WordPress is used by millions of sites world wide as their blogging tool or CMS (Content Management System). It is easy to use, easy to install and convenient which made it the fastest growing and top rated blogging tool on the Internet today. Chances are if you blog or update content regularly, you too use WordPress. However, when you consider your site do you know whether or not it is W3C compliant? If it is not W3C validate, why not? If you are unsure, you should research what it is and how to go about getting your site W3C validated today!
What is W3C?
The W3C stands for “Word Wide Web Consortium”. It is comprised of various organizations that are members, a full time work force of qualified staff members and the general public. Their mission according to W3C (http://www.w3.org/) is “to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure the long-term growth of the Web.” They do this by trying to enact standards that are used on the Internet to support their underlying principles of:
- Enabling Internet access to all people as a means of communication, socializing and commerce regardless of location, hardware capabilities, language, culture, social status, physical or mental ability
- Enabling the Internet to be accessible from as many devices as possible including computers, mobile devices, televisions, kiosks and household appliances
In order to help accomplish this, the validation service checks your website to ensure it is compliant with established standards that are agreed upon by W3C.
W3C Standards
W3C standards are agreed upon by the Internet community. They ensure all websites are available via the various browsers. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are the big three but more people are using Opera and Google Chrome as well as other platforms. W3C comes up with agreed upon standards in coding based on different criteria. These are tested and agreed upon by members and staff who are all part of the vast Internet community.
Why is Validation Important
If you have a website that seems to work perfectly fine you may wonder why you should go through the hassle of having it validated by any third party including the W3C. However, there are several reasons why this could be important to your business website:
- It ensures your web site is accessible via various web browsers. Today more people are expanding the types of browsers used and the top two are no longer the dominants in the market. Instead, there is a significant portion of the population who are turning to alternate browsers and even using multiple browsers.
- You can actually get better search engine placement if your site is validated.
- W3C validation is a step that shows you are concerned with the image your website portrays. It is a sign you are a professional and can go a long way toward building your online reputation.
How Does it Work?
In order to get validated you need to go to the validation section of WP3 located at http://validator.w3.org/. All you need to do is type in your URL or web address into the supplied area and click on “check”. You will receive a list of issues that may nee dto be corrected on your site before you are validated. You will also receive a list of suggestions on how to fix them. Systematically go through them and fix them one at a time, rechecking as needed. Once you are done, you will be validated.
