nikography:

Just make sure you actually educate your clients about web standards, otherwise they’ll have no idea just how awesome your wheels are.

brianvan:

I think “web standards” are one of those non-core business goals that clients can’t stand to hear about even when explained properly and concisely. Eyes start rolling. I find that many clients would rather have the trendwhore experience, a site as flashy and as fast-moving as one could make it.

The best clients will probably be most focused on the main purpose of their website – marketing, branding, data collection, occasionally e-commerce. In which case, following “web standards” will be a requirement that excludes optional pursuits, not a bonus for a site already smeared with excessive Flash and/or inaccessible Javascript.