Sometimes creating a new website or even rebuilding one on a new platform can be a little overwhelming. That’s why I decided to create this list of must have wordpress plugins. Hopefully these should help you get started.
Must Have WordPress Plugins
Akismet
Askimet is an advanced spam blocking service and should be the first plugin you install for WordPress. It is a time-saver for sure as it filters out the tons of nonsense emails you will get from comments on your site. Which leads me to my next recommendation.
Contact Form 7
There are a lot of contact form plugins out there, but we prefer Contact Form 7. It’s free and easy-to-use, plus you can manage and customize multiple contact forms. It works with reCAPTCHA and provides a good set of help documents if you need it.
Backup Buddy
Another plugin that should be first on your install list is some type of backup. For beginners or small businesses, Backup Buddy is recommended by wpbeginner.com since there is no monthly fee and it can be stored in the cloud. We have also used Duplicator which is free but it cannot be automated unless you upgrade to Pro.
Yoast SEO
If you plan on optimizing your pages and posts to show up in search engines, you’ll want to have Yoast SEO by your side. This plugin is so great at guiding you through SEO improvements for your content with features like snippet preview, page analysis, meta elements, and more.
Bullseye Locations
If you have a product that you sell in stores, then chances are you will need a store locator for your website. Yeah, we know we are shamelessly plugging ourselves (no pun intended), but here’s why we believe we are the best store locator option. We have the most robust feature set, with integrated promotions, event search, lead manager, automatic location detection, batch CSV and XML import, reporting, interface customizations, geocoding, categories, custom attributes, search rule configuration, international search, language translations, and more. If you’re looking for a plugin that is both easy to use and has the features a larger enterprise would need, then Bullseye is the way to go. You can even take it for a test drive with a 14-day free trial.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free eCommerce plugin that gives you complete control to sell anything, anywhere. It’s considered the best shopping cart plugin for WordPress and for good reason. It was built specifically to integrate seamlessly with WordPress. They also offer premium extensions, which allow you to do things like bookings, memberships, and recurring subscriptions.
Social Sharing
After doing research for this post I’ve decided not to recommend just one plugin for social sharing. There are many simple, attractive and free plugins that get the job done. We currently use ShareThis but this informative roundup has me considering trying out some new ones.
So there you have it. That’s my short-list of must have WordPress plugins. What are your top WordPress plugin suggestions?
If You Like This…
Check this article on e-commerce out:thegood.com/insights/ecommerce-brands
