There are more than 3 billion mobile phone users in the world, around 50% of the global population. This is forecast to grow to 70% by the end of 2010.

What’s that got to do with websites? The latest phones are mini computers that connect to the internet, so you can visit websites from anywhere. People use the internet to search for everything these days, and local search is the next trend, partly due to the mobility of the searchers.

Online applications such as maps and satellite navigation will retrieve data from your website and include it in search results. So if you’re in a new town a search on your phone for nearby restaurants, you not only get a list of restaurants, but locations, opening times and website links.

Trends such as this make it an imperative for most businesses to have a search engine friendly website.

People have learned where to look for certain things through their previous experiences of using websites. Over time, conventions have developed as to where people expect elements to appear on a website.

Most businesses should avoid breaking these conventions, or risk confusing the users of their website.

Some standard conventions include:

• Logo top left, linked to the home page
• Search form top right (if required at all)
• Primary navigation that stands out. It can be horizontal or vertical:
  • If horizontal, located near the top of the page
  • If vertical, usually on the left, but the right is also ok
• The home link is always located top left of the primary navigation

Radical, cutting edge designs that challenge users expectations have their place, but not on your business website.