More times than I can count, while writing, I get myself into random but interesting topics with little relation to the original post. In the end, I have to make the simple but painful choice of deleting or archiving hours of research and writing because I know most people click on a post with a certain expectation of what they’ll get, and I know it isn’t me bombing them with unrelated rants about CSS.
This happened to me while working on Monday’s article about at-rules. All I did there was focus on a number of recipes to test browser support for CSS at-rules. In the process, I began to realize, geez we have so many new at-rules — I wonder how many of them are from this year alone. That’s the rabbit hole I found myself in once I wrapped up the article I was working on.
And guess what, my hunch was right: 2024 has brought more at-rules than an entire decade of CSS.
It all started when I asked myself why we got a selector() wrapper function for the @supports at-rule but are still waiting for an at-rule() version. I can’t pinpoint the exact reasoning there, but I’m certain rthere wasn’t much of a need to check the support of at-rules because, well, there weren’t that many of them — it’s just recently that we got a windfall of at-rules.
Some historical context
So, right around 1998 when the CSS 2 recommendation was released, @import and @page were the only at-rules that made it into the CSS spec. That’s pretty much how things remained until the CSS 2.1 recommendation in 2011 introduced @media. Of course, there were other at-rules like — @font-face, @namespace and @keyframes to name a few — that had already debuted in their own respective modules. By this time, CSS dropped semantic versioning, and the specification didn’t give a true picture of the whole, but rather individual modules organized by feature.
Random tangent: The last accepted consensus says we are at “CSS 3”, but that was a decade ago and some even say we should start getting into CSS 5. Wherever we are is beside the point, although it’s certainly a topic of discussion happening. Is it even useful to have a named version?
The @supports at-rule was released in 2011 in CSS Conditional Rules Module Level 3 — Levels 1 and 2 don’t formally exist but refer to the original CSS 1 and 2 recommendations. We didn’t actually get support for it in most browsers until 2015, and at that time, the existing at-rules already had widespread support. The @supports was only geared towards new properties and values, designed to test browser support for CSS features before attempting to apply styles.
The numbers
As of today, we have a grand total of 18 at-rules in CSS that are supported by at least one major browser. If we look at the year each at-rule was initially defined in a CSSWG Working Draft, we can see they all have been published at a fairly consistent rate:
If we check the number of at-rules supported on each browser per year, however, we can see the massive difference in browser activity:
If we just focus on the last year a major browser shipped each at-rule, we will notice that 2024 has brought us a whopping seven at-rules to date!
I like little thought experiments like this. Something you’re researching leads to researching about the same topic; out of scope, but tangentially related. It may not be the sort of thing you bookmark and reference daily, but it is good cocktail chatter. If nothing else, it’s affirming the feeling that CSS is moving fast, like really fast in a way we haven’t seen since CSS 3 first landed.
It also adds context for the CSS features we have — and don’t have. There was no at-rule() function initially because there weren’t many at-rules to begin with. Now that we’ve exploded with more new at-rules than the past decade combined, it may be no coincidence that just last weekthe Chrome Team updated the function’s status from New to Assigned!
One last note: the reason I’m even thinking about at-rules at all is that we’ve updated the CSS Almanac, expanding it to include more CSS features including at-rules. I’m trying to fill it up and you can always help by becoming a guest writer.
A WordPress theme that doesn’t look modern, doesn’t come with built-in flexibility, and with a developer that doesn’t support it can spell trouble for you down the line. Your website’s design needs to adapt and evolve alongside the business it represents.
A WordPress theme that doesn’t look modern, doesn’t come with built-in flexibility, and with a developer that doesn’t support it can spell trouble for you down the line. Your website’s design needs to adapt and evolve alongside the business it represents.
There are tens of thousands of WordPress themes available on the market. And there are new ones being developed every day. When it comes time to choose a theme for your website and brand, how do you decide which is the best from so many?
In the following review, you’ll discover the best WordPress themes for 2024. They include:
These tried and tested WordPress themes are the best of the best. If you’re looking for incredible designs, intuitive page builders, and feature-packed themes, keep reading.
What do all the top WordPress themes have in common?
There are certain traits that all the best WordPress themes share. Whether you’re looking for a theme for your new website or to replace an existing one, make sure your theme has the following:
User-friendliness: You might see a theme with the most incredible looking pre-built websites or demos. However, if it takes more than a minute to figure out how to edit that theme on the backend, that’s a major issue.
Page builder options: From WordPress’s own builder to Elementor, every page builder has its fans. Finding a WordPress theme that allows you to design and customize your website with an intuitive page builder is critical.
