Using HTML5 Boilerplate
Over the course of a number of small sites, I've been experimenting with a number of templates and tools to aid the development process. I might write about some of these at a later date; but most recently I've used the HTML5 Boilerplate. This template provides a number a of ready-made optimisations and tweaks to help standardise your site's rendering cross-browser.
These include enabling Modernizer and an extensive .htaccess file to optimise the server's delivery of your pages.
One of the more controversial elements is the inclusion of a script which by default prompts the user to install Chrome Frame if they're running on IE6. Chrome Frame is a fantastic piece of software; allowing users of older Internet Explorer browsers to browse the internet but using the Chrome renderer for and sites that ask for it. A recent update means that Chrome Frame can be installed even without administrative access on the local computer, allowing this to be used by anyone forced to use IE6 in a corporate environment.
Presenting a user with a popup isn't good practice for the user experience however; and depending on the needs of the particular site, business concerns will tend to outweigh those of a better-rendered web future.
That said, I think the Boilerplate has vastly improved my own development process and reduced the time taken to move a site towards completion. In particular, the solid backing of the CSS for cross-browser compatibility (it incorporates normalize.css) is brilliant.