Web Standards
"IT professionals have a responsibility to understand the use of standards and the importance of making Web applications that work with any kind of device."Tim Berners-Lee (creator of the world wide web)
What are Web Standards?
Web standards are technologies, established by the W3C and other bodies, which are used to create and interpret web-based content. They are designed to future-proof documents published on the Web and to make them accessible to as many people and devices as possible.
What is the separation of content and presentation? Why is it important?
HTML tells a user agent (browser) where and how to denote the different parts of the document (headline, paragraph, block quote, etc.) - the structure of its content. CSS tells the user agent what the document should look like (fonts and what colours, etc) - its presentation. This separation of duties between HTML and CSS is often called "the separation of content and presentation". Such separation means the same content can be sent to different devices (for example, printers, mobile phones, televisions etc).
Unfortunately the vast majority of websites are coded so that content and format are all mixed together. Each sentence in the HTML document would have information about how it should be displayed. If the company colours changed, then someone had to go through the company's whole site, line by line, changing each place where the HTML said which colours should be used. This is not a very efficient way to code Web pages.
When presentation information is separated from the content of the Web page it is possible to change the font (or even the layout) of all of the pages of the whole Web site by changing one CSS document. This ability to easily change the look of a Web site is what makes the separation of content and presentation so powerful.
How do I know if my site (or that of a prospective developer) is standards-compliant?
You can determine if a website is standard-compliant by checking with the free validator
How can I reap the benefits of standards?
Reaping the benefits of standards is as simple as demanding that your website designer delivers a standards-compliant product. Discuss standards-compliance with them and ask what technologies they use.
- Existing Web sites can be incrementally updated by adopting standards on the most popular few pages and, on a regular schedule, slowly working through the whole site
- New Web sites can plan to adopt Web standards. By planning early and adopting the most recent standards, you can reap the most benefits.
- Web sites already in development can adopt Web standards - it may cost a little extra in the short term, but in the long-term standards will save you money.
If your Web development company can't deliver a standards-compliant, accessible website suited to your company's then go elsewhere or talk to us.
For more information, refer to the W3C guide to buying standards-compliant Web sites.
What's in it for me?
In a nutshell these are the benefits of a standards compliant website:
- faster loading pages
- lower hosting costs
- redesign and maintenance is much easier and less expensive
- maintains visual consistency throughout the site
- better search engine results
- greater accessibility to all viewers and browsing devices
ALL of our sites are written in validated XHTML and CSS to the latest published standards.
We Do & Don't
- We NEVER use tables to control page layout.
- We ALWAYS provide alternative text for (non-decorative) images.
- We NEVER use javascript for basic functionality, only to enhance the user experience.
- We ALWAYS use structured semantic mark-up.
- We NEVER use frames, animated GIFs, ASCII art, spacers, or server-side imagemaps.
Recommended Reading
Whether your a web designer wanting to reap the benefits of web standards or you just know the right questions to ask your web developer this is the best book on the market.
