Wordpress Theme Customization - Seven Benefits Of Using A WordPress Backup Plug-In

If you own a WordPress based e-commerce site you know that there are several different tools you can use to make your site easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing. While design tools can be very helpful when you are posting new products and posting new content, these tools will only help you with the front-end. If you need help backing up your website you can invest in a WordPress backup plug-in. If you do not backup your site content which includes widgets, themes and images a crashed server can cause loads of damage to your business. In the rest of this article we will take a look at the seven benefits you can expect to receive by using a WordPress backup plug-in.

Benefit #1 - Protect Your Online Property

Some website owners leave the process of backing up their database to their host. If this service is not included in your package and you do experience a server failure, you will learn the hard way. A backup plug-in will perform regular backups for you so all of your widgets, plugins, and themes are safe and secure.

Benefit #2: Storing Your Data Off-line

Just because some of your data is backed up through WordPress does not mean it is safe. When you choose a reliable backup plug-in then all of the data will be sent offsite to your email or to Amazon S3 so it will always be available when you need it.

Benefit #3: Schedule Your Backups So You Never Forget

Backing up your WordPress blog or site is similar to backing up your laptop. When you sign on to your laptop and write a paper the last thing you do is perform a backup. The same goes for when you make a post for your website. When you have a backup plug-in you can schedule regular back-ups so you never forget to do it manually.

Benefit #4: Ability To Restore Site Quickly

You do not have to be a computer genius to restore your website when you have a backup plug-in. The restore function of the plugin is something you will grow to love the first time you have a problem.

Benefit #5: Easy Migration

If you build a custom site and then you want to change your domain you can migrate your entire site easily with the right plug-in. This means you can keep the same themes, style, widgets, and the overall look of the site without having to redesign it.

Benefit #6: Scan Your Files For Security Threats

You may be able to prevent hacking by choosing a plug-in with a scanner. If you scan for malware while you are backing up then you can keep your site safe and secure. This will also help improve the overall performance and compatibility of your site.

Benefit #7: Get the Help You Need Without Hiring an Expensive Professional

You can use help tools and ask questions if you are not sure to do with your site. You know how expensive it can be to consult with a designer or a host. Reduce your budget while increasing efficiency with a backup plug-in.

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Dedicated WordPress Developer for WordPress Customization

Why to hire dedicated expert for custom WordPress theme/ template customization? By means of customization and integration, a person can build a custom website powered by WordPress. However, the proper customization of theme needs a specialized person with an extensive knowledge. This brings skilled WordPress programmer into real picture.

A web developer plays very significant role in customization of web template to build a unique web portal by using incredibly successful state-of-the-art publishing platform and CMS WordPress. A dedicated expert is the most reliable person able to customize and integrate PSD format based files into open source WordPress theme/ template encoded with strong HTML/ XHTML/ CSS mark-up languages efficiently.

The custom web-development is consider most effective solution to design a good quality website. With the help of customization and integration of web template/theme, a professional provide completely different look to particular site. By this way, a web programmer add high level of interactivity, usability, accessibility and functionality in a custom online portal.

Hiring professional from web development company is an important decision because it is directly associated with improved online presence of particular website. A well designed and SEO semantic portal powered by WordPress can bring high traffic rate, positive Return On Investment, immediate brand recognition and so on. Therefore, an individual should carefully select web programmer for custom theme/ template customization.

Some important questions about hiring dedicated expert from web development company which every person should ask for are discuss in brief:

•     How many projects had completed by particular developer till date?
•     What is the basic educational qualification of a coder?
•     Is particular programmer proficient in MySQL, PHP, JavaScript, Ajax, jQuery, HTML and CSS?
•     What is the total cost of hiring and mode of payment?
•     Is particular expert hold experience of 5+ years in WordPress customization and integration?
•     Can I have a look to the work done by particular professional?
•     Is there any quality assurance?
•     What about availability at the time of emergency?

So, it is advisable to consider all the above discussed questions while hiring dedicated WordPress developer for custom WordPress theme/template customization.

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Thesis WordPress Theme - Mastering Custom Hooks and Functions in Thesis

Thesis is a very flexible theme. It can be customized very easily using what developers call "Thesis Hooks."

Thesis Hooks can change every part of your WordPress blog. In this WordPress tutorial, I'm going to show you how to modify your Navigation Menu.

You have probably noticed that the default installation always has the Navigation Menu on top of the default screen. You can change the default location by using Thesis hooks. By using Thesis Hooks, you can move the Navigation menu to appear below the blog title and blog description.

So, let's get started with using custom hooks and functions in the Thesis theme for WordPress.

Follow theses steps:

    Access the User Guide
    Find the support page
    Click on Thesis Default Hook Usage
    Access the Member's Area
    Find, click, and read the page called "How to Customize Like a Pro with Thesis Hooks"
    Access the link "Make Your Header Display Above your Navigation Menu"
    Find the appropriate code, and copy it
    Return to your WordPress blog
    Paste the code in the entry box in Custom File Editor

Thesis Default Hook Usage:

Go ahead and access the Thesis Theme Member's Area to get started. On this page, you can access information about Thesis Hooks and which actual hooks are needed to achieve different looks on Thesis. Generally speaking, each function requires a pair of codes. The first code is called the function. The second code is called the hook. You need to enter both of these codes in order to build a custom function in Thesis.

Find the page called "How to Customize Like a Pro with Thesis Hooks." There, you will find a tutorial including real examples. Go ahead and click on the link to access the tutorial. Feel free to read through the entire page.

Next, find the link called "Make Your Header Display Above your Navigation Menu." Find the code, and then copy it. Next, return to your WordPress blog. You will paste this code in your Custom File Editor.

Enable your Thesis hook functions by changing WordPress settings:

    Find the Thesis Options tab
    Click on Custom File Editor
    Select the custom_functions option
    Click on Edit Selected File
    Access WordPress using FTP
    Click on wp-content
    Click on Themes
    Click on Thesis
    Click on Custom
    Access the custom_functions.php page
    Right click the link
    Choose File Permissions
    Change the permissions to 777
    Click on OK

The next step is to find the Thesis Options tab. Click on Custom File Editor. Then, from the drop-down menu, you can either select custom.css, layout.css, or custom_functions. For this purpose, you need to select the custom_functions category. Then, click on Edit Selected File. In order to run custom_function, you need to set up the correct file permissions on your WordPress blog.

