How to Storyboard a Website

It can not be stressed enough how important structure is to a website. Not only does it make visual appeal look better but it also makes a website easier to use, and it helps search engines find said website.  When storyboarding a website it is important to always have structure in mind.

Where to Begin When Storyboarding a Website?

The first thing you need to do when storyboarding a website is to collect all of your possessed data, and break it down into appropriate topics. This is the first essential step to organizing your data in a manner that will make it easier to understand.

What to do When Data is Sorted?

After the Data has been organized into topics, these topics must be given their titles, heading, and any appropriately needed subtitles and subheadings. Once the content has been given these essential attributes they must be taken, arranged, and presented in an orderly fashion that users and search engines will be able to easily understand.

What to Do When Finished?

Simply put, upon completion of the previous steps the only thing left to do is to test the creation so far, and go back and fix any errors that have occurred in the process of the design. Get a variety of opinions to see where people may be confused on where to click next, or other experiential observations.

Values Attitudes and Lifestyles – VALs

To anyone who does not know, VALs stands for values and lifestyles. VALs is a psychological study that looks into the archetypal mindset of a business and their consumer based on the current state of a business. These archetypes and their structure change depending on what country someone lives in. The Archetypes in America are as shown in the picture below.

Among this List  there are differences in every archetype based on where they stand, for example survivors are less wealthy and more frugal while innovators are more wealthy and less frugal. These personalities are important to understand because they help us figure out who is more likely to purchase something. These archetypes of people can be described as follows…

Survivors

Survivors are the least well off, and because of that fact they tend to be frugal with their money and prefer to purchase cheaper items. They are also scared of change and tend to stick to the things that they have come to know as safe. Overall they struggle from a lack of drive.

Believers

Believers are not the most well off but their confidence is a very clear aspect of their personality. Believers are oftenly religious and focus on the idealism of their dreams. They do not look to change the world but try to advocate the good in it as well as try to socially fit in. Overall they focus more on their ideal dream than their current situation.

Stivers

Strivers are not well off but they tend to keep themselves as motivated as possible, but often can not understand what they want. They often face unemployment but are still fun and loving individuals that dress in ways that try to portray wealth. Overall they struggle but try to act like they are okay.

Makers

Makers are people who are not well off but take joy in the idea of personal freedom. They are often somewhat anarchist by nature and want to live life among nature away from the government, and often believe in basic gender roles. Overall they are simple people.

Thinkers

Thinkers are well off individuals that do not like to take risks. They often reflect a lot before making a decision, and will look to the mistakes of the past to know which ideas are not good ones based on trial and error. Overall they prefer whatever is practical and proven.

Achievers

Achievers are well off individuals who choose to stay motivated and work hard. Achievers tend to be professional in attitude and appearance but they tend to put themselves and their family members before everyone else. Overall they are practical, successful, hard working, and goal oriented individuals.

Experiencers

Experiencers are well off self-expressive thrill seekers. Experiencers are always caught up on trends, and tend to be very social and spontaneous individuals. Overall they tend to live in the moment and often buy things even if they don’t need it.

Innovators

Innovators are the people at the top who possess all of the positive traits of the Thinkers, Achievers, and Experiencers. They are always paying attention, Trying new ideas, working hard, have a goal and idea in mind, trust scientific credibility, hold skepticism over advertising, and have international based knowledge. Overall they are successful and competent individuals.

The Silo Technique

This consists of categories under the main topic of your website. Each category is called a Silo. Under those categories, you can then break them down into other subcategories on either blog posts, products, videos, etc. This technique is useful to your site because you can put parts of your business into categories, this then lets search engines like Google or Bing read this in your site and raise the rankings. Also, your customers now have an easy way to find what they want on your site quickly, leading to more customers and possible leads.

The basic model of this method is like this:

Website: Angie’s Handmade Jewelry

● Earrings

● Bracelets

● Necklaces

● Formal wear

Then the categories can be broken down further: Earrings-Seed bead, beaded hoops, artisan-style, etc.

Formal wear-Wedding, prom, gala, etc.

Then if there’s a blog post about seed bead or formal wear earrings, a link to the seed bead earrings category can be placed in the article. Now you have read about the type of earrings you were searching for, and are able to access the area on the website where you can purchase them, or see more information about them.

Search engines favor sites that have relevant content linking together, the Silo method does this and is what makes it a successful implementation on a website. It organizes your site and shows the web crawler that the content you have is important because you took the time to put it into these categories, and link all the information and content relevant to what the user originally searched. Blog posts that have a link inside them telling you more about the topic you searched, or other associated things like products that you are looking for, or go with the topic. This all keeps your website clear and concise, and this registers high with the search engines increasing your rankings, and then traffic.

You can write a certain number of articles, or put new products under your silos, and keep adding to them. This all keeps adding keywords that appear on search engines, and the more unique content, the more it will appear to those searchers looking for this unique content, all linked from your organized silos. This will help you gain the rankings you need to be seen by your potential customers, and help them to be able to find what they are looking for as soon as they land on your website. New sales and customers can now be in your reach.

The basic model of The Silo Technique was used on myautoshop.co.nz by placing all his auto repair categories into silos, then breaking them down into smaller categories, like car make, year, etc. This was all organized, relevant, and appeared in search engines well, easily found by the potential customer looking for car repairs. The customer could then find the type of car repair they were looking for fast and easily because all of the silos were there in front of them, allowing them to keep clicking the links till they got to the page they needed to be on to find the correct repair shop to fix their car. No tools were used, only the implementation of The Silo Technique, and how it corresponded to his business.

Consumers of 02563 based on PRIZM Data

The consumers of the zip code 02563 consist of the following types of people…

• 05 Country Squires
• 09 Big Fish, Small Pond
• 32 Traditional Times
• 24 Pickup Patriarchs
• 62 Crossroad Villagers

Country Squires

Country Squires tend to be wealthy middle aged individuals living among their family members, and have earned a higher degree and make six figures a year. They are known to own a Subaru, shop for men’s business attire, attend minor league baseball games, buy sporting events tickets online, listen to mainstream rock, eat at Panera, and fly with Delta Airlines.

Big Fish, Small Pond

Big Fish, Small Pond people are usually older individuals that do not have kids living with them, usually just their significant other. They have succeeded in life and have a higher degree, have been making six figures throughout their lives, and have likely retired. They tend to own a Lexus, shop at pier one imports, like men’s tennis, go on the website Angie’s list, Eat at carrabbas, listen to CBS Conservative, and travel to Alaska.

Traditional Times

People who fall into the category of Traditional Times are usually standard older individuals who have just retired, made five figures, and no longer have children living with them, usually just their significant other. These people tend to own a Cadillac, shop at Chico’s, follow PGA/LPGA, watch golf, eat at Bonefish Grill, listen to ABC Conservative, and travel to Alaska.

Pickup Patriarchs

Pickup Patriarchs are individuals in their mid forties to mid sixties who live in small towns that may or may not be with their kids, and usually make five figures a year. They usually own a GMC, shop at Hobby Lobby, go to minor league baseball games, view consumer reviews on internet/apps, eat at Cracker Barrel, listen to Sports Radio, and Travel to Chicago.

Crossroad Villagers

Crossroad Villagers are less wealthy senior citizens who don’t have any form of higher degree and only make a low amount of five figures every year. They tend to own a Buick, shop at Stein Mart, follow figure skating, Use Study.com, eat at Cracker Barrel, Listen to Adult Standards, and cruise on Royal Caribbean.