To build websites quickly and cheaply, some budget-minded developers are tempted to utilize outdated or deprecated technologies that should be avoided. While initially saving time and cost, relying on aging technologies during web design sets sites up for major headaches down the road.
Savvy cheap web designers know to steer clear of the following deprecated tools and languages to avoid creating technical debt:
Flash
The Flash plugin was once ubiquitous for adding animations, video players, banners and interactive elements to websites. But Flash has been officially discontinued and most browsers now block Flash content by default due to security risks. Don’t let cheap web designers rely on this obsolete technology.
Internet Explorer Support
With Internet Explorer losing significant market share year after year, designing and testing specifically for IE compatibility is no longer efficient. Unless your audience is known to still use IE, avoid catering to this legacy browser at the expense of optimizing for modern ones.
Outdated HTML/CSS
HTML5 and CSS3 represent the current web standards, yet some cheap web designers are stuck coding sites using outdated HTML4 or CSS2 code. While still technically functional, older HTML/CSS lacks advantages in semantics, responsiveness, animation, and more offered by newer versions.
Server-Side Includes (SSI)
SSI was commonly used for including content from other files into web pages to update common elements. But SSI has fallen out of favor due to security vulnerabilities. Cheap web designers should rely on safer modern alternatives like AJAX and server-side templating languages.
Old JavaScript Libraries
While jQuery revolutionized client-side scripting years ago, faster modern vanilla JavaScript now makes libraries like jQuery unnecessary. Don’t let cheap web designers burden sites by incorporating outdated libraries that bloat code.
Legacy Database Systems
Clunky databases like Microsoft Access might seem tempting for cheap web design, but present scalability issues. Steer clear of aging systems like Access in favor of flexible open source options like MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL instead.
Table-Based Layouts
In the early 2000s, laying out web pages with <table> tags was common. But this approach is hugely inflexible compared to CSS grids and flexbox. Don’t rely on outdated table layouts just because they’re quick for cheap web designers to implement.
Insecure Forms
HTML forms are convenient but also vulnerable if implemented without security measures. Don’t allow cheap web designers to gloss over protections like HTTPS, CSRF tokens, input validation, and sanitization against injection attacks.
Obsolete Browser Hack Workarounds
In the past, complex CSS and JavaScript hacks were required to accommodate quirky old browser behaviors. With the demise of IE6/7, these messy hacks should be stripped out to clean up code.
Splash Screens
Throwback splash screens were once used to kick off flashy intros before redirecting to the homepage. But these annoying interstitials provide no value today and should not litter modern cheap website designs.
Frames
The <frame> tag for splitting the browser display into separate scrollable frames was briefly popular in the 90s before better options emerged. Clunky framesets just complicate responsive design for cheap web developers.
In summary, the fast pace of innovation on the web means that formerly popular technologies age quickly into liabilities. While utilizing tried and true approaches is tempting for cheap website designer, make sure any implemented tools and techniques are up-to-date, not vestiges of the past. Avoiding deprecated technology minimizes headaches.