Access your WordPress site using an FTP application. Then, click on wp-content. Click on Themes. Then, click on Thesis. Next, click on Custom. You will see the custom_functions.php page. Right click this link, and then choose File Permissions. Change the permissions to 777 and then click on OK.

Move the Navigation Menu by using Thesis Hooks

    Return to Member's Area
    Remove the Thesis Navigation menu using thesis_hook_before_header
    Copy the code
    Go back to Thesis Custom File Editor
    Find entry box, paste the copied code
    Click on Save
    Refresh the page to verify settings

For now, let's return to the Members Area code again. In order to make the Navigation Menu move from the top to the beneath the header, there are two sets of actions that need to be completed. The first is a remove action, which is to remove the Thesis Navigation menu from the current location of thesis_hook_before_header.

The second action is to add the action back into the appropriate area on Thesis Hooks. Copy this code, and then go back to the Thesis Custom File Editor. Once you are on the Thesis Custom File Editor page, you will see comments and notes that appear by default. These comments and notes show you how to add custom hooks, or custom functions. Find the entry box, and paste the copied code exactly as it appeared in the Members Area example. Then, click the Save button.

After you have clicked save, it will confirm the changes. Refresh the page. Now, take a look at the changes. You can see that the Navigation Menu now appears before the header and beneath the blog title and description.

Remove the Thesis Attribution Link using Thesis Hooks

    Click on the link "Get Smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIY Themes"
    Return to Member's Area to access the code format to remove a function
    Find the specific Thesis attribution code link
    Copy the code
    Return to File Editor
    Paste the copied function
    Go back to Support Area
    Click on User Guide
    Find Thesis Default Hook Usage
    Find and click on the pair of codes called Thesis Attribution
    Copy the function
    Paste the function into the entry box
    Copy the hook
    Paste the hook into the entry box alongside the function copy
    Click on Save

In the next example, let's discuss removing the Thesis attribution link. If you want to remove the default Thesis attribution link, click on the link that reads, "Get Smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIY Themes." Go back to the Member's Area to find the code format to remove a function. Find the code for the Thesis attribution link. Copy the code, and then go back to File Editor. Right below the body of text, go ahead and paste the copied function.

Next, find the correct hook name and the correct function to complete the process.

Now, go back to the Support Area. Click on User Guide. Then, look for Thesis Default Hook Usage. Once you have accessed the page, you will find a useful example as to the pair of codes that are needed to make this change work. Click on the codes, and then find the one called Thesis Attribution.

Next, copy the function. Then, paste the function in the entry box. Now, copy the hook. You will paste the hook into the entry box alongside the function copy. Click on Save. Then, you will be prompted with a confirmation message. To confirm the changes, refresh the page and the footer should be gone.

By using Thesis Hooks, you can virtually customize Thesis however you want. If you need additional help, you can use online support forums and the user guide. The forums are active with a lot of advanced WordPress and Thesis users. Using the available resources is helpful if you run into any customization issues using Thesis Hooks for WordPress.


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Benefits Of Using Premium WordPress Themes

If you have the budget, go for a custom designed WordPress theme instead of settling for a free one. But don't just go to any WordPress theme designers. To get the most out of your theme, make sure you deal with an experienced and SEO-knowledgeable WordPress template designer / developer. Based from experience, a good designer will cost you somewhere between 3K to 5K depending on your design requirements. If you choose to settle for a custom designed WordPress theme, you should understand that sooner or later, you will have to pay for the developer to upgrade your theme in case WordPress releases a newer version. If you're OK with the above, then a custom designed WordPress theme is highly recommended for you. Alternatively, you can settle for the next best thing - Premium WordPress themes.

Using premium themes like Thesis, Headway, Genesis and Catalyst gives you an edge in terms of customization and SEO. These themes are coded by no less than the experts so you can be sure they are compliant to established web standards. They are also compatible to virtually every internet browser so you don't have to worry about how your website will look when viewed in any browser. These are just a few benefits that is available to you if you opt to use a Premium WordPress theme.

Premium WP themes Are Cost Efficient

Cost is one of the reasons why most bloggers and webmasters choose to use Premium WordPress themes over custom designed theme. Although it shouldn't be the case, website owners are limited with their resources. The truth is, to get a good custom designed WordPress theme, it will cost you some money and so, if you are not ready to shell out funds for your WordPress theme, then a Premium theme will do. It will cost you only a fraction of what you pay for a custom designed theme. The problem is, you risk your website's brand if you don't customize it since there will be many of you using the same theme.

Premium themes And Customization

The good news is, Premium WordPress themes are easy to customize. In fact, Premium themes' best selling proposition is their "customizability". While the ease of customization varies from one Premium theme to another, they're generally easy to customize without having to deal with codes. This feature is especially appealing to website owners who don't know how to write a code and who just want to concentrate on creating solid content and marketing their products.

Lifetime Updates, Upgrades And Support

While not true to all Premium WordPress themes, a sizeable number does provide lifetime update and upgrade. WordPress continue to improve, hence, the release of newer versions. But with the enhancements and improvements on WordPress, your outdated theme may no longer work as it used to. What's worse, it could potentially inhibit the your website achieving it's full potential.

theme support, another important feature that should be "a-must" for every WordPress theme is not always available to all themes. If you've chosen to use a Premium Template, chances are, that you are receiving all the support that you need. Thesis theme for instance, has got a great support community where you can get all the help you need. A detailed theme documentation that comes with almost all WordPress themes is not enough to get you sailing all by yourself. Some wild customization that you require might not have been documented and so you want someone to help you. This is why support is indispensable.

Search Engine Optimization

Traffic is the lifeblood of every website. In order for your online business to thrive, you need to make sure people are constantly visiting your website. The best route would be from the search engines to your website. Why? Because traffic from search engines are highly targeted, hence, highly convertible. To get a share of traffic from Google, Yahoo and Bing, your website needs to be optimized for them. It's called SEO, short for search engine optimization. Now what has Premium WordPress themes got to do with SEO you ask? Well, SEO starts on your website and it's called on-page optimization. If the WordPress template you're using is poorly coded and confusing to the search engines, then you can't expect much love from them. Unfortunately, this is often the reality that free WordPress theme users have to face. Free WordPress Templates are mostly created by novice designers. Premium WordPress Templates, on the other hand, are usually created by the more experienced and knowledgeable WordPress developers/ designers. And because it's for mass consumption, it would be easy identify the good ones from the mediocre ones. All it takes is a quick search on Google to read reviews and testimonials from current and previous users. For custom designed themes, it's really hard to tell especially if you don't know how to write a code.

