Top 9 Essential WordPress Plugins for your Website
Since its initial release in 2003, WordPress has quickly made a name for itself as one of the most trusted (and free!) content management and blogging software worldwide.
It is also thanks to many functional, impressive plugins that are now incorporated with WordPress that make it such an easy and effective experience for developers and web users alike.
So, what are the essential plugins you should be utilising for your WordPress website? Well, we think we’ve compiled quite the list.
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache improves the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experience for users, that is; users won’t have to wait long times for the website to load. As the website owner, W3 Total Cache will give you the ability to decipher what parts of your website is dragging it down. Its analysis of elements, loading speed, browsing and demography-specific reports among others, will help fix several issues that you might experience. Web server performance is also improved with W3 Total Cache.
Akismet
This is one of the most useful plugins for any WordPress website user or blogger. In many WordPress installations, it comes free by default. The main job of Akismet is to defend you against blog comment spam. Explained simply; someone might comment on your website or blog, Akismet audits the comment and notifies you whether it is spam or not. It gives you the power to moderate every comment before it is shown. Even better; it has a master database of blacklisted IPs, users and spammers, and any comment coming from doubtful sources is blocked and sent directly to you for moderation. All hidden links in comments are also shown to you by the WordPress plugin. Useful, necessary, and free!
BackUpWordpress
This is a brilliant Plugin which takes responsibility for all backups of your website. It’s not uncommon for a site to get hacked, and data to be corrupted. Backing up all of your files with BackUp will save you from these online pests.
And even though you might be too busy to get online and back up your website every day, you can schedule the Plugin to do it on a regular basis. Not only will it back up your information, it can also send the data to your designated email or online drive every day. If something (or someone) nasty happens to your website, rest easy knowing your information is stored safely with BackUp.
All-in-One SEO Pack
Put simply, AIOSEO places your website higher in the results of search engines.
It also works with maps within search engines, integrating your location and search results from the search engine.
Google XML Sitemaps
Similar to a map you’d read to find your way around a particular place, a Google XML Sitemap is a map used by search engines to find their way around your website, and what’s included in it. It helps search engines index your site’s contents. Whilst sitemaps do not boost your search rankings like All in One SEO Pack does, it allows the search engines to better crawl through your website.
All in One WP Security and Firewall
Even though WordPress is a secure platform for website development, it can’t hurt to add a little extra security to secure your information and data. The Plugin feeds you information on how secure your website or blog is, and what can be done to better secure it. The Plugin detects fake users who are either trolling your page or even pretending to be you.
Available in numerous languages, the vast Plugin boasts heaps of features including user account and login security, user registration, file system and data security, blacklist and firewall functionality as well as spam security, among plenty of others.
This Plugin is especially recommended for commercial sites handling lots of customer data.
Google Analytics Dashboard for WP
When you install this plugin in your WordPress site, you no longer need to log in to your Google Analytics account to see site analysis data and statistics. It shows all analytical data on your WordPress accounts dashboard, and makes it easy for you to view large chunks of data regarding website traffic- when and where people are accessing your website.
Category-Specific RSS Menu
This plugin is of high use in creating RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Sample) subscription links for every post and page on your WordPress site. This is especially useful when you are operating a site that contains multiple topics, and your readers are of a mixed niche. This WordPress plugin helps make feeds easily available for visitors to subscribe to.
Contact Form 7
Arguably one of the most important features of any website is the ability for visitors to get in contact with you. This is your go-to for such. The Contact 7 Plugin is highly efficient in managing contact from visitors to your site. CAPTCHA, Ajax-enabled form submission, spam filtering, and advanced customizations are all handled by the Plugin very smoothly.
These are only nine of the heaps of great Plugins available for WordPress users. Others allow you to utilise social media sharing buttons on the site, implement Google AdSense and heaps more. You can use a Plugin for accepting e-currencies, shopping carts, also photo gallery creation and more.
Staying up-to-date on what Plugins are available for your website will not only keep your website relevant, but they will allow for user-friendly experiences, and your website will remain easy to manage, maintain and update.