Customizability: One of the drawbacks to using a popular WordPress theme is that it can end up looking like other people’s websites. The best WordPress themes in 2024, however, include a wide variety of website demos. They also give you the ability to customize as much or as little of them as you want.
Design quality: Before you purchase or install a theme, take a look at the multipurpose demos it comes with. They should look like they were built today, not five years ago. You should also be able to find designs made for your niche (or something close to it).
Mobile editing: As more people scour the web from their smartphones, you can’t afford to have a site not built for their screens. While many of the top WordPress themes offer responsive demos, it’s just as important that the page builders have easy-to-use mobile editing tools.
Speed: Speed matters in a number of ways. For starters, your WordPress theme and page builders should load quickly. If you’re having to wait for each new screen to open, editing your site will quickly become a nightmare. Your website visitors will feel the same way if your beautiful web design takes too long to load.
Support: Even the most seasoned of designers need help from time to time. That’s why it’s crucial to use themes that are well-supported by their developers. That includes self-support options like user manuals and video tutorials as well as timely customer support from the theme developer.
11 top WordPress themes for your website projects
Finding the perfect WordPress theme can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The WordPress themes below, however, are the best of the best.
While you can’t go wrong with any of these themes, you might find that some of them are better suited to your current website needs than others. To help you narrow down the options, you’ll find information on their top features, the average customer rating, as well as what real users have to say about them.
TL;DR: UiCore PRO is a WordPress theme tailored explicitly for agencies looking to build unlimited websites under one yearly subscription.
UiCore PRO stands apart from the rest in the realm of WordPress themes. Crafted with agencies in mind, this theme offers unparalleled features designed to elevate your web design game and streamline your operations.
The Startup template, the epitome of sophistication, melds elegant design choices, boundary-pushing content structures, and captivating special effects, all culminating in an unrivaled user experience. Backed by a seamless backend interface, users revel in a hassle-free customization process, free from lag or errors, setting UiCore PRO leagues ahead of the competition.
Agencies looking for a game-changer in WordPress themes gravitate toward UiCore PRO for numerous reasons:
Unlimited Websites: Build limitless sites under one subscription, simplifying your workflow.
Tailored Agency Functionality: Designed specifically to meet the demands of agencies seeking efficiency and excellence.
Strategic Long-Term Investment: A single subscription grants access to a treasure trove of features, making it a smart investment for scaling your agency’s online presence.
Experience the power of UiCore PRO – where unlimited website creation meets unparalleled innovation. Take charge of your agency’s digital landscape today.
Customer testimonial: “This is the most flexible yet powerful theme I’ve used. The use of Elementor with theme blocks and theme settings has let me completely recreate a website in 2 days.”
TL;DR: BeTheme is the best WordPress theme for designers who want one theme for all their websites.
BeTheme is a WordPress theme and page builder all rolled in one. If you’re looking for a powerhouse that will allow you to come up with something original and impressive for your own site or for your clients, you’ve found it.
BeTheme comes with more than 700 pre-built websites. New websites are released monthly, so you’ll always have new, modern designs like BeFurnitureStore to play around with.
BeTheme’s own page builder is another rave-worthy feature. BeBuilder is fast, stable, and user-friendly. What’s more, you can edit any part of your website — including things like the header, footer, and WooCommerce content — with it.
Here are some more reasons to give BeTheme a try:
Time savings. BeTheme’s pre-built websites are just that — full-fledged websites. They’re not templates.
Ease of use. You won’t need to write CSS or install a ton of plugins to wow your visitors with a BeTheme site.
Support. If you run into trouble, BeTheme’s technical support is ready and able to help.
Customer testimonial:“Technical support is excellent. Clear, friendly, and always willing to help to solve any problem. It really pays to have the updated support subscription. Great service.”
TL;DR: Avada is the best WordPress theme for web designers and developers who want a flexible, feature-rich, all-in-one website building solution.
Avada isn’t so much a WordPress theme as it is a complete website builder solution. While this theme comes with 83 pre-built websites and more than 120 design elements, it’s the live visual builder that makes this theme one of the best options for 2024.
Take something like Avada’s pre-built eBike website. Using the live builder, you could easily repurpose this template for other types of small ecommerce shops. And it would feel as though you’re editing it on the website instead of inside of WordPress.
There are other reasons why Avada is a fan favorite in the WordPress community:
Flexibility. You can design anything you imagine with it.
Feature-packed. You won’t need to install or purchase tons of plugins since Avada comes with most, if not all, the features you need.
Fast support. If you have questions or need help, Avada support is helpful and responsive.
Customer testimonial:“I am a web designer, and I purchased this builder for all my clients. I love it. I enjoy how flexible it is and all the ways I can mold different websites, and the many features it comes with, without purchasing anything extra. I’ve been using this builder since 2015 and it keeps getting better and better.”