Rocky John Tayaban is a seasoned blogger with over 7 years experience in search engine optimization (SEO) and online marketing. Currently, he manages his team of senior SEOs through his founded company - SEOQuickRank.com. Rocky and his team provide SEO services to companies from the US, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.

If you are looking to outsource SEO services, cut costs and still get the same results from a US based SEO company, then you should check out SEOQuickRank.com. It's a Philippine based SEO company made up of a team of experienced and knowledgeable search engine specialists.

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Web Development, Custom Coding and WordPress Themes That Are Affordable

Employing professional programmers, coders and designers to create custom built websites, code specific applications and functionalities and design attractive and relevant WordPress themes has, in the past, been a potentially prohibitively costly service that many new start up websites can not begin to afford. While it is true that there are free generic templates available, especially for WordPress, a generic web site will put many potential customers off your web site by appearing less eye catching, failing to promote brand recognition and in some cases appearing less trustworthy than custom built sites.

Fortunately, as the need for cheap and affordable web development, coding and WordPress themes has risen dramatically in the age of ecommerce, studios of hundreds of professional qualified programmers are available to fill all sorts of requests with unique content and reasonable turnaround times.

Especially prevalent in the current market place is WordPress. WordPress is valued for its ease of use, low bandwidth requirements, and the large amounts of support freely available to new users. Even better, a professionally developed WordPress document bears very little or no resemblance at all to the generically mass produced templates that are common on commission and affiliate-less blogs all over the internet. While it is great that many not for profit blogs and sites can start up without having to pay for any sort of development at all, a web site that intends to generate the sort of traffic required to begin making any sort of real money will be much more successful if it makes use of a custom made design.

Custom coding and further web development prices depends entirely on the applications and functionality required. A web site that wants to implement simple and common ecommerce features will benefit greatly from utilizing a custom designed checkout and sales system that runs on a premade structure of sales communications to stand out from the crowd and further increase brand recognition among customers. Complex and esoteric features can vary widely in price depending on a large number of factors. It is best to get a quote from a design company before creating a site that relies on unusual features.

In order to find out more on HostMonster Review and similar website and webmaster related guides, check out web hosting reviews.

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Get Paid by Building Custom WordPress Themes

Nowadays, blogging has been a way for us to talk about anything under the sun. It is like an online diary where you could write your thoughts and share your opinions on a certain matter. You can actually express your self freely without even revealing your true identity. Furthermore, it can be used as a way of promoting stuff and providing information to different kinds of people. You can even make money out of your blogs. That is why a lot of people are willing to spend their money just to have it customized.

WordPress is one of the leading pillars when it comes to blogging and this might be a great opportunity for you to showcase your talent in design and at the same time earn money. Do you have the skills and knowledge on CSS and HTML? Are you interested in earning money online? Well how about making custom word press themes for various blogs?

You can actually offer various themes and charge them appropriately.But it is best to have a website, where you could show examples of your custom made themes, and if possible offer it according to a certain category or property. If you are new in this kind of industry, there are actually lots of step by step guide on how to make themes on the Internet.

Of course you need research for you to know what kind of themes are currently in demand. It is important that you recognize you target market. You don't just go ahead and create whatever comes into your mind, especially if you are told by your clients about their preference. Most bloggers want to have unique blogs that reflect themselves so it is important that you follow it. Some clients are also after the simplicity in usage and flexibility.

Or probably here is what you can do. You can create a site and have a form filled out by your clients. It may include the details of the theme they want. Ask all the necessary information. Based on the description and complexity of the job, you can give them an estimate through their email. Since the process is highly customized if possible, allow revisions until your customers are satisfied. Customer satisfaction should be your primary goal. Always remember that in the long run, loyal customers will give you the most profits. They can actually provide you referrals and the word of mouth is actually the strongest form of advertisement. For starters, this is actually a great way of offering your services, giving you an edge from your competitors

If all is set it is now the time for you to make your website known. Use all available means of advertisement in the Internet. Offer great discounts to your clients, use SEO optimization techniques, and come up with great ideas to be unique.

If you have the talent and skills, the eye for designing, then you should specialize in making custom WordPress themes. There are a whole lot of bloggers and you could earn a lot of money from them. If you want to earn money online, then you should try this one.

Do you want more money making ideas? Check out our website where you will find tons of ideas such as doing online surveys for money, affiliate marketing, or just earning a little extra pocket money.

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Build Custom WordPress Themes to Earn Money

The web design industry is also growing fast and quick. There are plenty of opportunities to earn thousands of dollars by customizing websites. As of this writing, WordPress is the most popular CMS (content management system) for web masters and bloggers. WP is a powerful open source platform and is highly customizable as long as you are familiar with HTML, PHP and JavaScript.

So, how do you make money by building custom WP themes? First, knowledge of CSS (custom style sheet) is going to help a lot. Knowing how to modify different coding languages such as HTML, PHP and JavaScript is essential in getting a designing job. However, you don't really need to be an expert in coding to be a web designer. Today, there are available software and tools that make web designing easier.

