In 2010 Simon got involved in the Web Standards Project, the grassroots international organisation dedicated to advocating and educating the world on web standards to build better websites open to all. Traditionally the Web Standards Project (WaSP) targetted web developers, browser manufacturers such as Microsoft, and companies creating web design software. In 2010 the WaSP lead Aaron Gustafson started a project to help educate small businesses on how to successfully hire web professionals to build their company websites. After reading a blog post asking the community for help, Simon decided to get involved in the project as the Content lead.
Typically small businesses don’t have the expertise or resources to fully understand the web, so evaluating that companies can provide a truly professional service to build their website is a challenging task. The Web Standards Project is all about promoting standards so we can build websites that work on all devices, all computers for everyone. The way the web was always designed to be. In this commercial world this often isn’t the case, with every man and his dog designing websites which often are not accessible, don’t align with current web standards and will effectively be broken on the devices and web browsers of tomorrow.
The guide, Small Business + Web Standards, is intended to give a friendly overview of things to ask web professionals when commissioning a website project. There are 10 top tips, along with examples of good and bad responses, expert tips and links to further resources. There’s also a helpful glossary to explain those techy terms that profilerate in technology! Simon was a core member of the Small Business Outreach Team who designed, wrote and built the website.
So if you need tips on how to hire the best web professionals to build your website, head over to the Small Business + Web Standards guide. You’re also welcome to give Studio 24 a call!