What's Web Standards all about?

Web Standards are mainly about accessibility; making sure that websites (and web-based content) are carefully designed to be available to the maximum of users.

What is web site usability?

Web site usability is the measure of the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a web site. It's a combination of factors, including:

  • How fast can a new user use the site to accomplish basic tasks?
  • How efficiency is the site for experienced users?
  • Can the user remember enough to use it effectively on subsequent visits?
  • If the user makes an error is it easy to recover?
  • Does the user like using the site?

Why is usability important?

Because there are so many options available for web users and people don't like waiting or having to learn how to use a home page - they'll soon leave a slow-loading or complicated site to find one which is simple and provides what thy're looking for in a couple of seconds.

You can read more than five years' worth of very clearly written articles about the intricacies of site usability and design by Jakob Nielsen, who has made it his personal mission in life to make web sites easier to use.