WordPress Plugins help improve the Functionality of Your WordPress Blog. There are Millions of WordPress Plugins and they are in various categories.
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No matter your blog niche, there are plugins you must use. For example, every blog needs a performance plugin.
You can’t be so wicked to allow your blog to “load forever“. In this article, I will present the 6 categories of WordPress plugins you must use for this year.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Plugins
Every blogger wants to rank high on Google Search. But you can’t just rank number one on Google overnight. There are certain practices you must adopt.
This brings us to the world of Search engine optimization (SEO). Blogging and SEO are like bread and butter. SEO Plugins help take care of your Onpage Seo.
What is the best Search Engine Optimization Plugin? Yoast SEO is the best and most popular SEO Plugin. Feel free to check out the top two SEO plugins here.
2. Speed Optimization Plugins
Websites are now getting so fast that you will be left behind if you don’t act now. There are plugins that can handle speed optimization for you.
Everyone likes fast blogs. Therefore, a speed optimization plugin is the second type of plugin you must have. See the Best Speed Plugins.
You can also use WP-Optimize or Wp Sweep to clean up your blog once a month but Uninstall after every use. The following are speed settings I recommend
- Autoptimize + Caching Plugin
- Autoptimize + Cloudflare
- Cloudflare + Caching plugins
- More Speed Optimisation
3. Plugins to Fight Spam Comments
WordPress spam comments are comments posted by machines that automatically post irrelevant comments. These usually contain advertising or links to other websites. Human beings also have the ability to spam your comment section.
If your blog is comment enabled, then you must fight spam comments before they fight your blog and render it useless. You may want to click here to check out the Best plugins to fight spam in your WordPress Site.
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4. WordPress Security Plugins
WordPress Security is extremely important. With every passing day, people are doing their best to hack your blog. It is therefore very important that you secure your WordPress blog.
For example, you can use WPS hide login plugin to change your WordPress login URL. Instead of yourblogname.com/wp-admin, you will change the wp-admin to anything that makes sense to you.
You can also set up Cloudflare to speed up and secure your blog. Cloudflare is Free and very helpful. I highly recommend Cloudflare. I have already explained how to set up Cloudflare on your blog.
If you don’t use Cloudflare alongside the WPS hide login plugin, then check out the best security plugins here.
Good Security Plugins Are:
- Wordfence Security
- All In One WP Security & Firewall
- iThemes Security
- WP Cerber Security, Anti-spam & Malware Scan
- Sukuri Security
- Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth
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5. WordPress Social Media Plugins
In one way or the other, you must use a social media Plugin. You may not need them for everything, but to perform at least one of the following functions:
- Allow visitors to share your posts to Facebook, Twitter, Mix, etc
- Automatically post your new content to Facebook, Twitter, etc
- Display your social handles and fans on the sidebar
- Allow people to comment using their social accounts
Note: Some themes do come with social buttons. You may want to make use of them.
Social Share Plugins
These plugins add sharing buttons to your WordPress blog. Sharing buttons enable fans to share your interesting content to their social pages. You can also use social buttons to share content to your Facebook pages and groups, Twitter handles and more. The good social sharing plugins I have used are:
- Sassy social share
- AddtoAny share buttons
- Add it social share
- Social Warfare
- WordPress social share
- Social share icons & Social share buttons
- Monarch
Remember, don’t use more than one plugin to accomplish one task. Don’t use more than one social share plugins on your blog (unless you really know what you are doing).
Social Media Auto Publish Plugin
These are WordPress plugin to automatically share your posts to social media handles. If you don’t already have a plugin for that, I recommend social media auto publish plugin. With this plugin, you can even republish your articles to social media handles anytime you update the content.
Social Fans Plugin
These are plugin to display your followers and social handles in the sidebar or after content. You can use social count plus plugin or sassy social share plugin fans widget if you don’t already have social fans plugin.
The Golden rule is to install only the plugins you need. Also note that too many plugins are not good for your blog.
6. WordPress Quiz & Online Learning
If you need visitors to take quizzes on your blog or you need an Online Learning platform, then the following Plugins are good candidates. Examples are:
- Quiz and Survey Master (QSM)
- Tutor LMS
- Learn Press
- Quiz Maker
- Watu
- Wp Pro Quiz
7. Image Optimization Plugins
Large images can slow down your blog; but we all hate slow loading blogs. If you publish a lot of images and wish to compress them automatically, then try out a WordPress image optimization plugin.
Some good Image Optimisation Plugins are:
- Smush – Lazy Load Images, Optimize & Compress Images
- EWWW Image Optimizer
- ShortPixel Image Optimizer
- Imagify – Optimize your Images & Convert WebP
Continue reading my recommended Image Optimization Plugin for WordPress by clicking here.
8. WordPress Contact Form Plugins
Contact page is one of the most important pages in your WordPress Blog. If you wish to add a form to your contact page, create any type of form or create a registration page in your blog then you need a contact form plugin.
- Contact Form 7
- Contact Form by WPForms
- Ninja Forms Contact Form
- Simple Contact Form
Contact Forms will help you create contact pages and registration forms with ease. See the best contact form Plugin here.
9. WordPress Backup Plugins
Accidents do happen in WordPress. Just make sure you don’t lose your WordPress data or customizations for any reason. Backup your blog.
If you can’t back up your site manually or your hosting doesn’t backup your site automatically, then try out any of the following WordPress backup plugins:
- UpdragftPlus
- BackupBuddy
- BackWPUp
10. WordPress E-Commerce Plugin
If you’re running a WordPress e-commerce site then you certainly need an e-commerce plugin.
An E-commerce blog is a blog mainly for buying and selling. Example of e-commerce sites are Jumia.com, Konga.con and Amazon.com. Woocommerce and proven are great e-commerce plugins.
11. WordPress Plugins for Email Marketing
If you’re into WordPress email marketing, then any of the following marketing plugins should do the job.
- MailChimp
- Constant Contact
- OptinMonster
12. WordPress Plugin To Create Tables
If your blog requires the creation of tables, you can use TablePress plugin to create tables with ease. You can also add tables directly from the Gutenberg editor. TinyMCE plugin also comes with a feature to add tables to your posts.
13. WordPress Forum Plugin
If you run a forum or wish to start one, then try any of the following forum plugins for WordPress:
- User Registration
- BuddyPress
- Memberpress
- bbpress
- Ultimate Member or
- Dw question answer
14. WordPress Formular Plugins
These are plugins for Mathematics or Science formulas. Good examples are:
- KateX
- Mathjax – Latex
- Wp Quick Latex
- Equation Editor
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