TL;DR: Uncode is the best multiuse WordPress and WooCommerce theme for professional designers and agencies looking for a go-to solution for any project.
Uncode is one of those multipurpose themes that makes you never want to look at a plugin again. In terms of designing with Uncode, it comes with about 100 demos, 550 premade section wireframes, plus 85 content modules.
Whatever you can dream up, you’ll have an easy time recreating it with Uncode.
Shop Ajax is a great example of what you can do with Uncode. This ecommerce demo is attractive and full of all the features you’d need to improve your customers’ shopping experience (like filters, hover-revealed options, logo integration, and so on).
It’s this level of attention to detail that makes Uncode one of the top WordPress themes.
Here are some other reasons to try Uncode:
Personalization. You can fine-tune as much of your website or shop with Uncode as you want. Variations and settings allow you to go really deep when it comes to editing.
Coding. This theme is really well-coded. So bugs and slow performance won’t be an issue with your websites.
Support. Requests and issues are addressed promptly and in full by the support team.
Customer testimonial:“It is the best WordPress theme out there and the support is top notch (amazing response times and knowledge from their support team). The way it is built is smart and intuitive. Truly easy to use and consistent in all its options. I love it!”
TL;DR: Blocksy is the best free WordPress theme in 2024 for building beautiful, lightweight websites.
Blocksy is a freemium WordPress theme unlike any other. What’s most notable about it is that it is lightning fast — not just to use, but the websites you design with it, too. With performance playing such a big role in SEO these days, this is a big deal.
Blocksy-built websites aren’t just fast. They’re also built with beautiful aesthetics. Take, for instance, the Persona starter site. Modern users will love the dark theme and classy layout.
Anyone editing these starter sites will fall in love with Blocksy, too. This WordPress theme works with the top page builders — WordPress’s Gutenberg, Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Brizy.
There are other reasons why you’ll enjoy working with Blocksy:
It’s free. The free version of Blocksy is feature-packed. Upgrading to premium gives you even more power and flexibility.
Easy to use. You won’t need a comprehensive user’s manual to figure out how to edit this theme.
Helpful support. Users report quick response times and helpful advice.
Customer testimonial:“Blocksy is fast and light, responsive and beautiful. Blocksy has nothing superfluous and has everything you need. I love Blocksy, and Blocksy loves me.”
TL;DR: Total is the best WordPress theme for web designers and developers seeking the flexibility to design from-scratch as well as to use time-saving templates.
Total is the total package. You can build any type of website you want, regardless of your skill level. You also have the ability to design it from-scratch using the WPBakery live customizer or to start with a fully editable and professionally designed template.
Have a look at the Reach demo and you’ll get a sense for the types of designs you can come up with for businesses. In this case, the basic look and layout are smart choices. They’re what make this service provider’s portfolio really pop.
Visit Total’s website and you’ll see how diverse and complex the other demos are. The possibilities will feel endless with Total. And when you’re building websites for dozens of clients every year, that’s important.
Here are other reasons why Total will be one of the best WordPress themes in 2024:
Out of the box. You won’t need to spend hours researching, installing, and setting up plugins to get all the features your site needs. They’re right there out of the box.
Scalability. With features like dynamic templates, global headers, and more, you can program your designs for easier, hands-free scalability.
Well-maintained. Users refer to this support as world-class. They also appreciate the regular updates that add new features to the theme.
Customer testimonial:“Among several themes purchased from ThemeForest, I can say Total theme is the only theme that I can recommend. It is a fast theme with most options already built in, and the support is excellent.”
TL;DR: Litho is the best WordPress theme for users of all experience levels wanting to use a theme that’s well-built and supported.
Litho is one of the best WordPress themes for 2024 for numerous reasons. The one that stands out the most is the level of customer support.
While every great theme has a great team behind it, Litho goes the extra mile when it comes to user support. Whether you have questions about how to get started or experience an issue, you can expect customer service to be super friendly, fast, and capable of solving your problem.
This makes Litho an especially good choice for novice WordPress users and professional designers alike.
Plus, with dedicated support behind you, you won’t feel limited in what you do with the theme. Whether you want to create a startup site or something more complex, someone will be there to help you when you need it.
Here are some more reasons Litho is a good choice:
Versatility. Although there are hundreds of templates available, there are loads of customization options that allow you to design something unique.
Template quality. Litho’s collection of premade designs look fresh and new.
Elementor integration. Elementor is one of the most popular and user-friendly WordPress page builders, guaranteeing an easy editing experience in Litho.
