on-site estimates—without reinventing the wheel every time.
Quick fill-in template you can copy
Here’s a simple plug-and-play version you can adapt for your own landscape business:
- Project snapshot:
- Location:
- Property type:
- Services:
- Project scope:
- Client and property background:
- Who they are:
- How they used the space before:
- Problem or opportunity:
- Main issues:
- Why it mattered:
- Our plan and approach:
- Key decisions:
- Materials and plants:
- Constraints:
- Before and after:
- Before:
- After:
- Results and impact:
- Usability:
- Maintenance:
- Safety/curb appeal/business impact:
- What the client said:
- Short quote:
- Call to action:
- “Ready for a similar transformation? [Your next step here].”
Use this same structure on every “best of the best” project, and your portfolio will start working as hard as your crews do in the field.
Show prospects what you can really do—turn your next standout project into a case study that quietly sells for you 24/7. If you’d like help writing client-winning project stories for your landscape website, book a free discovery call and let’s build a portfolio that does the selling for you.