Here are some of the things that will help you design a website without an intensive knowledge of coding:

•     Artisteer - For the price of $129, you can have a copy of the standard edition and build your own website made of Drupal, DotNetNuke, WordPress, Blogger and HTML. Even web designers who have high expertise in coding prefer Artisteer because it's very easy to use and you don't have to spend hours or days to build a website. Everything is done with just a few clicks. How to make money? Build customized themes then sell it to bloggers and website owners.
•     ThemeFrame - Unlike Artisteer, you can only create WordPress themes with ThemeFrame. This product is especially designed for WordPress fans. It has tons of features which you will surely love. Let's discuss some of those amazing features. First, it has a visual CSS editor which means that you can immediately see the changes as you edit the layout. Second, you can trust that your created themes are browser-safe. This means that the theme is going to be view-able in any type of browser whether be it Opera, Chrome, FireFox, etc. Third, there is no need to code which is the best feature of ThemeFrame.
•     Headway Themes -This is a WordPress framework. You can easily design a web page with its drag and drop feature. This is also very similar to ThemeFrame in terms of features and benefits. You have the option to buy the personal version which can be used for non-commercial purposes. But if you want to make a business out of it, you will want the developer's version which you can use for designing your clients' websites.
•     Genesis - Another amazing framework for WordPress. It allows the user to create different layout and styles but knowledge of various coding languages is essential. However, there are hundreds of tutorial that can be found online so coding should not be a problem at all. Genesis is a popular framework and lot of designers are using it. It's easy to get a support if anything went wrong. Its best feature? Genesis is SEO-optimized. The codes are "clean" and there are no unnecessary tags within the template so using it will help the website get a high ranking in search engines.
•     Thesis - There are only two things you need when you want to customize the Thesis framework - custom.css and custom_function.php. Thesis makes use of hooks to modify the design of the webpage. This is relatively easy to understand albeit the fact that you still need some advanced knowledge in coding. Just like Genesis, there are plenty of tutorials in the web and you can easily ask for support from the Thesis admin if your copy is licensed.

What to do next? The next step is to buy a framework or software which you think will best work for you. Most web designers opt for Artisteer because of its flexibility and usability. Make as many websites as you can and for beginners, consider to submit your themes for free in WP directories. Don't forget to insert a credit link in the footer so clients can easily find you. Later on, when you've already established your name in the industry, you can start charging customers for every customized WordPress theme that you create.

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Custom WordPress Themes Gives Your Site the Unique Appeal

Making use of a unique looking website is very important for the growth of your online business. The WordPress themes which are available for free are boring and are used by many other site owners. Hence, in order to give your site a unique look, it is advisable to install a custom WordPress theme.

In order to build a custom WordPress theme, you can get in touch with theme designer and let them know what kind o them you are looking for. He will then build a theme that will suit the products and services that you are offering through your site. Installing a custom made theme will make it look attractive and will be able to attract more traffic. This will eventually help you in making profits through your online business.

Getting a Personalized Theme for your site.

There are many SEO companies and wed designing companies available on the web. Such companies will also assist you in making a custom logo and header for you site. You can visit these sites and check out their quotes. You will have to invest a lot of money to make a truly high quality theme. A one time investment in making a unique looking theme for your site will surely help you in the long run.

A custom made theme will also help you in creating more advertising area on your site. This one f the ways through which you will be able to more revenue from your site. Moreover, the best part about using a custom made theme build is that the designer that has assisted in building a them for your site will provide you help and support if you face any problem with the theme.

If you are still using a boring look theme and if you are not able to find any good looking theme for your site, you should go for a custom WordPress theme to give your website the best look possible.

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Time to Hire Dedicated WordPress Developer for Your Self-Hosted Website

There are at least 60 million websites that are using WordPress framework to host respective websites or blogs. The wide-spread popularity of WordPress owe to the features of the platform. Moreover, it's an open source project that does not incur very high development cost. WordPress themes can be downloaded for free and even the paid themes are quite affordable. In addition to that, WordPress has an extremely user-friendly backend system that does not require the expertise of a professional programmer to carry forward with day to day management of the website. Due to the endless features and convenience of using the WordPress platform, there are number of self-hosted WordPress websites/blogs on the web. Platforms such as WordPress have empowered non-tech users to take control over the facets of website development. Self-hosted websites are good, but have certain limitation especially over matters related to website security. Therefore, if your WordPress website store aims to showcase pertinent information regarding your business, it becomes imperative to hire a WordPress developer responsible for following security protocols.

A very common mistake that self -hosted WordPress website owners make is the constant ignoring of the need to upgrade WordPress version, programs, themes and plug-ins. Running the website on an old version makes it extremely vulnerable to attacks and hacking. For regular up gradation and periodic maintenance of the website, it is crucial to hire a dedicated WordPress developer. A critical component of website maintenance is creating a full proof back-up of the entire website. Self-hosted website can only partially create a backup. To withstand an unforeseen circumstance in terms of data loss, it doesn't hurt to get in touch with a professional developer who will be responsible for managing the control panel of the website, thus creating the back-up of the website in the most efficient manner.

Gone are the days when a website was developed and completely forgotten. In a very dynamic business environment, users and customers expect new changes and features on the website. Similarly, as and when business expands, requirements of the corresponding website also changes. There to keep pace with the changing system and need, there is a need to engage a professional developer who can take care of WordPress development, customization and plug-in/widget installation.

Taking assistance of a professional developer is also crucial in terms of minimizing the risks that most novice website owners are not aware of. Small observations such as not accessing WordPress admin from unknown computers or system or using the same keys for a very long time can directly protect your website from unforeseen circumstances. Hire WordPress developer on a part-time basis and learn from his/her varied security measure that will prevent unwarranted activities associated with your website. There are many benefits of employing a professional developer. Besides the technical expertise, a professional WordPress developer will acquaint website owners with latest trends and practices that will enhance the visibility of the portal. Setting up a WordPress CMS is a fairly simple task, however to convert the same into secured, revenue generating website, it is significant to take advice and guidance for an expert developer.

For more information on hire WordPress Developer India

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Customize WordPress Themes and Make Them Unique

Almost everyone who installs their own WordPress theme will at least want to customize the header. How you do this will be dependent on the theme in question.

For most themes, what you can do is use an FTP manager like Filezilla and then go in and replace the current header image on the theme. Again this will vary by theme so the best way to determine how to change your header is to find out if there are any support files with your theme and read them.

The best thing about buying premium themes is that they almost always come with user support as well as forums and files to make installation and customization easy for you.

Other items to customize:

Sidebar - Many people will want to remove the 'Meta' information that is added to WordPress by default. You may also want to add an email opt-in and RSS Feed info to your sidebar. The easiest way to make changes to the sidebars is to find themes that are 'widget' ready. Widget ready themes allow you to easily add and remove widgets to your theme without knowing and special or custom coding. You simply click on the widget selection under 'Appearance' in the left menu of your WordPress software.

Background Color - If you know some HTML the background color is fairly easy to edit. In WordPress find your Stylesheet and the background color coding is usually very close to the top of the stylesheet. Again, this is made much easier if you choose a WordPress theme with different color options. There are many themes out there that now offer various color options. This would mean that you don't need to make any coding changes yourself. Woo Themes is a great choice if you are looking for themes with different colors.

