Considerably cheaper. Converting images into presentable html is one thing, converting html to xhtml is entirely another.
I should have elaborated...I didn't quite mean XHTML as the basics are pretty obvious...
I've always written HTML with small case and double quotes around the attribute values...I save single quotes for javascript strings, etc...
Just my personal convention...
I am more conerned with reducing file size via CSS and making the code as cross browser, cross platform, etc as possible...
My priorities are:
1) Renderability - IE and FF are absolute musts...if they don't look the same in each browser, I'll favour rendering over anything
2) Graceful degradation(sp?) so it still renders well in any browser available...only problem I see is my sites headers are often very flashy...as I favour *cool* over *total* SEO friendliness or cross platform-ness...
3) Pass some kind of w3c compliance test...preferably xhtml and not html strict...not sure what it entails, but the few kicks I've taken at it suggest some meta tags, language selection tags? etc...I'm not sure and can't honestly say i'm interested in knowing...
You have convinced me of the importance for some form of compliance, but I also need some officially recognized standards test which my sites will pass...
I would prefer xhtml/css compliance test...
4) Small, compact CSS driven layouts...
Is *XHTML* a critical factor, or is html strict sufficient? The difference between the two for end-users is extremely small.
I would like it to be xhtml...not html...
Depends on the expert. Anywhere from $25-$50 an hour is reasonable.
Hmmm...I can find software developers for $15 USD/hour with 4 year BSc. degrees...so I would be hard pressed paying an markup language expert anything more 20 or USD/hr...
Mind you...IMHO graphics design also isn't worth more than professional software development in terms of pay/hour as I know what it takes from a software developer standpoint...and what it takes from a graphics standpoint, as I am quite sufficient in Photoshop after 5 or so years *playing with it*
But there is a distinct difference between my work and amazing work...and every designer I thought had that *WOW* effect has demanded at least 70USD/hour
Simple supply and demand I guess...so I'll pay what I have too...C'est La Vie
Keep in mind that you could post your design, and have people take a whack at helping fix the html compliance issues, allowing you to both improve, AND learn the common source of those issues, so you can avoid them in the future.
For my own web site, I will likely go that route, but if someone else is paying me...I think i'd rather just contract the work out...I hate switching from HTML mode to Photoshop mode to PHP mode...to SQL mode...to regex mode, etc...
There are very specific things I like to do and many I will only do if I have to...dealing with markup is one of them...
Cheers
