Custom product & infrastructure

Interactive Marketing Diagnostic (Next.js + CRM)

Buyers who don't know where to start don't book calls. Built a tool that meets them at the beginning and walks them to a specific problem.

Internal · Darling MarTech · Product-led lead generation · Interactive diagnostic tool

The Compass — Interactive Marketing Diagnostic (Next.js + CRM) — proof visual

8 min

Average time-on-tool per session

68%

Completion rate through full diagnostic

3.2×

Higher booking rate vs. cold outreach

Project snapshot

Before, build, and operating change

A lightweight view of the problem, the intervention, and what changed after the system shipped.

Before / Problem

  • Cold outreach and ads produced low-intent leads who needed extensive qualification before a diagnosis could happen
  • Homepage CTAs drove traffic to a booking page, bypassing buyers who were not yet ready to commit to a call

Build / Fix

  • Diagnostic framework design

    Eight-question diagnostic structured around the six core marketing failure modes: strategy gap, conversion failure, system disconnection, visibility deficit, brand misalignment, and attribution blindness. Each answer combination maps to a weighted result across problem clusters.

  • Scoring and result engine

    Weighted resolver built in TypeScript maps answer patterns to the highest-probability problem cluster. Result includes a problem label, a plain-language explanation, a recommended next step, and links to relevant proof, service, and contact paths.

After / Outcome

Buyers who complete the tool arrive at a first conversation with their problem already named. Average time-to-qualify dropped significantly. Diagnostic result data also feeds positioning research — knowing which problem clusters surface most frequently informs content and outreach strategy.

Why it mattered

Most B2B buyers research for weeks before contacting a vendor. A tool that delivers immediate, specific value at the start of that research creates a fundamentally different lead — one who has already defined their problem and experienced the quality of thinking before the first conversation.

What was broken

  • Cold outreach and ads produced low-intent leads who needed extensive qualification before a diagnosis could happen
  • Homepage CTAs drove traffic to a booking page, bypassing buyers who were not yet ready to commit to a call
  • Nothing useful sat between 'landed on the site' and 'book a call' for people who were not ready to talk yet

What was built

01

Diagnostic framework design

Eight-question diagnostic structured around the six core marketing failure modes: strategy gap, conversion failure, system disconnection, visibility deficit, brand misalignment, and attribution blindness. Each answer combination maps to a weighted result across problem clusters.

02

Scoring and result engine

Weighted resolver built in TypeScript maps answer patterns to the highest-probability problem cluster. Result includes a problem label, a plain-language explanation, a recommended next step, and links to relevant proof, service, and contact paths.

03

Progressive value delivery

Result is visible immediately without email gate. Deeper report — including a prioritized action list and recommended engagement format — gated by email for buyers who want to save or share the output. Lead captured at the point of demonstrated intent.

04

CRM integration and follow-up

Completed diagnostics post to CRM with result cluster tagged. Follow-up sequence varies by result: strategy gap leads receive a different sequence than attribution blindness leads. Booking link included in all sequences with result-specific framing.

Operating impact

Buyers who complete the tool arrive at a first conversation with their problem already named. Average time-to-qualify dropped significantly. Diagnostic result data also feeds positioning research — knowing which problem clusters surface most frequently informs content and outreach strategy.

SYSTEMS INVOLVED IN THE BUILD

The tools and system layers that made this project work — grouped by what they contributed.

Analytics / data

Measurement, reporting, and source visibility that made the system readable.

Infrastructure / platform

Runtime, storage, and delivery layers that kept the build stable and usable.

  • Next.js logoNext.js

Build / workflow

Design and production tools used to shape, ship, and maintain the build.

  • GitHub logoGitHub
  • Figma logoFigma
  • Slack logoSlack

CRM / automation

CRM, routing, and automation layers that moved records and follow-up forward.

  • HubSpot logoHubSpot

Visibility / SEO

Search, discovery, and local-intent surfaces that brought the right people in.

  • Google logoGoogle

Documented implementation layers

  • Next.js interactive quiz engine
  • Weighted TypeScript resolver
  • Supabase result storage
  • HubSpot CRM integration
  • Segmented email follow-up

Case study angles

What this project demonstrates

Each block names the capability first. Figures below are supporting context from the same engagement — not the headline.

  • Interactive Diagnostic Product

    Eight-question diagnostic mapped to the six failure modes so buyers could name a problem cluster before booking, improving qualification depth.

    Referenced outcomes (same engagement)

    Completion rate through full diagnostic
    68%Completion rate through full diagnostic
    Average time-on-tool per session
    8 minAverage time-on-tool per session
  • CRM-Tagged Result Routing

    Completed diagnostics posted to the CRM with cluster tags so follow-up sequences and booking prompts could branch by diagnosis outcome.

    Referenced outcomes (same engagement)

    Completion rate through full diagnostic
    68%Completion rate through full diagnostic
    Higher booking rate vs. cold outreach
    3.2×Higher booking rate vs. cold outreach
  • Outcome-Branching Lifecycle Automation

    Follow-up sequences branch by diagnostic cluster so each buyer receives a different nurture path after completing the tool.

    Referenced outcomes (same engagement)

    Completion rate through full diagnostic
    68%Completion rate through full diagnostic
    Higher booking rate vs. cold outreach
    3.2×Higher booking rate vs. cold outreach

Related build types

Similar project shapes and delivery patterns — useful when you are comparing system fit, not client names.

Still deciding how similar this is to your situation?

Low trust: run the Growth System Audit. High trust: book a short diagnostic call once the shape is clear.