Footer - You'll want to make sure to add your copyright to the footer of any blog or website you create with WordPress. You can also go to the CopyScape website and grab a graphic that shows your site is protected by copyright. To edit the footer you will need to go into your themes source files. These are found again under the Appearance section but this time you will need to click 'Editor'. Add company information as well as privacy policy links in the footer section is a good idea.

When choosing a theme look at what options it has available. This will make doing the customization all that much easier when you come to it.

Ready to get your own WordPress website and theme set up? If you need any help getting started, check out our free mini-course to teach you how to create a website using WordPress.

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A Brief Explanation of WordPress Themes

WordPress is an excellent tool that many small businesses and individuals are using to reach their target audiences. So, what exactly is WordPress and what can you do with it? WordPress is a blogging platform which allows users to either create their own theme or use one of the many free themes available. Let's take a look.

Dashboard

Once you sign up for WordPress you will be able to log into what is called your dashboard. This is where all the magic happens. The first time you sign into your dashboard you might feel a little overwhelmed. Don't fret. The dashboard is the grand central station of your blog. From here you will have access to your blog posts, the different pages of your blog, links to and from your blog, different media you are using, comments to your blog, and of course your WordPress design. WordPress design falls under the "Appearance" section on your dashboard and there is much you can do with it.

Free WordPress Themes
To begin with WordPress you need a theme. This is what people see when they look at your blog, but it's also so much more. It determines the control you have over your blog in terms of look and feel. There are many free WordPress themes that you can choose to use. To gain access to these simply click on "Appearance" on the sidebar of your dashboard and then select "Themes". This will take you to a section of WordPress where all the free themes are available. Each theme will have a brief description, and allow you to be able to preview it via the "Preview" button. If you find one you like you can click the "Activate" button to have the theme active on your blog. The good news about free WordPress themes is that you can switch them anytime you like. On the downside, you are not likely to find a theme with every design element you want on it and while you can add your own design elements like your company logo, in the free WordPress themes, this ability is somewhat limited.

Custom WordPress Themes

To get a custom WordPress theme you can go about it in two different ways. In the first option you can choose a free one and tweak it to your liking. One way to tweak it is to utilize the various widgets that are available with that particular theme. To do this, select the "Widget" selection on the sidebar of your dashboard under appearance. On free WordPress themes you can also edit the stylesheet. This is the code behind the design of your chosen theme. To do this, select the "Edit" option on the sidebar of your dashboard under appearance. It is important to note that stylesheets are set up in CSS which means that in order to edit the theme you will need to possess knowledge of at least basic CSS code.

Your other option is to create your own WordPress theme. This is also done using CSS. WordPress itself gives an excellent tutorial called Theme Development ( http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development ) that is very helpful if you want to develop your own theme. It is important to note that if you want to get a clean looking, professional, custom WordPress theme that no one else will have you are going to need to know coding and have access to a design program. If you have neither of these, a simple solution is to work with a design service that will be able to create a custom WordPress theme for you.

Jane Stone is an online marketing expert and has consulted multiple small businesses on building effective internet campaigns.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Brief-Explanation-of-WordPress-Themes&id=5679931

Factors You Need To Consider Before Your Hire WordPress Developer

Do you want to create a highly interactive blog or website which would enthrall the viewers and lure them to endorse your ideas? Then you definitely need to hire dedicated WordPress developer who will have through knowledge about conversion to WordPress customization and integration. You can hire WordPress programmer from a specialized company for all the conversions to WordPress service you need. Online market is becoming increasingly competitive with the launch of a new portal almost every hour. In such a situation you need to hire dedicated WordPress developer to get yourself recognized among the topmost in the competition.

What Do You Need To Consider Before Hiring A WordPress Developer

Keeping in mind the present scenario of rising competition you need to hire a WordPress programmer who is a proficient web developer. Since the market is so competitive you will find a plethora of people offering you the same kind of services. This might confuse you to some extent as to how to hire dedicated WordPress developer and what criteria he/she needs to fulfill. You should basically have a checklist with which you can tally the people you are considering to hire. The most important criteria that you can consider are

    You should hire WordPress programmer with adequate experience. If the person you are about to hire has a work experience of less than four years then his expertise is questionable. He might be well trained but he might not be adept with the tricks and techniques prevalent in the industry.
    When you hire WordPress programmer you should ensure that he has knowledge of the basic languages like XML, JavaScript and SQL.
    You should always have clear criteria about how much time the developer needs to dedicate to your work. If you want to hire dedicated WordPress developer then he/she should devote enough time to your project to make it worth the investment. You can hire in hourly, weekly or monthly basis depending upon the intricacies required in the work.
    As always and like everyone else you would like to minimize the cost on your project. Hence you should consider how much the WordPress developer is charging and on what basis, i.e. daily, weekly or monthly. If you do not have too much work for the person being hired then there is no point on a monthly basis recruitment which will only increase the cost and not yield any benefit. Also you should inquire about the mode in which payment would be made.
    A technical part that you need to ensure is whether the WordPress developer you are hiring will offer W3C theme which are absolutely original and hand coded.
    An abstract part but nevertheless very important one to keep in mind is that when you hire WordPress programmer whether or not you are achieving the desired results. There are many criteria you can use to evaluate the benefits derived.

Thus to hire a dedicated WordPress developer you just need to ensure certain facts. Once the person matches your wants you can hire him and see a scintillating website being made with all your demands being fulfilled.

SEO outsourcing India provides you with a ready solution for your blogging or website building needs with their dedicated WordPress team. You can also rest assure that in case you face any problems regarding WordPress technicalities our dedicated support team will be there to help you.

SEO outsourcing India provides you with a ready solution for your blogging or website building needs with their Hire dedicated WordPress Team. You can also rest assure that in case you face any problems regarding WordPress technicalities our dedicated support team will be there to help you.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Factors-You-Need-To-Consider-Before-Your-Hire-WordPress-Developer&id=5266297

How to Customize WordPress Theme

Learning how to customize WordPress is not as difficult as you many think it is.

With so many themes out there it is fairly easy to find a new theme for your WordPress blog. But if you just can't seem to find a theme that is quite right, you can always take matters into your own hands and learn how to customize WordPress yourself.

