What are Web Standards?
Web standards are technologies, established by the W3C and other standards bodies, that are used to create and interpret Web-based content. These technologies are designed to future-proof documents published on the Web and to make those documents accessible to as many as possible.
Certain Web developers and Web designers have a resistance towards using W3C Web standards. Common arguments are: it's too difficult, it works anyway and the tools I use create invalid code.
It’s easy to react emotionally and build up a resistance towards learning something new and abandoning techniques you know and feel comfortable with. However, if you look at the situation logically you will see that there are many benefits to learning and using Web standards. Here are some examples:
Improved Accessibility
Firstly, accessibility to a wide audience is guaranteed. By carefully structuring and coding your Web site, we can ensure that people with visual disabilities can access the content on your site just as able-bodied people can. In practice, this means the code we use to write the pages of your Web site can be understood by screen-readers and modern Web browsers alike, with no loss of context or message.
Compatibility With Future Web Browsers
When you use defined standards and valid code you future-proof your documents by reducing the risk of future Web browsers not being able to understand the code you have used.
Faster Download and Rendering of Web Pages
Less HTML results in smaller file sizes and quicker downloads. Modern Web browsers render pages faster when they are in their standards mode than when they are in their backwards compatible mode.
Better Accessibility
Semantic HTML, where structure is separated from presentation, makes it easier for screen readers and alternative browsing devices to interpret the content.
Better Search Engine Rankings
The separation of content and presentation makes the content represent a larger part of the total file size. Combined with semantic markup this makes it easier for search engines like Google and Yahoo to index your page, and provide more accurate search results determined by the actual content on the page. Google and Yahoo both reward Web sites that are built using structural and semantic markup.
Simpler Adaptation
A semantically marked up document can be easily adapted to print and alternative browsing devices, like handheld computers and cellular phones, just by linking to a different CSS file. You can also make site-wide changes to presentation by editing a single file. Web standards can save time and money for Web site creators, and provide a better experience to the Web site's visitors. Besides, Web standards are the future. If you're not using Web standards already, now is the time to start, or you will risk being left behind.