One of the top reasons people choose WordPress as their web platform is the increased functionality provided through WordPress plugins.
If you use another platform like Blogger, TypePad, or Squarespace and want to know more about the different web platform options – check out my recent post: Selecting the Best Web Platform in 2018
In this post, we will explore what a WordPress plugin (WP plugin) is, and the top 10 must-have WP plugins for building and growing your online business.
Let’s jump in.
What is a WordPress Plugin?
A WordPress Plugin is an extension of the WordPress system that offers unique and powerful functionality, native to the system itself. In other words, your WordPress plugins extend the features of your website.
Plugins come in all shapes and sizes. Some WordPress plugins are simple, others complex and extremely powerful; some are FREE, others cost money (both one-time and recurring).
The functional use of plugins is limitless. WP Plugins can extend the features of your WordPress site in the areas of:
- Content Management
- Website Performance
- Security
- Analytics
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- eCommerce
- And Much More
Top 10 WordPress Plugins:
Below are the Top 10 WordPress Plugins I recommend for creators trying to BUILD and GROW their online business.
Smush Image Compression and Optimization
Are you having an issue with your website loading slow because you have a bunch of pictures to show your audience? Research shows that sites with slower load speeds will have higher bounce rates (someone comes and immediately leaves your website).
Minimize your page loading times with Smush Image Compression, a plugin that automatically optimizes your images and digital content to load faster on your site.
Yoast SEO
There is so much content being added to the internet every day. Google and other search engines index (identify), sort, and rank the content based on an algorithm that determines content value and relevance.
Yoast SEO is a plugin that runs within your post editor to assess whether the search algorithms will rank it highly, or poorly. Tracking on-page characteristics like word-count, keyword density, inbound and outbound links, and so much more.
This is a tool that all individuals, serious about online business, should have in their toolbox (or plugin library).
Shortlinks by Pretty Links – Best WordPress Link Tracking Plugin
Does your online business operate on a referral link structure to make some (or all) of its revenue? Are you frustrated with the long, ugly link that you have to use for referrals?
Pretty Links makes it where you can cloak any URL, as a child URL to your website domain. This makes it easy when you are trying to verbally direct individuals through your referral links (or on YouTube)!
Their user-friendly interface allows you to add, organize, and even track your “pretty links”. If you have ugly links you want to essentially rename, Pretty Links is for you!
ConvertKit for WP
Many Email Service Providers (ESPs) have designed a WP Plugin so that you can easily implement your email list signup forms on your website.
One of the many reasons I love ConvertKit (CK) is that it also allows you to host your own landing pages on your website! Simply create a landing page on CK and the easy-to-use tool allows you to place that page right on your site!
If you are interested in trying ConvertKit, click here. If you signup through my referral link, I am offering a FREE coaching session to help you get started with email marketing!
Sumo
Have you ever wondered where people click on your website? Or how to place easy-to-use social sharing buttons on your website so that people can spread the word?
Sumo has a whole suite of features! From heat-map page tracking to social sharing buttons, this plugin will help you GROW your online business and reach more people. They have a FREE version and a Premium version for more features.
All-in-One WP Migration
What happens if you lose your website data? Do you have a backup? If you don’t have a backup of your website data (or even don’t know what a backup is or how to do it) this plugin can help you.
Imagine you update WordPress and your site doesn’t work the way it used to; if you have a backup of your core files and content you can easily reload your website back to the way it was when you last backed up your data.
All-in-One WP Migration makes it easy to back up your files so you can store them somewhere safe. Just in case you will have to use it (I hope you won’t).
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening
What are you doing to actively keep your website safe?
Sucuri Security is one of the leading security WordPress plugins. It keeps an in-depth log of all website changes so that you can easily diagnose your issue. This plugin offers a full security suite that will leave your site more secure.
If your WordPress site is a valuable asset to your online business, its vital that you take measures to protect it!
WooCommerce
If you are looking to sell a product on your website, WooCommerce is the way to go.
With over 30% of all online stores using WooCommerce, it is a powerful plugin that can customize your online store needs – ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE. From product pages to reviews, and sales to analytics, this plugin does it all.
Akismet Anti-Spam
If you have experienced a wave of spamming comments, you know that it is a mess to go through. Always having to sort through legitimate comments and ones that are self-promotional or empty, takes a lot of time.
Akismet Anti-Spam is a passive plugin that monitors your visitor’s comments and flags potentially spam comments. With its easy setup, you can be running in no time, protecting your comment stream from spam!
Broken Link Checker
Have you ever been on a webpage when all of a sudden you are sent to a “404 ERROR: PAGE NOT FOUND“? If you have, you know it’s a bit annoying and you may have left the website altogether.
Don’t let this happen on your website! You can miss out on a potential customer or reader simply because you have a broken link.
With the Broken Link Checker, you can scan all your links that exist on your website, ensuring that the intended target is reached. It simply sits on your WP dashboard, monitoring the links on your site. Its easy-to-follow interface allows you to quickly fix any issues you find!
In Summary
WordPress plugins are powerful tools to make your website, both beautiful and extremely functional. With them, you are able to enhance your content, services, and marketing with leaving your website! These 10 plugins are some of the most common and useful in the WP marketplace (I have all of them installed on my sites!).
Comment below if you use any plugins that you absolutely LOVE that missed my list.
If you are interested in building a WordPress website and/or need help with any plugins reach out to me at joseph@buildyourstampinsite.com.
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