Radical, cutting edge designs: Not on your business 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.