Customer testimonial:“I’m absolutely thrilled with Litho. Its flexibility and customization options allowed me to create a unique and visually stunning website that perfectly fits my vision. The remarkable customer support provided by the team is incredibly responsive, genuinely friendly, and exceptionally helpful.”
TL;DR: Rey is the best WordPress theme for designing full-featured, high-converting ecommerce websites.
Rey is a stylish and modern alternative to WooCommerce’s collection of themes. It’s also a great option if you’re tired of having to outfit great-looking WordPress themes with all the ecommerce features and functionality they’re missing.
Take a glance at the San Francisco demo and you’ll see how incredible these ecommerce sites are. With designs that rival those of luxury brands and wow-inducing product pages, websites built with Rey are sure to impress visitors and turn them into customers.
This WordPress theme seamlessly integrates with Elementor. If you’re familiar with this page builder plugin, then you know how easy it’s going to be to customize any Rey demo you use.
Speaking of customization, here are other reasons why you should consider using Rey:
Customization. If you see a feature or layout you like on another ecommerce site, chances are good you’ll be able to recreate it with Rey.
eCommerce functionality. With Rey, you won’t need to install lots of plugins to make it work how you want.
Support. Rey’s support team does a great job assisting with everything from basic requests to the most complex of problems.
Customer testimonial:“This is by FAR the best theme I have ever purchased from here. So easy to modify, and if you stumble across a roadblock the dev is quick to help!”
TL;DR: WoodMart is the best WooCommerce theme for niche ecommerce design.
WoodMart is a fantastic option if you’re looking to build a niche ecommerce website that is uniquely your own.
This WooCommerce theme comes with more than 80 pre-built demo sites. You’ll find sites for businesses like video game companies, food delivery services, coffee retailers, and furniture stores — like the Furniture 2 demo.
These demos and the hundreds of templates included in the theme are easy to customize. From a global level down to each element on the page, WoodMart gives you all the options and settings needed to customize your designs as much or as little as you need to.
If you get stuck, there’s a search feature built into the settings to help you find the exact setting you need. The theme documentation is helpful, too, if you’re ever feeling stuck or wondering what more you can do.
Here are some other benefits to using WoodMart to design your online shop:
Organized. Many multipurpose themes can feel overwhelming to users. WoodMart is neat, clean, and easy to work with.
Design quality. Even if you’re only using one demo to design your site, you’ll find tons of inspiration amongst the beautiful library of demos and templates.
Mobile design. You won’t have to do much responsive editing as WoodMart’s templates look incredible on mobile out of the box.
Customer testimonial:“A theme could only be this quality, pleasant, practical, professional, wonderful, and tremendous. I don’t know how else to express it. This is truly a work of art designed and programmed with great effort. Some might think I’m exaggerating, but I can clearly say this. It’s the best WordPress theme on ThemeForest, even in the world.”
TL;DR: Impeka is the best WordPress theme for anyone wanting to spend more time designing and creating content instead of trying to master the theme itself.
Impeka has so many great things going for it. But one thing that can’t be denied is how easy Impeka is to use.
That’s not always something you find when using multipurpose WordPress themes. Yet, Impeka’s developer found a way to create a feature-packed and completely customizable theme without making it difficult for users to learn how to use it.
Special attention really does need to be paid to the theme developers. In addition to creating an easy-to-use theme, they provide great support for it, too.
For starters, the theme is updated often and new pre-built sites like the elegant Design Agency Demo are released every month. Secondly, the comprehensive support options and instantaneous customer support are rave-worthy.
Here are some other reasons why users love Impeka so much:
Design quality. Some users compare Impeka’s demos to works of art. They’re that good.
Flexibility. You’ll discover endless possibilities when it comes to how you use this theme and what you design with it.
Documentation. Although Impeka is incredibly easy to use, documentation is comprehensive and makes it easy to work out problems and get answers on your own.
Customer testimonial:“The theme is very flexible and there are endless possibilities to how it is used which the incredible support team are happy to help navigate. I can’t believe how quick and thoroughly responsive the team are. It’s refreshing to get such great support.”
TL;DR: XStore is the best WooCommerce theme for designers and agencies looking to build high-converting online stores.
XStore is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a WooCommerce theme you can use for a multitude of online stores. With more than 130 pre-built websites and Coming Soon pages, you’ll be able to get your store up and running quickly.
A great ecommerce theme has to do more than just look good. It also needs to include the right features for your shoppers.
In addition to the common functionality needed to run an ecommerce site, XStore also comes with a collection of high-converting features. Product variation swatches, live viewing counters, shopping cart countdowns, and free shipping progress bars, for instance, will help you capture more sales.
Here are some other reasons you might want to use XStore for ecommerce design:
Design quality. XStore’s templates look modern, sleek, and are beautifully laid out, making for a great shopping experience.
