What are WordPress Plugins?
Plugins are to WordPress websites what apps are to your mobile phone. They’re magical little bits of software that add all sorts of functions and features to your site, transforming it from a basic blog-like structure into a dynamic web experience with all the bells and whistles you could want.
Plugins can be installed, activated or deactivated with just a few clicks, customising your website without writing any code.
Choosing the right WordPress Plugins
At the time of writing there are more than 58,000 plugins available in the official WordPress plugin directory, so obviously the choice is a bit overwhelming!
The first step in deciding which plugins to use to set up your website is to identify your needs. What do you want and need your website to do? Perhaps you would like users to book appointments online, or you’d like to add a WhatsApp share button. You could even make your content multi-lingual, or you might be thinking practically, like whether you can back up your site in case of data failure.
There are as many functions available to you on a WordPress website as there are plugins to enable them. You can figure out the functionality you need yourself, or enlist the help of a professional WordPress agency who will work with you to narrow down the options.
If you’re a WordPress beginner building your own website then you’ll need to do a great deal of research to ascertain which plugins will best suit your purpose and match the functionality you need. Read reviews, compare features, and check compatibility with your version of WordPress and other plugins you may be running.
Once again, this process is much easier if you are working with professional WordPress website developers. They will have identified their favoured tried and tested plugin solutions, and be able to use the best possible plugin solution to suit your budget, whether it be the basics or more specialised plugins.
Some of the essential plugins you’ll need are things like Yoast (for SEO), UpdraftPlus (backs up your website date), WPForms (creates easy to use contact forms) and W3 Total Cache (improves website speed and performance).
Beyond the basics you can pick specialised plugins like WooCommerce for a shopping site; Smash Balloon to integrate social media; Google Analytics and MonsterInsights for tracking users; Mailchimp for marketing …. and so on.
WordPress Plugin Best Practice
The first rule that it is good to bear in mind when it comes to WordPress plugins is that quality is more important than quantity. Too many plugins can add strain to the server’s resources, and compromise website performance, SEO ability and conversion rates. Install only what you really need.
Some other rules of thumb to bear in mind when it comes to plugins are:
- Keep your plugins updated or risk being vulnerable to security breaches.
- Deactivate unused plugins – its pointless to clutter your WordPress dashboard with inactive plugins.
- Choose well-maintained plugins from reputable, trustworthy developers.
Pick of the Plugins
WordPress plugins expand the functionality of your website, making it more powerful and versatile.
To give you an idea of what’s out there here’s a list of 30 popular plugins with brief explanations about their functionality:
- Elementor (Page Builder):
Drag-and-drop interface for creating custom layouts without coding. - Yoast SEO:
Optimises your website for search engines by analysing content and suggesting improvements. - Akismet Anti-Spam:
Blocks spam comments on your website. - Jetpack by WordPress.com:
Offers a suite of features like security, backups, social sharing, and more. - WooCommerce:
Turns your website into an online store. - Contact Form 7:
Creates easy-to-use contact forms for visitors to get in touch. - WPForms:
Powerful form builder for creating various forms like contact forms, surveys, polls, etc. - UpdraftPlus:
Backs up your website files and database for easy restoration in case of issues. - All in One SEO Pack:
Another popular SEO plugin offering title and meta tag optimisation, sitemaps, and more. - WP Super Cache:
Improves website speed by caching static pages. - MonsterInsights:
Integrates Google Analytics with your website to track traffic and user behaviour. - Wordfence Security:
Secures your website against malware, hacking attempts, and brute force attacks. - Smush:
Optimises images for faster website loading times. - Mailchimp for WordPress:
Integrates Mailchimp email marketing service with your website for managing email lists and sending newsletters. - WP Rocket:
All-in-one solution for website caching, image optimisation, and other speed optimisation features. - WP Social Sharing:
Adds social sharing buttons to your posts and pages to encourage social media engagement. - Redirection:
Manages redirects for broken links or moved pages to avoid 404 errors. - Duplicate Page:
Creates copies of existing pages or posts for easy editing and testing. - Easy Digital Downloads:
Sells digital products like ebooks, music, and software through your website. - WPML:
Creates multilingual websites to reach a wider audience. - Gutenberg Blocks:
Extends the functionality of the Gutenberg editor with additional content blocks - Rank Math SEO:
Another comprehensive SEO plugin offering on-page optimisation, sitemaps, schema markup, and more. - WP Fastest Cache:
Improves website speed by caching pages and optimising database queries. - TablePress:
Creates and manages tables in your WordPress posts and pages. - Slider Revolution:
Creates responsive sliders and carousels for showcasing content. - NextGen Gallery:
Manages and displays image galleries beautifully. - Contact Form 7 DB Addon:
Stores contact form submissions in your database for future reference. - WP Mail SMTP:
Uses an SMTP server to send emails from your website for improved deliverability. - WP Security Audit Log:
Logs user activity and security events on your website for monitoring and troubleshooting. - Really Simple SSL:
Enables HTTPS on your website to improve security and SEO.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s available to use to build a premium custom WordPress website that works for your business.
The web developers at Dentons Digital are WordPress specialists who know when, where and how to use plugins to ensure your website is a powerful, engaging online space that pulls in the punters and makes sales. If you want to know more about specific plugins to enhance your website, get in touch on 01373 482774.
