The Importance of Web Standards

Web standards have been an ongoing topic for a long time, but they're more important now than ever. They were introduced to encourage browser makers to follow a standardised way of doing things, making cross-compatibility easier for developers and content creators. Most importantly, they removed the need to build multiple versions of the same website for different browsers - and yes, that includes finally saying goodbye to Internet Explorer.

Why does cross-browser compatibility matter? As someone who works in IT support, I have a great example. A previous employer used a web portal for a major global client, but it only worked on IE6. When IE6 reached end of support, it became a security risk. The client patched it to work on IE7 - but that caused other websites to break for staff. Everyone then had to run Chrome alongside IE7, locked to never update, just to keep one portal working. Eventually, the client was told to modernise. The lesson was clear: your choice of web browser shouldn't matter. Users shouldn't need to install an old browser or turn on compatibility mode just to load a site. Some people simply can't do that, and those older browsers will eventually reach the end of support anyway.

Web standards were introduced over 20 years ago, and they're just as relevant today. Browser makers haven't always played ball, but the standards exist to protect the web ecosystem - keeping it open, free, and accessible to all. We're in a much better place than we used to be, but it's still worth remembering why web standards matter going forward.

1. KEEP THE WEB FREE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

Without the Web Standards community, browser makers could dictate what features the web supports. Thankfully, the major browsers are now heading in the same direction. This consistency makes life easier for developers and gives users a better, more predictable experience. Standards ensure no single company controls the direction of the web.

2. HELPING MAKE SOURCE CODE SIMPLER

As browsers diversified in the early days of the web, developers had to write more and more code just to get content to display correctly across different browsers. This bloated source code and slowed down development. Web standards brought consistency and cut out a lot of browser-specific hacks. There's still the odd workaround needed, but the days of writing separate rules for IE6, IE7, and every other version are largely behind us.

3. MAKING THE WEB A MORE ACCESSIBLE PLACE

Web standards help define how websites interact with assistive technologies. Developers can include structured instructions on their pages that assistive tools interpret consistently, improving the experience for users who rely on them. Recent improvements include:

• Better active focus indicators so keyboard users can see where they are on a page
• Standardised landmark roles that screen readers can navigate
• Improved form labelling for assistive technology compatibility

These are welcome baseline improvements. That said, it's still best practice to build your own accessible designs rather than relying on browser defaults alone.

4. BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY AND VALIDATION

Web standards create a foundation that allows modern websites to work reasonably well in older browsers. Backward compatibility matters - not everyone updates their browser straight away. Standards help ensure the structure of a web page is understood even in older environments. There's no guarantee every visual detail will render perfectly, but a standards-compliant page will at least stay readable and functional. Validation tools help developers check their code meets these standards, cutting down errors and improving long-term maintainability.

Setting standards can improve backward compatibility from a set point onwards. That set point doesn't need to be now. There are standards that work in older web browsers. Sure, we should be keeping things up to date for security. But let's not have websites break because some people can't update their browsers.