If you have an existing website I would like for you to do something — go to validator.w3.org, enter the URL (eg. www.yoursite.com) of your site then click ‘Check’.

Most likely you are being told that your site contains ‘errors’ and that your code is invalid.

You may be thinking, “well, my site works fine so what does it matter?” The truth is even though your site may function properly the code still matters a great deal.

It is your code that will determine how your site is indexed by search engines and how your site will be viewed on various web browsers. The better your XHTML code the higher your site will rank on Google and other search engines.

If you wish to attract visitors and/or customers to your site it is important that they be able to find you via a serch engine. A good place to start working on how your page ranks is by making sure that your code is valid and that your site will display the same in various browsers. This is also an inexpensive way of getting an edge on your competitors websites.

Here at Carolina Custom Designs I can assist you in designing a site with valid XHTML and valid CSS. This is only part of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process. As I said before, valid code also ensures that everyone visiting your site sees the same thing. Just because your site looks great on your computer doesn’t necessarily mean that it looks the same on a different computer using a different web browser.

If you would like to learn more about validating your webiste code or more about how Carolina Custom Designs can assist in designing and developing you a standards compliant site please contact me.