WordPress plugins are one such blessing for all independent designers and website builders. Hosting our website on WordPress is only the beginning. Learning about WordPress plugins and navigating the world of plugins requires a whole lot more energy and lessons.
WordPress plugin is an open-source software designed to add or enhance the functions of your website. They build your shopping carts, they improve your site speed, thy give you the free space to design, edit, add security, block hackers and customize for countries.
Currently WordPress has over 58 380 plugins ready to use but before clicking the download button on all the must have plugins, there are few things we must be aware of. Plugins are not a deal of the more is better. Having random plugins hoarding our website is just as much of a dead end as having no plugins at all. They are necessary and vital for the survival of our website.
Navigating the vital components of WordPress sites can be extremely stressful but we are here to make it easier for you. Building your own website is easier and better when you are confident in your knowledge and the resources that you are using. Sky is our limit on knowledge and here are some crucial points you must know about the world of WordPress plugins.
All Plugins Are Not The Same
Let me rephrase that. Not all plugins are created equal. They all serve a different purpose. Some of them small, some of them big. Some of the simple plugins for contact forms, some of them made for email marketing. Some of them are customer relationship management tools and some are security tools. Each and every plugin add on even those in the same niche are created differently. With different requirements, different compatibility, and different support systems by the developers. Some are even plugins that are completely abandoned by third party developers and need an alternative.
Reviews Are Important
What do people say about the plugins? The number of downloads, ratings and the very descriptive review on each and every plugin has an important role. Every free plugin on earth does not have the means to satisfy our needs and goals. Some of them may give us more conflict than solutions. Good reviews are indicators of suitable plugins for our site.
Plugins Are Vital
Our website needs are important to the list of plugins we may need to download. But some are required regardless of the need, the reasoning and purpose. Plugins that are made for our SEO, security, contact, and login are crucial in the world of websites. Some plugins such as those made for web design are also significant while others much as plugins for sliders may not be as necessary to our site needs or site rankings. Our fundamentals, SEO and functionality must be fulfilled with the help of plugins made for wordPress.
You Cannot Install Plugins on WordPress.com
Many are under the impression that wordpress.com and wordpress.org are the same thing. But these are two very different sites for different purposes. WordPress.org is referred to as the self-hosted WordPress and this is where users can download and install plugins to implement. Self-hosted wordpress.org allows users to have full control and customization capabilities of their site. On the other hand, WordPress.com is a limited version of the bigger platform. It is a hosting service that is perfect for beginners and personal bloggers who do not care for monetization of their websites.
There Is No Such Thing as Too Many (Sometimes)
Quality is indeed key to any plugins that we install. It is important our needs align with the plugins that we implement on the website. However, there is no such thing as too many plugins that can slow down or deteriorate the performance of your website. The issue of plugins being too “many” rises when we continue to hoard our website with poorly made and ill rated plugins on the site.
Quality Of The Plugins Is Key!
Quality plugins make a quality website. Having a number of plugins is important but it is not as important as having quality plugins. They are essential at saving money, reputation and page rankings in the future. They also save us from an incredibly slow speed site, lowered performance, decreased number of traffic, ruined customer perception and so many other issues. Bad plugins can completely crash your website, ruining both your hard work and valuable time. The purpose of plugins is to add functionality to your website and be an aid to your theme and SEO. It is not aimed to create pain, conflict and hassle. So make sure to only install reputable, quality plugins to your beloved website.
Activate Backend Plugins When Necessary And Deactive When Not In Use
Some plugins are necessary and need to be updated but when the plugins are not needed it is important to deactivate them to avoid any plugin conflicts. The site performance is also impacted if you activate plugins that your website does not need. Hence keep in mind to deactivate any plugins that you are not using for the website and activate the plugins that need to be utilized.
There Are Both Free And Premium Plugins
Plugins do not come in one package. They come in different sizes, different needs and definitely different prices. PRemium plugins tend to offer more features but even free plugins are good enough for new websites and beginners who are testing out plugins on their website. Premium plugins are not necessarily more important than free plugins. Both serve their purpose and can be equally useful depending on your needs.
It goes without saying that plugins are an important part of our WordPress website. Without plugins, we cannot make it functional, especially if you are using a pre-built WordPress theme. Plugins are necessary to improve and enhance the features of your website and it is not always necessary to get all of the plugins. Always consider the ratings of your plugins, the needs for your website, the plugin’s impact on your site performance and the quality of plugins you are implementing.