Finding Useful Plugins: Extending WordPress Past a Simple BlogMeagan Hanes - @mhanes
Plugins are the key!Plugins are what powers WordPress Customizations.
Let’s talk about the WordPress Plugin ecosystem, how to find and evaluate good plugins from bad ones, and compare paid versus premium plugins.
I’ll also share my top list of awesome plugins that I use on sites to help push them past simple blogs!
A Bit About MyselfWeb Designer/Developer 15+ yearsUsing WordPress since 2006On the WordPress.org Training TeamPart of the On The Go Systems Family (makers of WPML & Toolset)
What’s a Plugin? Plugins are a set of files added to a WordPress site that create or modify functions for the site admin or visitor.Good plugins use WordPress’ APIs and best practices so that plugins work well together.Plugins are an easy way to integrate third-party services (MailChimp, Google Analytics, Facebook, etc).
WordPress.org has over 49,000 free plugins.*
Which one do I pick?
This number ignores all paid plugins, of which there are thousands.
Choosing a PluginAsk your WP friendsAsk whether they have experience with the plugin, or suggestions for similar ones.
Evaluate its statisticsMore installations = betterMore 5-star ratings = betterLots of 1-stars = beware
Observe support forum activityHow fast + with what quality does the author reply?A dead forum likely means a dead plugin.
This is a GOOD PLUGIN as it was updated recently. has lots of active installations, and a great rating.
This plugin?Hmm…
- Last updated a long time ago, very few installs, and not compatible with the most recent version of WordPress.
“With so many free plugins, why would I pay for one?”
Free vs Paid PluginsFair Value ExchangeYour specific solution was provided very quicklyKeeps the WordPress ecosystem going!
Additional FunctionalityLess money than hiring a developer to custom codeExisting solutions have documentation to help
Faster SupportPrivate forums for asking and answering questions Support teams to help find a solution for your site’s specific problem
Meagan’s Top Plugin Guide
For Achieving Great Things Using The Power of WordPress
Spring 2017 Edition
WARNING!These plugins are my personal suggestions based on my own experience and opinions, and are not a paid endorsement of any kind.
Many plugins exist. Do good research and test thoroughly before committing to a plugin!
Add Contact FormsFrom a simple name/email/message through to complex multi-stage forms
Contact Form 7, Caldera Forms, Gravity Forms ($)
Get More Detailed Statistics of VisitorsTrack and analyze detailed information using Google Analytics (or others)
Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights, Google Analytics Dashboard for WP, Jetpack
Increase a site’s search engine optimizationSemantically format content, optimize your Google snippet, and ensure keywords are being used correctly
Yoast SEO
Run an Online StoreOffer physical, digital, or virtual products for sale and securely process payments using a variety of gateways.
WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, WP eCommerce
Make a site MultilingualEasily provide content in two or more languages inside one WordPress site.
Polylang, WPML
Create a Community WebsiteUser Profiles, Groups, and Private Messaging, and more - easily transform WordPress into a Facebook-like platform
BuddyPress
Integrate ForumsCreate a threaded-style discussion forum in the style of the early web days.
bbPress
Increase SecurityEliminate common attack vectors, increase monitoring, and harden your website easily.
iThemes Security, SiteLock
Speed Up Your SiteEnable caching to improve static site performance.
W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, WP Rocket
Create BackupsGenerate a snapshot of your website’s files and database in case of an emergency later on.
Duplicator, UpdraftPlus, VaultPress
These are a few of my favourite plugins!
Thanks for listening!Questions: @mhanes
