ATILUS - Web Design | Internet Marketing

The Importance of Standards-Based Web Design

What Are Standards?

The “standards” are a set of guidelines set aside by the W3C (world wide web consortium) that detail how certain technologies are to be implemented. They dictate the format and use of code to ensure compatibility across multiple platforms, software, devices (TV, PC, Cellphone, Windows, Mac). Web browsers used to abide by their own set of individual web rules (and some still do). You had to write different code in different ways across different browsers to achieve the same affect across multiple browsers/platforms. Rather than just writing one set of code, this multiple-code multiple-platform format was very frustrating as designers and web developers had to essentially create sseparate websites for every instance.

Why You Should Care?

Standards Website Save You Money

Current modern standards help save you money. When a web design company says they develop websites to standards using XHTML & CSS it means the site can (usually) be created quicker - and will absolutely lead to easier site wide updates (design or content). The separation of the different layers of a website means that every component can be accessed quickly leading to very fast updates.

Standards-Based Websites Make You Money

More often than not the goals you’ve set for your website is to have your visitors DO something. Do you want your visitors to sign up for a newsletter, purchase a product, or contact you regarding your service? Sure, but before they can do something, they must first find your site. How do people find your website? With Search Engines! A standards-based website will give you a HUGE advantage over your competition. Proponents of standards-based XHTML & CSS websites often neglect this big fact.

With proper coding your web design company takes out any road blocks in the search engine process, meaning your site can do well in the search engines. When you do well in the search engines it means people can find your website, contact you for your services or purchase your products. Unoptimized, non-standards websites often have images, and old code that impede the search engines’ ability to get to your content.