Keep in mind that if you have downloaded a theme you will have to check with the theme creator to make sure they approve your customizing the theme. Most will have no problem with it as long as the theme contains the link back to their site, but you want to check to be sure. If all else fails, you can always customize the default WordPress theme.

Now today I am going to go over customizing the graphics in the WordPress theme. This is the easiest way to customize a WordPress theme and make it your own. I believe in keeping things as simple as possible. As long as you like the layout why get into restructuring the whole site? In keeping with our simple theory, we are going to find the current graphics used on the theme and change them up to fit our new theme.

You will want to find the image files for the theme you are using. This will be simple to do if you installed the theme manually. If you installed the them automatically using WordPress then you will need to find the theme and download it to your hard drive.

Once you have the theme on your hard drive you will want to browse to the image folder. The image folder will most likely be located in an image folder within the theme folder. Each theme creator can name this folder whatever they choose, but most creators will name it 'image' or 'img'.

In this folder you should be able to find the header, background, icon, footer and any other graphics files that are used on that theme. Make a copy of these images so you don't alter the originals and copy them to a work folder on your hard drive. For me it is easier to make a copy of the image files and use them as my base. I already know they work with the theme and they are the correct dimensions I need and there won't be any second guessing on my part.

To edit these files you will need a half way decent graphic editing program. If you have Adobe that is great, if not you can download GIMP for free. Once you have your graphics program fired up the first thing you should do is add a layer to the image to start your work on a 'fresh canvas'.

From this point on it is basically putting your design skills to work. If you have other images you want to replace the images with you can just copy and paste them onto the new layer. There are no limits to the options you have when editing your graphics. I could go into detail here but graphic design is a whole tutorial in itself.

Once you have edited your graphics and are happy with them, it is time to reveal your customized WordPress theme.

There are two ways you can install your new customized theme.

•     You can manually upload your new graphics by using a FTP program. You will want to make sure you upload the graphics to the correct folder and overwrite the original images.
•     You can copy your new files into graphics folder of the original theme on your hard drive and then log into WordPress blog and install it automatically. If you already have the original theme installed, you may need to remove it to install the new one or rename the theme on your hard drive.

If your a little confused with installing WordPress themes you can ready my tutorial on how to install WordPress theme.

These are the basics on how to customize WordPress with graphics. You are only limited by your imagination.

You may want to contact the creator of the original theme to show them how you customized it. They may even link to your blog to show off the theme if they like it enough!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Customize-WordPress-Theme&id=5295808

Free WordPress Themes Vs Premium WordPress Themes: Why Buy a Theme?

There's no free lunch.

Is this really true?

After all, WordPress is free and there are thousands of free WordPress themes (a.k.a. templates).

But, what should you do about the free WordPress themes vs. premium WordPress themes question?

I've used many free and premium WordPress templates.

When I started out building websites and blogging, I used free themes. At first, I thought free were great. As I started building my sites and wanting more capability, I grew frustrated.

Ultimately I caved in and bought a premium WordPress template. I never looked back.

However, that's not to say free WordPress themes are not worth using. I didn't test every free theme available so I can't say there isn't a perfect free theme for your website.

Why buy a premium WordPress template?

1. Embedded links

Many free templates are filled with embedded links... and I'm not talking about a link back to the developer (which is cool by me). I'm talking about links to nefarious sites that you would not wish to link to.

I don't by any stretch of the imagination suggest all free theme developers do this. There are many outstanding theme developers who simply have a link to their site as designer (some don't even do this). The trouble is spotting the good from the bad.

2. Updates

I like the fact premium themes come with updates when WordPress updates. I'd hate to build a fantastic site only to have issues arise down the road because new updates aren't issued.

3. Forum support

I like forum support with my themes. Most free themes don't come with support. You're on your own. I like the fact I can jump into a forum and get answers to my questions.

4. Theme features

Generally (and this is a big generalization), you get more features and flexibility with a premium theme. Go ahead and check out the premium theme features and then compare those with free themes. Generally you'll see a trend that you get more features with a premium template.

5. Attention to detail

Generally, premium themes pay more attention to detail. There are always exceptions, and there are no doubt some fabulously designed free themes. However, generally, I've discovered that premium themes have nicer designs.

6. Credit restrictions

I like the option of removing a link to the theme developer. Many free theme developers stipulate you must retain the link or links in the footer to the theme developer's site or sites. I like giving credit where credit is due, but I also like the option to remove the link if I so wish.

7. Design flexibility

If you're looking for drag and drop WordPress theme customization technology, you're best option is to go with a premium WordPress theme designed for easy customization.

8. Code compliance

Most prominent premium theme developers create themes that are W3C code compliant. Many free templates are W3C code compliant, but not all. Can you spot the difference? If not, then rest easy with a premium theme.

9. Future considerations

Once you get familiar with a premium developer, using their other themes becomes very easy. I've noticed this with many developers. At first, I spend some time figuring out the backend; however, once I become proficient with one theme by a developer, using other themes by that developer is easy.

That's not to say you won't become familiar with a free templates. Instead, most free themes are a one-off or a few by that developer. If you go with a different free theme for another project or a website re-design, chances are you'll choose a free theme from another developer. This requires learning a different backend.

10. Parent / child frameworks

It's possible there are some free templatess that are built using a parent and child framework. However, there are some premium theme developers that presently offer a parent and child framework.

11. Finding a skilled web designer

If you intend to hire a web designer to tweak your website, most premium developers offer a list of recommended web designers familiar with their platforms for custom designs. If you go with a free theme, it may be more difficult to find a capable web designer for a particular free theme.

That said, if you're going to shell out for a web designer, then you can probably hire a web designer who has a developer's licence for a premium theme and will include that in the cost of designing a website for you on WordPress.

Clearly this article leans toward getting a premium WordPress theme rather than using a free template when considering the free WordPress themes vs. Premium WordPress themes question.

There are many good reasons to go with a premium theme and those reasons resulted in me using only premium themes. That said, there are great free themes out there and you just might find the perfect free theme for your website.

Is there still a free lunch?

Yes, if you happen to find the right free theme. However, even if you go with a premium theme, which generally costs less than $100, you're not that far off a free lunch for a great website.

