Recommended Plugins for WordPress
WordPress offers tons of plugins which confuses the new user. Not just that but there are multiple plugins that serves the same purpose and have the same functions. Which one do you need to get the upper edge, we will cover it in this article. We are only mentioning the plugins that you need to start off your blog, so custom plugins will not be listed in this article, but you may find it being reviewed in our Plugins Category.
WordPress itself is a strong script, but it is the plugin that makes WordPress the best. How can you get them? You need to visit the Plugins Directory at WordPress. With the new version of WordPress 2.7.1 and above are offering plugin installation from the WordPress admin panel.
To install manually, you need to upload the folder into /wp-content/plugins/ directory. Then visit your wp-admin panel and click on the tab of plugins and activate it.
To do it automatically, WordPress has eased the process for you. Simply visit the sidebar and click on the plugin tab. Click on the Add New tab in the list. And search for a plugin and the installation is one click away.
Must Have WordPress Plugins for Every Blog
Akismet – comes installed with your WordPress by default. All you have to do is get an API Key to activate it. It prevents your blog from comment spam. Read our Akismet 101 Guide for All WordPress Users.
All-in-One SEO – This is an ultimate necessity for your blog if you want to have any chance of ranking high in search engines. All-in-One-SEO Pack allows you to add unique meta description, keywords, and titles to each page of your blog and blog posts. (Must See SEO Guide for the Recommended Settings for this Plugin)
Contact Form 7 – When running a blog you need to allow your users to contact you. This is the best free contact form plugin to this date. It makes everything easy. (An alternative to this plugin is a paid plugin known as Gravity Forms which is extremely feature rich.)
WP Super Cache – This plugin makes a copy of your web page on the server and by doing so it increases the page load time and reduces the resource consumption. It is essential that you have this plugin just incase if your site hits the Front Page of a social media network such as digg or stumbleupon, without this plugin, your server will most likely crash. (See: How to Install WP Super Cache)
WordPress Database Backup – This plugin lets you make backup for your blog as often as you need. You can set this process to be automated and have it deliver to your email or a safe spot in your webhost. By having this plugin, you can always stay on the safe side because if anything goes wrong, you have the latest backup in your possession. (Other Database Backup Solutions)
Subscribe to Comments – A plugin that allows your users to subscribe to the comments, so they will be notified when the next comment is posted. It helps your user to stay updated with the discussion and keep the activity going on your blog.
Feedburner Feedsmith – When creating your WordPress blog an essential part is having RSS Feed subscribers, and the most important of having subscribers is to be able to track them and keep the count. Which is when the service of feedburner came in play. This plugin converts all of your RSS Feeds, to your custom feedburner feeds, so all of your subscribers are subscribed to one feed therefore you get the most accurate count of your subscribers.
Comment Redirect – This plugin lets you redirect the attention of your new users to a specific page. So you can actually substitute the email sent out by Comment Relish plugin by a page on your site. Sometimes users might prefer this over the email. Check out our Thank You Page.
Google XML Sitemap – This plugin will generate a special XML sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com to better index your blog. With such a sitemap, it’s much easier for the crawlers to see the complete structure of your site and retrieve it more efficiently. Additionally it notifies all major search engines every time you create a post about the new content.
OIO Publisher – This is an ad manager that focuses on maximizing your revenue, saving you time, and keeping you in complete control of your ad space. While there is a one time fee for unlimited domains, this plugin is a gem that every blog needs. It will create a purchase page, automatically connects with paypal, generate subscription links, and much much more.
We recommend these plugins for any new blog or existing blog. There are more plugins that would need to be added based on the niche and your needs. But for any generic blog, this should be a good list to start with.
When you have us install the WordPress blog for you, we will also install some of these plugins and some extra ones depending your niche to give you an upper edge.
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Syed
Never heard of the cForm II – look forward to checking it out. Just a question before I do:
Do you recommend using that plugin for handling your database? I currently use iContact. Would that plugin replace iContact? I’m looking for the most optimal, seamless method for handling contacts.
Thanks for your advice!
If iContact is doing the job, then no reason to switch, but if you want to use the features of cform II then go ahead and switch.