Customization. From the header and footer to the languages and currencies, there’s no limit to what you can customize.
Speed. Users rave about how quick their XStore websites load. Even after theme updates, page performance remains high and stable.
Customer testimonial:“I can’t express how thrilled I am with the XStore WordPress theme! It’s truly a game-changer for my website. From the moment I installed it, I was blown away by its stunning design and powerful features.”
Which of these WordPress themes will you try in 2024?
With tens of thousands of great WordPress themes available, you might feel overwhelmed when it comes time to settle on one. Especially if you’re thinking about purchasing a theme.
However, the best WordPress themes are easy to find if you know what you’re looking for.
They’re user-friendly.
They’re either compatible with the most popular page builder plugins or offer an intuitive and flexible editing experience of their own.
There are no limits on what types of websites or shops you can build.
The pre-built websites and demos are top-of-the-line and make creating your own a much faster and enjoyable process.
They allow for responsive editing so your site looks good on all screens.
The themes are fast and stable. And so too are the sites you design with them.
Customer support is there for you when you need it.
If you want to narrow down your search, start with this compilation of 11 top WordPress themes for 2024. Each of them has something special to offer.
Total is the best WordPress theme for web designers and developers seeking the flexibility to design from-scratch as well as to use time-saving templates.
XStore is the best WooCommerce theme for designers and agencies looking to build high-converting online stores.
Conversion features
The reviews above are a good place to start. But don’t let your research stop there.
Spend some time previewing the themes and their page builders (if they have their own). Also, check out the available demos, starters sites, or pre-built websites.
You’ll be able to get a good sense for which theme will suit your needs best once you spend some time with it.
[- This is a sponsored post on behalf of BAW media -]
I sat down with Heydon Pickering in the most recent episode of the Smashing Hour. Full transparency: I was nervous as heck. I’ve admired Heydon’s work for years, and even though we run in similar circles, this was our first time meeting. You know how you build some things up in your mind and sorta psyche yourself out? Yeah, that.
Heydon is nothing short of a gentleman and, I’ll be darned, easy to talk to. As is the case with any Smashing Hour, there’s no script, no agenda, no nothing. We find ourselves getting into the weeds of accessibility testing and documentation — or the lack of it — before sliding into the stuff he’s really interested in and excited about today: styling sound. Dude pulled out a demo and walked me (and everyone else) through the basics of the Web Audio API and how he’s using it to visualize sounds in tons of groovy ways that I now want hooked up to my turntable somehow.
Today, to accelerate business growth and explore new success heights, the technology backbone must be powerful. You can’t take a chance on merely completing the web or software development for the sake of early launch. To gain a competitive edge having the expertise development process is a precondition. Outsourcing is one of the solutions to access high-tech services.
Google, Alibaba, Skype, Accenture, and many others have leveraged the benefits of outsourcing services. Eventually, they scaled in the market seamlessly. So you can also consider outsourcing as the secret sauce for the success of your web development projects.
The recent survey shows IT outsourcing revenue is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.99% in 2024-2028. As a result, the market volume would be USD 777.70bn by 2028. Hence, you should have the idea of outsourcing services for web projects, and this article covers all aspects of it.
What is Outsourcing Web Development?
The efficient and highly demanding solution for assigning or handing over web development projects to a third-party IT firm. Usually, that web service provider has a reliable and vast team of developers with expertise in various technologies. So, based on your project you can choose or interview the developers to select the appropriate ones.
Moreover, it is also termed IT outsourcing and works as a strategy to make the project cost-effective and eliminate the hassle of in-house development. However, outsourcing the development services to an outside vendor has resulted in preserving the control of the project.
In simple terms, you will be connected with vendors throughout the development process. It even allows you to focus thoroughly on your primary business needs. Alongside there are numerous benefits of outsourcing web development for both startups and large businesses. To make it the first choice for your project, let’s elaborate on its advantages.
Benefits of Outsourcing Web Development
Decreases Turnaround time
The time-saving aspect is the most common for any project. By delegating the web development tasks as per your time duration, it delivers on-time services. As you hire the experts, it fastens the development time and gives quick time to market your website.
Edge of Industry-Specific Functions
Even after having an in-house team, outsourcing allows you to open the horizons for projects. As the client project is processed by experienced portfolios in various domains, it is a win-win for web development.
For example, if you want to develop a fintech web app, consider outsourcing the IT vendor services with past knowledge in that sector. So, it provides better worth to your fintech software development project.
Reduces development costs
This benefit also stands as one of the compelling reasons for outsourcing over in-house development. It is among the potential strategies to reduce software development costs for your organization.