Next, learn how to build WordPress websites at B2Web which includes several video tutorial courses on how to build WordPress websites.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-WordPress-Themes-Vs-Premium-WordPress-Themes:-Why-Buy-a-Theme?&id=6957016

Important Questions to Be Asked Before Hiring WordPress Developer

PSD to WordPress customization and integration plays very crucial role in building a visually appealing, well-designed and highly advanced website or blog. In broader sense, the service of customization and integration of open source WordPress into PSD can give new heights to user's blog or site. For PSD to WordPress service, an individual have to hire a WordPress developer from web-development company. Due to high degree of competitiveness in online market, it is becoming necessary to beat competition with best when every hour a new web portal get launched.

In order to get the best results, an individual requires a proficient web developer. In the wake of soaring competition in the field of WordPress integration, one can find out myriad programmers offering same. This leave a person in big dilemma whom to hire and Why. Below, a set questions is discussed covering a bit from across the board points which a person should consider before hiring WordPress developer from web development company.

1.Does web programmer hold experience of at least 4 years or not?

2.Is WordPress developer proficient in basic languages - JavaScript, XML and MY-SQL?

3.For how many (working) hours professional will work on client's project?

4.What will the cost of hiring and mode of payment?

5.Is there any quality assurance?

6.What about Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)?

7.Will programmer offer 100% original and hand-coded W3C valid theme?

8.Is there any client satisfaction guarantee?

9.What about 24x7 customer and technical support?

However, a good WordPress programmer should expertise in various services like integrated link management, Customized modules development, module installation, implementation and setup, CMS development, theme/ template customization, extensions development, CMS development and system Design, blog customization and lots more. Before hiring a web programmer from web-development company for WordPress customization and integration, a person should ask all the above mentioned question to streamline development of his blog in competitive World Wide Web for faster results. So, increase chances of being on top searches in major search engine such as Google, Yahoo, Bing etc. Generate positive return of investment (ROI) and get high revenues.

For more information to PSD to WordPress and hire WordPress please visit CSSCHOPPER.com today.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Important-Questions-to-Be-Asked-Before-Hiring-WordPress-Developer&id=4969879

Necessity to Hire WordPress Developer for WordPress Integration

From past few decades, a positive increase observed in the demand of WordPress customization and integration service. This positive trend has paved the way for web developers. In the present-day highly competitive market place,hiring WordPress developer is becoming necessity rather than fad to get high quality WordPress integration and customization services.

The WordPress integration and customization is not everybody cup of tea because it requires specialized knowledge and therefore, there is a need to hire WordPress programmer - an expertise person proficient in theme/ template integration and customization. The framework of dedicated programmer involves CMS development and system design, custom modules development and installation, theme/ template integration and customization, extensions development and so on.

Qualities of a good WordPress developer are as follow:

•     Well qualified along with solid technical knowledge.
•     Strong database design and development skills in MySQL, PHP, JavaScript, Ajax, jQuery, HTML and CSS.
•     Experience of 5+ years in web development and web programming.
•     Able to customize plugins.
•     Able to install, configure and manage WordPress installations.

Besides above discussed important parameters, there are some more salient factors which every person should keep in mind while hiring web developer. First of all, an individual should never forget to see the earlier work done by particular expert. In addition to that, one should also ask for number of projects handled by dedicated programmer by a web development company. Flexible hiring plans and cost of hiring are another important factors which a person should ask for.

Some advantages of hiring dedicated programmer for WordPress integration and customization from Indian market are cross browser compatible theme, 100% hand-coded, W3C valid templates coded with HTML/XHTML/CSS, fast and reliable service so on. Apart from these benefits, 100% satisfaction guarantee, full money back assurance, availability at the time emergency, after-sale-customer and technical support are some other facilities being offered by different web development firms.

So, a person should consider all the above given factors to select the most reliable WordPress developer for efficient WordPress customization and integration service.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Necessity-to-Hire-WordPress-Developer-for-WordPress-Integration&id=5214284

Wordpress Theme Customization

There's no free lunch.

Is this really true?

After all, WordPress is free and there are thousands of free WordPress themes (a.k.a. templates).

But, what should you do about the free WordPress themes vs. premium WordPress themes question?

I've used many free and premium WordPress templates.

When I started out building websites and blogging, I used free themes. At first, I thought free were great. As I started building my sites and wanting more capability, I grew frustrated.

Ultimately I caved in and bought a premium WordPress template. I never looked back.

However, that's not to say free WordPress themes are not worth using. I didn't test every free theme available so I can't say there isn't a perfect free theme for your website.

Why buy a premium WordPress template?

1. Embedded links

Many free templates are filled with embedded links... and I'm not talking about a link back to the developer (which is cool by me). I'm talking about links to nefarious sites that you would not wish to link to.

I don't by any stretch of the imagination suggest all free theme developers do this. There are many outstanding theme developers who simply have a link to their site as designer (some don't even do this). The trouble is spotting the good from the bad.

2. Updates

I like the fact premium themes come with updates when WordPress updates. I'd hate to build a fantastic site only to have issues arise down the road because new updates aren't issued.

3. Forum support

I like forum support with my themes. Most free themes don't come with support. You're on your own. I like the fact I can jump into a forum and get answers to my questions.

4. Theme features

Generally (and this is a big generalization), you get more features and flexibility with a premium theme. Go ahead and check out the premium theme features and then compare those with free themes. Generally you'll see a trend that you get more features with a premium template.

5. Attention to detail

Generally, premium themes pay more attention to detail. There are always exceptions, and there are no doubt some fabulously designed free themes. However, generally, I've discovered that premium themes have nicer designs.

6. Credit restrictions

I like the option of removing a link to the theme developer. Many free theme developers stipulate you must retain the link or links in the footer to the theme developer's site or sites. I like giving credit where credit is due, but I also like the option to remove the link if I so wish.

7. Design flexibility

If you're looking for drag and drop WordPress theme customization technology, you're best option is to go with a premium WordPress theme designed for easy customization.

8. Code compliance

Most prominent premium theme developers create themes that are W3C code compliant. Many free templates are W3C code compliant, but not all. Can you spot the difference? If not, then rest easy with a premium theme.

9. Future considerations

Once you get familiar with a premium developer, using their other themes becomes very easy. I've noticed this with many developers. At first, I spend some time figuring out the backend; however, once I become proficient with one theme by a developer, using other themes by that developer is easy.

