Customising WordPress Websites with Plugins
One of the reasons why WordPress, the king of content management systems, is so popular is because it offers the possibility of choosing from tens of thousands of plugins to personalise websites and enhance their performance.
That’s why our web developers at Dentons Digital agency in Westbury, Wiltshire, find it so exciting to build custom-made websites for our sole trader and SME clients.
Plugins Explained
Plugins (also known as extensions) are akin to mini-apps – small pieces of code that can be added to your WordPress website to enhance the site’s capabilities. For instance, you can add a contact form, optimise the SEO, build an online store, or create an eye-catching image gallery.
We like to think of plugins as “digital genies” that add a touch of magic to your site – making it look, feel and do things that are specific to your wishes.
Many plugins come free to use, but for most premium plugins there is a charge which varies according to how advanced it is – typically upwards of £40. It’s always wise to buy only tried and tested plugins, or use the free ones, that feature on the WordPress Plugin Directory because a poorly coded, bad quality plugin from an unverified source could do more harm than good to your website.
An experienced WordPress developer can delve even deeper into the realms of specialised customisation, by working on a standard plugin to extend its functionality even further – but that’s another story in its own right.
An Arsenal of Customisation Possibilities
Let’s explore the various ways plugins can supercharge the WordPress website customisation journey:
Design & Layout
Page Builders: Ever dreamt of dragging and dropping elements to create stunning pages? Plugins like Elementor and Divi make it a reality, empowering you to keep your website looking fresh and creating unique layouts without touching a line of code. This means you won’t need to hire a professional developer every time you want to update your website.
Theme Customisation: Plugins like Customiser by SiteOrigin grant fine-grained control over a theme’s colours, fonts, and layouts, allowing for a really fine-tuned design to suit your taste.
Menu Management: Plugins like Max Mega Menu add depth and sophistication to the site’s navigation, making it easier for visitors to explore your website’s content.
Functionality & Features
Contact Forms: Plugins like Contact Form 7 and WPForms enable effortless creation of beautiful and functional contact forms, ensuring smooth communication with your audience.
Social Media Integration: Plugins like Social Warfare and MashShare seamlessly integrate social media sharing buttons, encouraging engagement and spreading your content like wildfire.
E-commerce Solutions: Plugins like WooCommerce transform your website into a fully-fledged online store, complete with product listings, shopping carts, and payment gateways.
Security & Performance: Plugins like Wordfence and Sucuri Security strengthen your website’s defences against malicious attacks, while WP Rocket and Cache Enabler boost website speed and optimise performance.
Content & Engagement
Image Galleries & Sliders: Plugins like Envira Gallery and Meta Slider showcase your visual content in captivating ways, engaging your visitors and enhancing their experience.
Popups & Opt-in Forms: Plugins like OptinMonster and Popup Maker help capture leads and grow your email list with strategic popups and opt-in forms.
SEO Optimisation: Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math guide you in optimising your content for search engines, increasing your website’s visibility and organic traffic.
The Right Plugins for Your Purpose
With around 59,000 WordPress plugins to choose from, it’s a daunting prospect to decide what you need specifically for your website to make it work optimally and successfully as your business’s online presence.
That’s where some professional guidance is invaluable in steering your course through the plethora of plugins, so it’s wise to consult with an experienced agency like Dentons Digital who’ve worked with similar enterprises to yours and know the ropes – without tying you up in them.
We’ll sit down with you and identify your needs – helping you to clearly define what you want to achieve with your website customisation. We’ll start with the essential plugins, and we can always add more if needs must – although the golden rule with using plugins to customise a website is to be judicious and favour quality over quantity.
If you indulge in some DIY website development going forward, be aware that it’s always wise to research and compare the features of plugins before choosing to add them to your site’s repertoire – read reviews and be sure they fit the bill, come from a trusted source and make the grade. Also ensure any plugin you use is compatible with your WordPress version and theme.
Websites to Embody Your Brand
The astute use of plugins to customise your WordPress website will mean your online showcase will embody your brand and represent your values, offering users every opportunity to engage and interact with you and your goods or services.
A website is not a static thing, and WordPress sites lend themselves wonderfully well to experimentation and exploration, so don’t be afraid to pursue your creative plugin journey and try new things. If you can dream it, there is no doubt a plugin to do it, and if not, an expert web developer will be able to extend the capabilities of an existing plugin.