Moreover, to make the outsourcing cut development costs, you need to even consider countries that have lower hourly rates. As a result, it will make your outsourcing web development successful and completed within the pre-decided budget.
Deliver High-Quality Solutions
When it comes to maintaining or improving the quality, you should definitely prioritize the outsourcing model. It drives the development process to streamline and align with the industry standards. Furthermore, the development team has testers who follow the proper quality control process. So, they will ensure to verify each stage carefully and offer error-free and better-quality services.
Integrating new tools and technologies
Outsourcing your project to the external company, leverage the new technology or tools capability. Based on your web development requirements and current trends, the outsourced team will utilize tools. So, you can be rest assured about the final outcomes, it will be backed with unique approaches and new tech solutions.
Eliminates risks or uncertainties
Delegating web projects to outsourced teams also distributes the risk linked with development. Thus, it becomes crucial for the team to debug or manage the errors. Hence, outsourcing emerges as a solution to prevent the potential risks.
Access to global talents
From inside your country or its outer countries, outsourcing gives you access to explore global services. As it disappears the barrier of location, outsourcing has probably upscaled as the primary choice by various enterprises. You can easily search for reliable developers from platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms, LinkedIn, etc.
Now, as we move ahead, it is essential to understand that outsourcing has been categorized into two major forms. So, here are the detailed insights on the types to make your selection easy.
Types of Outsourcing Models
The outsourcing model types are better defined with the two segments. However, these segments also have 3 sub-sections which are widely used outsourcing methods.
Location-based Model
Firstly the location-based model defines the outsourcing partners’ distance from you. It is divided into three forms as given below.
Onshore
Onshore outsourcing is the process of outsourcing the project to an exterior IT provider but inside the country. It distributes the project workload to other companies and makes the web development manageable.
Offshore
The offshore outsourcing model gives the privilege to assign development tasks to IT firms beyond the country boundary. It even crosses the time zone and gets to work with developers belonging to different time zones or continents.
Nearshore
Nearshore outsourcing focuses on choosing third-party providers from neighboring countries that share the same time zone. It targets the convenience of communicating the needs smoothly. Alongside, the nearby country has a slightly similar culture which establishes better team networking.
Relationship-based Model
This type of outsourcing derives the ownership and accountability of the projects and bridges the gap between the client and the outsourcing service provider. The company has to manage both parties for the successful project.
Project-specific
It involves project-based outsourcing solutions. As the company enters into the contract for decentralizing the project ownership to an outside vendor. However, the company will get a report of the progress and hand over the authority to the client after the development.
Dedicated Team
The dedicated team model is majorly opted for by the client. It is majorly the first agreement between the IT service provider and clients on hiring a dedicated development team for their project. Moreover, the clients reserve the team exclusively for long-duration projects.
Staff Augmentation
Usually, the staff augmentation model is chosen to fill the resource gap for a short duration. It is considered to onboard the outsourced team to partner with you in-house in order to furnish the project needs. So, it is also referred to as external hiring. It follows the time and material contract between the client and the company.
Further, you will need to know about the appropriate time when going for outsourcing is beneficial or required. It will help you to select the right type of outsourcing model as well.
When should you Outsource a project?
Outsourcing web development projects is a critical decision that needs to be taken based on circumstances. To make it concise, the following situations are best to go for outsourcing solutions.
When your in-house team is insufficient to meet the client’s project needs. You have to look for a remote software development team
The time when you want to reduce development costs with dedicated developers. As you outsource to countries with lower rates, your web development project falls under the range.
If you discover an urgent deadline task that is inevitable to finish on time, selecting an outsourced team will eliminate the challenge. It will deliver your project needs as per your criteria within the stipulated time frame.
The above scenarios might raise the question of the process of outsourcing the web development project. So, here we have you covered with a brief overview of it.
So, as you have to perform the steps to finalize the best outsourcing partner, we thought to decrease your burden. The below companies offer top-notch outsourcing services and reduce software development costs for your client/project.
Top Outsourcing Partners for Your Project
Rlogical Techsoft
Glorium Technologies
Technource
Hastechy
Prismetric
Summing Up
That is all about the importance of outsourcing for web development projects today. These companies have been recognized for custom-tailored software services. However, you can also unleash other providers based on their customer reviews and ratings. The quick top would be to perform the interview round of the developers before starting your project. As it will give you a brief insight into their knowledge. So, all the best for your outsourcing project. If you liked the article do share it on your network!
There is an amazing community effort happening in search of a new logo for CSS. I was a bit skeptical at first, as I never really considered CSS a “brand.” Why does it need a logo? For starters, the current logo seems… a bit dated.
