'Best' layout for customers?
 

Does anyone have any stats/recommendation etc about the best layout for the customer?

What I mean is, where should the search, categories, login, cart etc blocks appear.

I have the search at the top left, and account (if logged in) then cart top right as *I* think they are the most important as customers are browsing, then on the left it's categories, bestsellers, special and help, and on the right, login, manufacturers.

I'm considering adding a reward points dialog (http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=39976) to make it more obvious, but I'm not sure where to place it.

I moved my manufcaturers to the right as it's quite long, and combined with the categories menu made the page very long.

Is there a better organisation I should use?

I'm also a bit limited in the template is designed to match the rest of the site, so there is no speedbar etc,

Re: 'Best' layout for customers?
 

We generally put the logo on the left and the customer login on the right hand part of the header (with a password recovery link just below).

In a bar just below the header "Speed Bar" is displayed the left and "Search" is on the right.

We use a 2 column format with the menus on the left, dialogs on the right.


Our Menu list...
(there is a "invisible" box here that is only displayed if something is in the cart)
Categories (with vertical flyout subcategories)
(there is a "invisible" box here that displays "profile controls" if logged in)
Manufacturers (a box listing 10 manufacturers at a time that will scroll to display 100+)
Bestsellers (modified to display 2 thumbnails with price only)
Gift Ideas (geft certificates and "new products" mod)
News (simply a link - newsletter subscription is on the linked page with the latest news)
Help (all of the general stuff, plus some static pages)

In addition, just above the "bottom rectangle" we have links to "password recovery", "contact' us", "terms and conditions", etc. with the address and phone number in the rectangle bottom area (This is done purposely because we would rather have customers order online rather than call - Alternatively, it could be in the header area).