HTML5 has been popping up in articles and blogs, and if you rely heavily on your website for your business, you've probably heard of it. What is the fuss all about?

HTML5 is the latest web programming language that tells browsers how to structure and present content on a web page. It obviously gets much more complicated, but we'll keep it simple here. If you want a good summary explanation, check out this short guide 20 Things I Learned created by Google. 

So why should you consider switching your site over to HTML5?  The latest issue of Website Magazine highlights several advantages of HTML5.  

5 Things You Should Know about HTML5:

1. HTML5 is the future. It isn't expected to become the markup standard for some time, but  HTML5 is already supported by many browsers.  The adoption of HTML5 is also spreading, thanks to major search engines and social sites creating the buzz you've heard. (Beware: Older versions of IE do not support HTML5. IE6 is always the fly in the ointment.)
2. Smartphones and tablets support HTML5. Mobile devices are predicted to outnumber computers for Internet surfing in the next year or two. That is enough reason for me to switch.
3. Geolocation. HTML5, in combination with jQuery or Javascript, provides a better way to customize content based on users' specific location. This is more important now that many people are accessing the Internet on-the-go.
4. Audio / video support. Instead of relying on plugins like Flash to run audio or video, HTML5 lets you embed directly. The introduction of the <video> tag in HTML5 allows videos to be easily embedded and played in web pages without additional software.
5. Semantic tags. By allowing more descriptive tags and attributes, it is now easier than ever to organize content. For example, a word like Mustang could have many different meanings- a car, a horse, a singer's name, etc. Semantic tags make it easier to narrow down the specific meanings of words that help websites and search engines organize that content more effectively. Read more about the ramification of HTML5 on your website's SEO.