Displayed quite prominently is the number 3. As in CSS version 3, or simply CSS3. Depending on your IDE’s selected icon pack of choice, CSS file icons are often only the number 3.
To give an incredibly glossed-over history of CSS3:
Seems like this stems mainly from the discontinuation of version numbering for CSS. These days, we mostly reference newer CSS features by their individual specification level, such as Selectors Level 4 being the current Selectors specification, for example.
A far more general observation on the “progress” of CSS could be taking a look at features being implemented — things like Caniuse and Baseline are great for seeing when certain browsers implemented certain features. Similarly, the Interop Project is a group consisting of browsers figuring out what to implement next.
There are ongoing discussions about the “eras” of CSS, though, and how those may be a way of framing the way we refer to CSS features.
Chris posted about CSS4 here on CSS-Tricks (five years ago!), discussing how successful CSS3 was from a marketing perspective. Jen Simmons also started a discussion back in 2020 on the CSS Working Group’s GitHub about defining CSS4. Knowing that, are you at least somewhat surprised that we have blown right by CSS4 and are technically using CSS5?
CSS3 (~2009-2012): Level 3 CSS specs as defined by the CSSWG
CSS4 (~2013-2018): Essential features that were not part of CSS3, but are already a fundamental part of CSS.
CSS5 (~2019-2024): Newer features whose adoption is steadily growing.
CSS6 (~2025+): Early-stage features that are planned for future CSS.
Check out this slide deck from November 2023 detailing the need for defining stronger versioning. Their goals are clear in my opinion:
Help developers learn CSS.
Help educators teach CSS.
Help employers define modern web skil…
Help the community understand the progression of CSS capabilities over time.
Circling back around to the logo, I have to agree: Yes, it’s time for a change.
Back in August, Adam Argyle opened an issue on the CSS-Next project on GitHub to drum up ideas. The thread is active and ongoing, though appears to be honing in on a release candidate. Let’s take a look at some proposals!
Nils Binder, from 9elements, proposed this lovely design, riffing on the “cascade.” Note the river-like “S” shape flowing through the design.
Regarding the reference to the ‘CSS IS AWESOME’ meme, I initially chuckled, of course. However, at the same time, the meme also represents CSS as something quirky, unpredictable, and full of bugs. I’m not sure if that’s the exact message that needs to be repeated in the logo. It feels like it reinforces the recurring ‘CSS is broken’ mantra. To exaggerate: CSS is subordinate to JS and somehow broken.
Wow, is this the end of an era for the familiar meme?
It’s looking that way, as the current candidate builds off of Javi Aguilar’s proposal. Javi’s design is being iterated upon by the group, it’s shaping up and looks great hanging with friends:
Javi describes the design considerations in the thread. Personally, I’m a fan of the color choice, and the softer shape differentiates it from the more rigid JavaScript and Typescript logos.
As mentioned, the discussion is ongoing and the design is actively being worked on. You can check out the latest versions in Adam’s CodePen demo:
I think the thing that impresses me most about community initiatives like this is the collaboration involved. If you have opinions on the design of the logo, feel free to chime in on the discussion thread!
Once the versions are defined and the logo finalized, the only thing left to decide on will be a mascot for CSS. A chameleon? A peacock? I’m sure the community will choose wisely.
It’s a great time to start a small business. Although many Americans feel pretty gloomy about the 2024 economic outlook, a majority think it’s primed for a rebound in the near future. Most Americans are already spending like boom times are back anyway, according to a recent study on spending habits.
One-man startups that could be looking to scale up in response to consumer spending may be wondering when and how to hire their first employee. There’s no easy, one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
If you wait too long to hire that first employee, you could be putting them in a workplace environment of low morale because of missed deadlines and heavy workloads. If you hire them too early, you’re wasting money and time devising work to keep them busy.
Here’s when and how to properly hire your first employees.
Crunch the numbers
Start with the fundamental questions: Will hiring new employees help your business save money or generate more money? If you’re just starting out, increasing your business’ income is more important than saving money, but both are important. If you can’t firmly answer yes to at least one of those questions, hiring someone may not make sense for you right now.
Take your emotional temperature
Objectively ask yourself why you’re thinking of hiring a new employee. Is it because it’ll help you level up your business, or is it for more emotional reasons?
If you’re desperately behind, overworked, or lonely being the sole employee of your business, those are valid concerns, but they aren’t necessarily good reasons to hire someone — especially if your desperation leads you to rush your recruitment process.
If you’re hiring because your business simply isn’t bringing in enough revenue, it’s doubtful that the generative effects of bringing on a new employee will surpass their compensation. It might make more sense for you to enhance your cash flow through some lucrative side hustles to make extra money until your revenue increases.
