Web standards ensure that websites are easily usable. But it seems difficult to create standards-compliant websites. You can hardly find any site on the web that complies with web standards.
If you test any site with the validator of the Web Consortium (W3C), the official body for web standards, the question is never whether there are errors, but only how many.
It is often heard that most errors have no noticeable consequences. And that it is not possible to create error-free websites in practice.
But both statements are biased and wrong.
Web Standards Are Important
The benefit and added value of standards-compliant websites are universally undisputed. And modern technology for creating websites should be able to create standards-compliant websites. It is not that difficult. Standards-compliant websites are important and should be a matter of course.
The benefits in detail:
Accessibility
Standards-compliant websites are helpful for people with disabilities. They often use specialized devices that rely on standards-compliant code. Faulty sites are either unusable or very difficult to use for them. An absolute no-go.
Findability
Search engines like standards-compliant websites. Even if you don't like them: They ensure that you are found on the web. Search engines can better index standards-compliant websites and reward this with a better ranking. Standards-compliant websites increase the reach of educational content and research data. Definitely.
Legal Certainty
In many countries, there are legal requirements regarding the accessibility of websites. Websites that do not comply with web standards can therefore have legal consequences. More and more people are insisting on their right to accessible web content, especially when it comes to knowledge or educational resources. With standards-compliant websites, you won't have any problems.
Sustainability
Standards-compliant websites can be efficiently processed by browsers. This reduces the CO2 emissions of a page view.
Of course, there are always errors. We also make them regularly. But if the validation of a website results in a three-digit error list, which is not uncommon, then there is a problem. And if the errors cannot be corrected with the tool that generated the website, which is usually the case, then the problem is massive.
We consistently validate all solutions for errors when creating a website. If you want to do the same, you can start here with the validator of the Web Consortium. It distinguishes between errors that massively violate web standards and inevitably lead to problems ('errors'), and errors that can lead to difficulties ('warnings'). And it gives hints where a website can be optimized ('infos').
Just enter the address and be amazed.