Chapter 3
Build a store hierarchy that helps people choose
Finish this chapter with a store hierarchy map you can use immediately to build a store hierarchy that helps people choose, while avoiding changing several variables without learning why conversion moved.
What you’ll get
- A completed store hierarchy map, not a list of abstract ideas.
- One explicit decision rule for build a store hierarchy that helps people choose.
- A 45-minute execution sequence you can repeat yourself or hand to a teammate.
- A quality gate that tells you whether to move forward, run one small test, or revise the input.
Use this chapter as a working session
Open the document, spreadsheet, or Tapmy workspace where this decision will live. Replace sample language with the exact offer, buyer, channel, price, and evidence you have today. If a fact is missing, label it as an assumption and assign the smallest test that can resolve it.
| Time | Work | Concrete output |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 min | Collect buyer words, traffic data, sales conversations, support questions, and current page copy. | A short evidence list with source and date. |
| 10–20 min | Make the single decision this chapter is designed to resolve. | A one-sentence decision and reason. |
| 20–35 min | Build the store hierarchy map with real names, numbers, links, and owners. | A usable operating asset. |
| 35–45 min | Review it from the buyer’s point of view and run the quality gate. | A keep, test, or revise decision. |
Work through the chapter
Too many equal choices create work for the buyer. Organize the store around the most likely next decision.
| Store element | Conversion job | Keep it when… | Change it when… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary offer | Gives the clearest next step | It matches the traffic promise | Visitors open unrelated links instead |
| Free resource | Captures interest not ready to buy | It leads naturally to a paid offer | It attracts an audience with no product fit |
| Secondary offer | Serves a distinct need or price point | The difference is obvious | It competes with the primary offer |
| Social proof | Reduces uncertainty | It is specific and attributable | It is vague, outdated, or irrelevant |
| About section | Builds credibility | Experience supports the offer | Biography overwhelms the value proposition |
| External links | Supports the journey | The link has a defined role | It sends buyers away before a decision |
Use progressive choice
Feature the primary offer first, then related offers, then background or social links. If you have a broad catalog, create clear groups around outcomes rather than file formats.
Remove dead ends
Every high-intent section needs a next action. After a preview, show the purchase CTA. After a free resource, point to the natural paid next step. After a testimonial, return the reader to the offer.
Decision gates
| Evidence state | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| The input is specific, current, and tied to a real buyer action | The store hierarchy map is ready to use. | Put it into the Tapmy journey and measure the next observable behavior. |
| One important input is assumed | The direction is testable, not yet proven. | Run the smallest test that can confirm or reject that assumption. |
| The asset serves several audiences, offers, or goals | The scope is too broad. | Narrow to one buyer, one job, one offer, and one reporting window. |
| The result depends on a claim you cannot show or deliver | Trust and delivery risk are higher than the upside. | Rewrite the promise around a supportable outcome. |
Quality standard
- The store hierarchy map names one buyer and one job.
- Every number has a timeframe, currency, or denominator where needed.
- Every link and handoff has an owner.
- The next action is visible without rereading the chapter.
- The decision can be measured through customer behavior.
- No claim is stronger than the evidence.
