I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Mark Twain
With web design there is tremendous flexibility in achieving a particular goal.
While there may be a few equally good ways to do something effectively and cleanly, there
are usually many more ways to do something poorly.
The list below provides a set of guidelines that you may find helpful.
I also refer you to the
CleanCode Colophon that provides not only details of what went into making CleanCode, but one detailed diagram highlighting
the sequence of logistics needed to put together a website,
and another illustrating the pre-processing and generation of pages on CleanCode.
Design Considerations for Web Sites
Accessibility: Don't discriminate on physical ability when you design web pages.
Anti-Spam: Design defensively so you do not make it easy for spammers to enlist you to help them.
Browser Compliance: Design economically by considering the technology of your audience.
CSS Conformance: Use CSS to improve your design, reduce duplication, and simplify maintenance, but getting it right can be a challenge.
HTML Conformance: Use HTML correctly--don't settle for the sloppiness permitted by some browsers--it will save you time and effort in the long run.
LinkChecking: Run a link checker frequently; there is one thing that guarantees your links will shrivel up and disappear: the passage of time.
Pre-Processing and Reuse: Use a pre-processor or other page generator tool to maximize reuse of your site content.
Privacy: Show your customers/users that you care--take their privacy seriously.
Security: Design defensively to keep your data in your hands.
Issues of Style: Style is the grey that is leftover after you've considered all the black and white of the other topics presented here.
