August 9, 2016 | Kayla Hollatz
What is a plugin and why do I need it?
A plugin is a piece of software that’s native to a content management cystem (CMS) — in this case, WordPress — and created to perform a specific function. They help tell the story better, so to speak.
You can then download these plugins and add them to your website to strengthen and enhance its capabilities.
WordPress plugins are commonly used to help improve a website’s:
- Security
- SEO
- Social Sharing
- User Experience
- Content Management
Here is a list of WordPress plugins we recommend, which we will continue to update regularly:
Gravity Forms
Gravity forms is a powerful forms plugin that allows for many different form possibilities. It also has add-ons to applications like MailChimp, Stripe, and more. To access the premium features, it costs as little as $39/year (so worth it…).
DISQUS
While there are plenty of comment plugins to choose from, we prefer DISQUS. It’s easy to setup and track interactions on your blog posts. The user-friendly interface encourages users to comment from any device without needing to sign up for an additional account.
Social Warfare
You’ll notice we don’t mind paid plugins here as long as they are effective. Social Warfare is well worth the $29/year with lots of features to help you optimize your website with your favorite social elements. Some of our favorite features include customizable social share buttons, social proof capabilities, an easy-to-navigate analytics dashboard, and more.
Yoast SEO
Too many optimization features to even attempt covering. Let’s just say it’s all you’ll need to increase your SEO for maximum visibility. Who wouldn’t like the sound of that?
There are of course many more excellent WordPress plugins out there; this is just a quick list of our favorites. Plugins, while helpful in oh-so-many ways, can also have issues. That’s why it’s very important to do your research when choosing which plugins to use on your website.
What’re your favorite plugins?