What are web standards? These are standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which govern what web designers use to create websites, by obeying the set of conventions and standards set out, a web designer can ensure that a website is easy to access by anyone regardless of their ISP (internet service provider), OS (operating system), web browser or disability.
If you already have a website you can see if the site you have been provided with meets the W3C standards by entering a your website into their website checker for valid XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language and valid CSS (Cascading style sheet).
I know it sounds like 'geek speak', it is. However you should always check that the designer you use for your site will stick to the rules and ensure that your site is accessible by everyone, not just you, and them.
What about visuals, a site can be Valid code but appear like barrel of blind monkeys has designed it. At Pople Web Design we ensure that our designs are ergonomic and user friendly, that the menus are where you expect them, and they follow good media conventions to ensure that your potential customers get he best impression they can.