16 reasons to use xScape based WordPress themes

One of the reasons I created xScape Framework was to integrate things that I think belong into the theme and should be easy to control. Second reason was to create detailed and easy to use control panel that will minimize the need for constant code changes. But there is more.

Control Panel: Settings

This is a random (and not so random) list of reasons why xScape Theme Framework for WordPress and themes based on it are deserving your attention.

1. Control Panel Settings: all theme options are divided into several panels allowing changes to design, typography, content, logo and title, footer and header options without changing a single line of code. Add tracking code for Woopra, Google or Clicky fast. Optimize WordPress header, upload default avatar and much, much more. AJAX powered, with interface using jQuery/jQueryUI for best user experience and rich controls for adding images, choosing colors and more.
2. Menu Designer: Create menus with many options to choose from with full support for custom post types, custom taxonomies, special menu items for admin or user pages, external links… Control menu items visibility with CSS, user/visitor switches and more. Themes can render drop down menus, menu lists or sitemaps from the menus designed with xScape Menu Designer. And you can still use built WordPress Menu, xScape supports that one too.
3. Framework Modules: Many features that are usually needed on the website are made into modules that can be enabled if needed. Add contact form on each page, integrate Google Maps into posts, add Facebook Like button or widgets, add links for sharing on the social networks websites. Modules are loaded when needed, and minimize the need for tons of plugins that you always need to additionally integrate into the theme. More modules are in development.
4. SEO options: Control title for pages, add descriptions and keyword tags to header the way you need it with many options to allow you control over it. Or, if you use specialized SEO plugin, set the theme to allow full SEO control to these plugins.
5. Images handling: Forget about slow and problematic TimThumb most themes use. Images handling is built in the framework and it doesn’t require use of PHP for each image request. Images are uploaded, resized and cached directly and rely on already built in functionalities in WordPress. Your website will not slow down if you have many images displayed in the same time.


Control Panel: Layouts

6. Layout Manager: Need to move sidebar to the right on a single page only? Or to change some settings on one page only? No more going through theme code, messing things up and forgetting what you changed in the first place. Use simple to use layouts manager and adjust settings and layout visually. Enable or disable some of the content blocks, create multiple widgets areas for different parts of the website and use the in sidebars, footer widgets areas and more or control menus on individual pages. Create new templates on the fly for taxonomies, or custom pages.
7. Integrated upgrade: Use our Dev4Press Updater plugin to stay up to date and always have latest version of the theme. Similar to WordPress built in upgrade, our plugin will check twice each day for new versions of our premium plugins and themes.
8. Backup before upgrade: If you have made some changes to the theme, or maybe added new files, custom templates or new style, simply make a list of files you want to be kept safe, and before auto upgrade starts, these files will be saved and restored after upgrade. That way you have latest version of the theme and your modifications. No other free or premium theme offers something like that.
9. Valid and optimized content: Minimzed JavaScript and CSS files, optimized use of images in layouts, clean HTML markup. Both CSS and HTML are compliant with W3C rules and validate 100%. All xScape themes use Blueprint CSS framework for better grid organization of page.
10. Focus on the content: Create WordPress templates without thinking about sidebars or where is the footer or where the menus go. xScape templates are for the content only, and framework will than use layouts settings and make a final page you can always change from control panel.
11. Built in widgets: xScape comes with many widgets built in and optimized. With widgets added by xScape modules, there is total of 12 widgets right now, with more to come. Widgets for Twitter, Flickr, website authors, easy to use tabbed widget, social network links, ads…
12. Export and import settings: If you run more than one website using same theme or even different themes on xScape, you can export settings from one and import into another. This includes settings, layouts, menus and everything else. Backup whole theme or only some files to transfer them to another location.
13. GD Star Rating integration: Already built in are some of the GD Star Rating features: integration with comments for review websites, improved styling specific for each theme. Also, all other of our plugins can be used directly: GD Custom Post Types and Taxonomies, GD Affiliate Center and all the others.
14. GPL: All our themes are 100% GPL licensed. No dual licensing for code and design, no worries about number of websites you can use a theme once you purchase it.
15. Premium Support: All themes are fully supported with fast response time in the forums, or even with email support for membership licenses. Many tutorials are available for all premium users, most of them videos explaining every aspect of the xScape.
16. Free Test Drive: Not sure if this is for you? Test drive each theme for free on our xScape.info test website. All latest versions of all xScape themes are there. You can sign up for a free blog, and for 48 hours test each theme. When you do that, be sure to check out our premium plugins also.

I am sure that there are more reasons, but these 14 are enough for now. xScape is always in development, with new versions released weekly, with new features and long list of planned features yet to come.

List of xScape Themes:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/
Buy xScape Themes or Club Membership:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/xscape/purchase/
xScape Test Drive Website:
http://xscape.info/