Logo

The logo is the part of a company's overall branding and identity, and appears at the top of each page on the site along with the company name and tagline, just as it would on printed forms of marketing, such as business cards, brochures, and letterheads. This identity block increases brand recognition and ensures users know that the pages they're viewing are part of a single site. Frequently, the logo is also a link back to the home page of the site.

Navigation bar

The navigation for your site should be easy to use and easy to find. Just like the logo, it should appear near the top of the page. You may decide to use a horizontal menu across the top of the page, a vertical menu in a sidebar, or a combination of the two. Either way, your main navigation should be visible "above the fold", that is, any area of a web page that can be viewed without visitors having to scroll.

Content

Content is the King. This is what your visitors have come for. If the visitors can't find what they're looking for, they will move on very quickly. The main content is an important focal point in your design; don't waste time filling it with unnecessary "stuff".

Footer

Sitting at the bottom of the page, the footer usually holds copyright information, contact links information, and legalities of the site. Some designers have become very imaginative with footers and use this area to hold additional links, tweets, and "about me" information.

The footer clearly separates the main content from the end of the page and indicates to users that they're at the bottom of the page.

In the following screenshot, you can see a page from the Apple website, which is highly regarded for its aesthetic design. Each section is clearly delineated.

If you keep in mind the idea of your site's layout as a map, then you can determine where you want to lead your visitors on the site.