1. WordPress Plugins 101 What Do You Really Need
Plugins Make Your Life Easier
When I first started using the WordPress platform on a self hosted site it was a bit daunting. But
one of the great things about the CMS (content management system) is that its really easy to
get going. But it does lack some things that could really make a good site great. And that is
where plugins come in.
Plugins for WordPress really run the gambit of functions. There are plugins for opt-in forms
caching search engine optimization even pop-up’s. But just like all things sometimes too much
of a good thing is a bad thing. Plugins that put something on your site when you load it up can
slow your site down. This has been proven to slow down your sites page speed.
And there are some plugins that just don’t work right with certain themes. Or worse yet that
conflict with each other. There have been many times when plugins on my site here have
caused issues.
Choosing The Right Combination
Now if your a website designer or program your probably going to argue that you don’t need a
lot of the plugins listed on the info graphic. And its true they are not a one size fits all solution.
For example if your a marketer pop-ups might be a good idea. But if your blog’s purpose isn’t
to capture leads then why have it installed.
Also sometimes going all out on graphics isn’t the right thing to do. But lets say you do a lot of
video. A plugin that helps ensure your video’s play right or look good may be required. So just
make sure your choosing the right set for your application.
There are a couple plugin’s that I feel are mandatory for every blog however.
First you need a good cache plugin. I prefer W3 Total Cache. Its a bit complicated to set up but
I found this tutorial to be the most helpful. This plugin is designed to ensure that your site loads
as fast as possible. WP Super Cache is another option and its almost plug and play. I used it
for a while because my host recommended it. But it caused conflicts with some of my other
plugins.
Second you need a good SEO plugin. There are a lot of options out there. For example All In
One SEO or Yoast’s SEO Plugin. Having used both I can say that Yoast’s plugin is hands
down the winner. Its allows integration with webmaster tools from the major search engines. It
creates all your sitemaps for you. And it allows you to set up your meta tags for each post.
Finally you need a good backup plugin. I use one to back up my database on a daily basis.
Now don’t get comfortable and delete your backups everyday. You never know when a
problem started and its good to have a few different backups. That way you can roll back day
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Of course my list isn’t all inclusive. Like I said you need to pick the best ones for your
application. But those three are the first ones I always set up when I am creating a new site.
(Hint: W3 Total Cache and WP SEO by Yoast have export functions so you only have to set up
one site and then import those settings into your new site)
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