Some common signs that you may be hiring prematurely or for the wrong reasons are that you can’t define a specific role for your first employee or you have very low standards for who you’ll hire. If you feel like you just need to get someone in the door, step back and think about why you feel that way and what your business actually needs.
Consider a co-founder
Your first hire doesn’t necessarily need to be an employee. They could just as well be a partner. If you come across someone who perfectly shares and complements your skills, values, and vision as a founder and entrepreneur, consider bringing them on board as a co-founder. Empowering a talented entrepreneur as an equal partner can often unlock hidden potential and put your business on the fast track to success.
Test drive a contractor
On the other end of the spectrum, you might want to take things slow. In that case, a contractor could be a great test case for what you need out of your early hires.
The commitment to a contractor is limited and usually quite short — usually between a month and a year depending on the agreement. In that time, you can try them out in different roles and evaluate their overall performance. If they prove themselves to be a valuable asset, you can always transition them into a permanent full-time role.
You could also interview a freelancer. In general, freelancers work on much shorter terms than contractors. You could bring them aboard to work only on a specific project and conclude their employment when that project is finished.
Think skills, not job titles
Alongside considering what you want your early hires to do, consider what kinds of skills and experiences will enable them to excel in that role. The more specific you can be, the better. Make a list and target only candidates who check all the boxes.
Understand that hiring is a two-way process
You know why you want to hire your first employees, and you probably have a pretty specific idea of the skills and experiences you want those first employees to have. But during the interview process, don’t forget that candidates are evaluating you as much as you’re evaluating them.
Employees want to know that you have a defined role for them. Before you start interviewing, sit down and define the role you’re hiring for, including how you plan to measure their performance, the outcomes and deliverables that role will be responsible for, and the processes they’ll be expected to perform.
Think about the role on different timelines, too. How will that role work in the next year, and how might it evolve in the next two, three, or five years? For someone interviewing for a job, there’s no such thing as too much information.
Widen your hiring horizons
When you’re searching for that perfect hire, think globally. There’s elite talent all over the world, especially when it comes to qualified tech workers. If their role can be performed remotely, you could tap into serious savings, especially if they live in a country with public health care. Foreign employees also offer valuable insights into their local markets and can dramatically increase your business’ availability if they’re in a different time zone.
Consider tapping into youthful energy by hiring a promising college student. If the role you’re looking to fill can be performed by a recent grad or even a college intern, they could provide a huge amount of hustle and motivation, as well as novel perspectives and ideas that could be valuable to forward-thinking industries.
In a fast-paced industry like tech, it can be hard to deal with the fear of missing out on important news. But, as many of us know, there’s an absolutely huge amount of information coming in daily, and finding the right time and balance to keep up can be difficult, if not stressful. A classic piece of technology like an RSS feed is a delightful way of taking back ownership of our own time. In this article, we will create a static Really Simple Syndication (RSS) reader that will bring you the latest curated news only once (yes: once) a day.
We’ll obviously work with RSS technology in the process, but we’re also going to combine it with some things that maybe you haven’t tried before, including Astro (the static site framework), TypeScript (for JavaScript goodies), a package called rss-parser (for connecting things together), as well as scheduled functions and build hooks provided by Netlify (although there are other services that do this).
I chose these technologies purely because I really, really enjoy them! There may be other solutions out there that are more performant, come with more features, or are simply more comfortable to you — and in those cases, I encourage you to swap in whatever you’d like. The most important thing is getting the end result!
The Plan
Here’s how this will go. Astro generates the website. I made the intentional decision to use a static site because I want the different RSS feeds to be fetched only once during build time, and that’s something we can control each time the site is “rebuilt” and redeployed with updates. That’s where Netlify’s scheduled functions come into play, as they let us trigger rebuilds automatically at specific times. There is no need to manually check for updates and deploy them! Cron jobs can just as readily do this if you prefer a server-side solution.
During the triggered rebuild, we’ll let the rss-parser package do exactly what it says it does: parse a list of RSS feeds that are contained in an array. The package also allows us to set a filter for the fetched results so that we only get ones from the past day, week, and so on. Personally, I only render the news from the last seven days to prevent content overload. We’ll get there!
But first…
What Is RSS?
RSS is a web feed technology that you can feed into a reader or news aggregator. Because RSS is standardized, you know what to expect when it comes to the feed’s format. That means we have a ton of fun possibilities when it comes to handling the data that the feed provides. Most news websites have their own RSS feed that you can subscribe to (this is Smashing Magazine’s RSS feed: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/feed/). An RSS feed is capable of updating every time a site publishes new content, which means it can be a quick source of the latest news, but we can tailor that frequency as well.
