Standards
Standards-design is a new dimension that has been recently added to web development. Standards provide a needed plateau for coding and developing. They allow developers to code on a similar level, they allow developers to do things easier with less work and code. Standards-compliance is based on the separation of style and structure; using XHTML or HTML 4.01 for structure and CSS for style.
Full Accessibility
Every internet device, even wireless, can access all the content on your site. And this includes the extremely older 4.0 browsers ( style, no; content, yes ). Standards websites will invite more browsers and users to view them. Widest accessibility is always key in web design.
"If you care to reach the largest audience for the longest time possible, you want to work with web standards, and where document structure is concerned, XHTML is the way to go." - Jeffrey Zeldman
Price
Standards-compliant sites are cheaper to maintain and develop. They are more affordable than older table-based designs because they are simpler to create and maintain. The markup is simple. Changes can come at a fraction of the time.
Speed
Since the markup of standards-compliant sites are simpler and therefore smaller; page sizes are a lot lighter, sometimes up to 50% smaller. This means faster download times for all users, increasing interest and ease-of-use. Site changes also come quickly, since the style of a site resides in a single file, changes to that file will initiate change throughout all pages on the site. Coding to standards also shortens both development and maintenance time.
Longevity
Standards-compliant websites are built once and used forever. Older table-based designs are particularly inflexible when it comes to updating them. Most newer browsers are approaching full standards-compliance. These are the browsers that the vast majority of people use. So it makes absolutely no strategic or financial sense to build a site that is obsolete the moment it is finished. It only makes sense to build a website that will last into the future.
You can update the content and never risk ruining your layout. Change the style sheet and never lose your content. Add more upcoming style features without sacrificing the base design.
"Standards-compliant websites will last longer, have more accessibility, be easier to maintain, and cheaper to develop." - Greg Kise
Also:
- Standards are better for search engines; structured content helps robots index you better.
- Standards pages work at all resolutions and any monitor size.
- Standards design is "backward" and "forward" compatible.
- Web standards offer a set of rules that every developer can follow, understand, and become familiar with.
Following standards is the only way to achieve a better, more stable Web; in which applications of tomorrow can become a reality today.