This plugin does not handle databases… what it does is it allows you to create multiple forms. So you can have contact forms, applicatoin forms, or any form that you can possibly think of. All sorts of fields are available and its user friendly.
Outstanding Guide!
Nice post. The best of pluggins listed here. Very recommendable article.
I cannot get OlO publisher downloaded because they require ftp info which I do not have or know where to get for WP. unfortunate there is no support phone # as this is more complicated than most realize before purchase. Could be days before I get an email. If I do at all.
Hello Laurie,
Once you login to OIO Publisher, on the top left hand side, you should see which version of OIO is available. Perhaps a text like Most Stable Version….
Click the download link which is right below it.
Which should take you to the link:
http://download.oiopublisher.com/
There you select your download which I am assuming you have already bought the plugin, Pro Download.
When you click that and download now, it will show you an option to download the .zip file.
Unzip the file and upload. If you need more help please contact us via the contact form, and we will be able to help you for a small fee.
Nice tutorial.. what about stat pluggin?
Stats Plugin is not necessary for a blog. Above are the ones that you should have in almost all blogs.
Use Google Analytics http://www.google.com/analytics/
There’s plenty of integration plugins here: http://wordpress.org/extend/
Just do a search.
Sadly but true: All-in-one-SEO is not working with 2.8.x.
Is there an alternative which works with the newest release of WP?
We are using the latest WordPress version right now 2.8.2 and we are also using All in One SEO and it works. If it is not working for your site it could also be a theme error where your theme is overriding it.
Legend! I have been wondering which plugins some people use for these things for a while.
great list of plugins..
I like your recommendation for the advertising plugin.
Have you ever seen an advertising plugin which lets you specify which ads run on specific posts or something like that?
Nope did not see a plugin that does that. You can have text links and such but not banner ads.
You are new but your suggestions are always the best. Thanks
Awesome. Great Post!
Thanks
Jason Berkes
Thx, newbie to Wordpress development, this post along with many others of yours have been invaluable.
Cheers.
Very nice list that comment relish plugin rocks been looking for it for a while now.
I need a list like this.
I’ve been wondering which plugins to install… only have AKISMET at the moment and have been wondering about cforms.
All in one SEO always gets a good press so that’s on my list.
Can I ask a question? This is a great looking page with 19 / 20 comments and it has a Google pagerank of 4! How do you do that? Or is it a secret?
It took me two years hard work to get one of my static html sites to a PR of 4.
Thanks for the list – been blogging a while now with Wordpress but that WP Super Cache is a new one for me and I’m off to check it out for my blog right now.
Re WP Super Cache that isn’t exactly WP beginner friendly!
The instructions would scare off any blogging beginner as it involves changing .htacces files and there are a whole list of potential issues that I think would send most people running for the hills.
I’m not denying its usefulness just stating that I think it’s maybe a recommendation too far for a site aimed at the WP beginner.
Hello Clive,
We understand your concerns. This list contain plugins that every blog should have. WP Super Cache has an option where you can click on the Update .htaccess and it will automatically do the rewrite. Now we understand some hosts like Media Temple would not allow for that, but Plesk is not Beginner friendly either. If you follow our six step guide, then you will see that we only recommend cPanel hosting sites for this vary reason. This plugin is too essential to leave out, so perhaps we need to write a tutorial on installing WP Super Cache, and link it here.
Very good list of plugins. I’ve already downloaded most of them. Thanks!
A great list of essential plugins, but you have not included any Sitemap plugin??? As they are also very essential for any website.
great post, this will help a lot
I would like to express my appreiation for this web site, I am a wordpres noobie and the information that I have found here is invaluable! THANK YOU!!!
Great list of plugins. 3 matches with my 5 must have WordPress plugins: http://robert-chambers.com/blog/articles/5-must-have-wordpress-plugins/
Google XML Sitemaps and KB Robots.txt are my other two. Great for SEO.
Yes we need to add Google XML Sitemaps to this list.
maximum how many plugins one should have in his wordpress blog?
20 should be the maximum. But we do know some users who have 20+ plugins installed. The less plugins you have, the faster your site will load. Although you can optimize the plugins by combining the CSS and JavaScript files. Not something that beginners can do though.