Sites built to Web Standards

The term web standards can mean diverse things to different people. For some, it is ‘table-free sites‘, for others it is ‘using valid code‘. However, web standards are much broader than that. A site built to web standards should adhere to standards (HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, XSLT, DOM, MathML, SVG etc) andpursue best practices (valid code, accessible code, semantically correct code, user-friendly URLs etc).
In other words, a site built to web standards should ideally be lean, clean, CSS-based, accessible, usable and search engine friendly.
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/articles/checklist/

Why do web standards matter?

There are numerous advantages to using web standards. Here are some highlights:

• Save $$$ (ease of maintenance): It is quick and easy to change unformatted content in HTML files which indicates that site changes take less time and eventually less money.

• Up to 60% Less Code! : Many websites that are built around Web Standards use up to 60% less code.

• Improved Search Engine Rankings

• Changing the layout is easier: When the site is designed with web standards in mind, site-wide changes become a lot easier. If a different color is needed for the site, all that needs to be done is to change one line of code in CSS. If you want your website to look good on mobile devices all that needs to be done is use CSS and your website will look good on mobile devices . Designing with web standards will give many more options to select from and will allow for swift and effortless site-wide changes.

• Accessibility: Vision impaired surfers may be using special web browsers. Using web standards makes it much easier to make content useable under special circumstance and also to the search engines.