That's not to say you won't become familiar with a free templates. Instead, most free themes are a one-off or a few by that developer. If you go with a different free theme for another project or a website re-design, chances are you'll choose a free theme from another developer. This requires learning a different backend.

10. Parent / child frameworks

It's possible there are some free templatess that are built using a parent and child framework. However, there are some premium theme developers that presently offer a parent and child framework.

11. Finding a skilled web designer

If you intend to hire a web designer to tweak your website, most premium developers offer a list of recommended web designers familiar with their platforms for custom designs. If you go with a free theme, it may be more difficult to find a capable web designer for a particular free theme.

That said, if you're going to shell out for a web designer, then you can probably hire a web designer who has a developer's licence for a premium theme and will include that in the cost of designing a website for you on WordPress.

Clearly this article leans toward getting a premium WordPress theme rather than using a free template when considering the free WordPress themes vs. Premium WordPress themes question.

There are many good reasons to go with a premium theme and those reasons resulted in me using only premium themes. That said, there are great free themes out there and you just might find the perfect free theme for your website.

Is there still a free lunch?

Yes, if you happen to find the right free theme. However, even if you go with a premium theme, which generally costs less than $100, you're not that far off a free lunch for a great website.

Next, learn how to build WordPress websites at B2Web which includes several video tutorial courses on how to build WordPress websites.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-WordPress-Themes-Vs-Premium-WordPress-Themes:-Why-Buy-a-Theme?&id=6957016

WordPress Theme Modification Services

These days, there are websites sprouting up all over the internet, many of which are using WordPress. Because WordPress uses themes as design templates it means thousands of sites use the same theme, and so look very similar. To differentiate your site, you will want to customize your website as much as possible.

Customizing the WordPress theme can be easy to do. Each theme makes different options available to instantly change the design of the website. There are WordPress theme customization services that can help make these modifications to the design of a theme. While it is true that you don't need to know CSS, HTML and PHP to alter a theme, knowledge of such web programming languages can help greatly in being able to customize the theme. By utilizing theme customization service, website owners can get their site modified more fully, which means making changes that are not available via the Admin Panel of the theme.

A well customized theme can help increase the profitability of the website, as it encourages prospective customers to stay and check out the site.WordPress theme modification can help create the visual impact that is needed to grab the attention of web surfers. A highly creative and visually stimulating background and theme can persuade visitors of your professionalism and thus increase the chances of them coming back for a second visit.

WordPress theme customization services can be vital part of your website development strategy. They can help propel your website in the right direction. Keep in mind that this service only customizes an existing theme to make it different from others. It is a simple yet very efficient way of standing out of a crowd. If you want to go further you can get a theme custom built for you, but the costs for this would be greater.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?WordPress-Theme-Modification-Services&id=5793400

WordPress Theme Customization Services For You

Do you have a WordPress dream theme but are too busy to tweak it? Does your website need an overhaul? Do you want an honest yet professional touch on your website? Then WordPress theme customization services are right for you; websites custom-built the way you want them.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term 'theme', it is like a skin for your website. It gives a harmony and consistency of design elements to your web pages and conveys a message to your visitors about the sites purpose. It can be seasonal like a Christmas or a valentines theme where the icons, colors and graphics mirror the festivity or mood of the website owner, or it can portray a 'professional business-like' image. The elements of a theme include style sheets, template files and images files. To date, WordPress has over one thousand two hundred themes with 23 million downloads. The most popular themes are Atahualpa, Mystique and Thematic. These themes are available for free and can be modified.

Since WordPress themes are supposed to be easy to configure, you might be wondering why there are companies who specialize in the field of WordPress customization. Getting professional help to assist you will not only lessen your workload but also help you create a clear vision as to what you are going to do with your website. These professionals are well-versed when it comes to the features of WordPress. And there are a lot of WordPress Experts you can rely on to provide you with a custom-made website for your business or personal needs.

For many companies having a web presence plays an essential part in building a successful business. If you want to get noticed, you capitalize on marketing strategies like SEO so that more people find your site online. As a start-up business you are no doubt on a budget, but be practical, don't spend too much of 'your' time and effort building and modifying your website, you have other business activities to attend to. There are web developers offering low-cost WordPress theme customization services, it can make more sense to get them to create your website so that you can focus on the other aspects of your business.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?WordPress-Theme-Customization-Services-For-You&id=5433104

Choosing Hand-Scraped Flooring for Your Home

Are you looking for a unique appearance for your floor? If you have considered adding hardwood to your home, opt for hand-scraped flooring. With a distressed appearance, hand-scraped flooring is offered by many manufacturers, from those as all-encompassing as Columbia and Mullican to specialty brands like BR 111 and Homerwood. Regardless of the brand, however, exotic and domestic species, solid and engineered flooring, and unfinished and prefinished varieties are all available hand scraped. In fact, hand scraped lock flooring is even available.

As a trend for the moment, hand-scraped flooring gives a space a rustic and aged appearance. Nevertheless, before you decide on hand-scraped hardwood, determine if you will want this look long-term in your home. For those that do, the floor may need to be refinished. Instead of sanding and adding a stain, the wood should be scraped with a Floor Abrader in order to remove the finish and keep the contours. After this, a new finish can be applied.

Sanding wears away at the unique appearance of hand-scraped flooring, but some may want to do away with it entirely years later, especially if the look goes out of style. But, be careful upfront in this regard. If you see yourself wanting to get rid of hand-scraped flooring many years down the line, add solid hardwood that can be sanded down or opt for an engineered variety that can easily be replaced. Engineered hand-scraped flooring is often distressed down to the veneers below the wear layer, and sanding it away will reveal the lower plys.

At the same time, realize that not all hand-scraped flooring is the same, and several methods are used to create aged or rustic looks. These include:

• Aging. Time worn aged and antique hand-scraped flooring are aged over time, and the resulting appearance is further accented with dark-colored staining, highlighting, and contouring.

• Physically altering the wood. Hardwood can be wire brushed to accent the grain, hand sculpted, or, for the roughest appearance available, hand hewn and rough sawn.

• French bleed. Beveled edges are deeper and highlighted with darker stain.

• Custom unfinished. Once unfinished hardwood is installed, a professional custom distresses it through bleaching, pickeling, beating with chains, or fastening with antique nails. A finish is applied once the wood is distressed.

Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/choosing-hand-scraped-flooring-for-your-home-5383626.html