Recommended WordPress Plugins

Simply put, plugins are files that will extend the capabilities of WordPress. There are plugins that will make WordPress do or be anything you could ever want. And the best part is that most of them are absolutely free. I have compiled a list of must have WordPress plugins that I use on my websites and highly recommend that you do as well. You can get most of these plugins and thousands more at http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ or by using the add new option in your WordPress admin area under plugins.

There are also other website specific plugins that I recommend on the tutorial pages.

Spam Plugins

Everyone hates spam right? If you allow your users to comment via the WordPress comments for articles, news reports and/or your blog posts then you will eventually get spam entries. The Akismet plugin that is installed in the base WordPress installation will help eliminate the spam. You will need to get an activation key by registering at http://akismet.com/get/ or http://www.wordpress.com.

• Akismet

Search Engine Optimization Plugins

Whether you are a internet guru or a complete novice, these plugins are a must for any WordPress website.

• All In One SEO
• Google XML Sitemaps
• Google Analytics for WordPress

Social Plugins

This one is definitely optional, however if you want to encourage your readers to share your information and “like” you on Facebook then you need a social plugin to easily give the reader options. I like Sexy Bookmarks because it is very easy to use and it doesn’t have an annoying pop-up like so many social bookmarking plugins use.

• Sexy Bookmarks
• Socialble

Contact Form Plugins

• Contact Form 7
• Enhanced WordPress Contact Form

Admin Plugins

Here are a couple of important plugins to assist you with your website admin. WP DB Manager will allow you to easily backup your website database. Your database contains all your pages, articles, post and any settings you have set. This is important to do on a regular basis as you never know what could happen and without proper back ups you could be forced to start over.

If you are interested in knowing all about your visitors and how they use your website then I highly recommend Google Analytics for WordPress. With the right information you will be able to tell what your visitors like and don’t like and you can make adjustments to your website to suit your customers.

• WP DB Manager
• Automatic WordPress Backup

Mobile Plugins

Smart phones are everywhere and odds are some of your customers will visit your website on their phone. With WP Touch your website will automatically be formatted for reading on a mobile phone.

• WP Touch

Email List Building

Do you use email marketing? Give your customers an easy way to get information from you by signing up for your mailing list or newsletter. If you are just interested in capturing the email addresses then WP Email Capture is for you. If you want more functionality the Subscribe 2 could be a good addition to your plugin list. Of course if you have an email marketing service like MailChimp or Constant Contact then you can also get a sign up form from them to use on your WordPress website.

• WP Email Capture
• Subscribe 2