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.

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

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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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