10 MUST-HAVE PLUGINS WITH A NEW WORDPRESS SITE
(UPDATED 3/1/2019). You’ve developed a great idea for a business, done the preliminary business planning, and are ready to create an awesome WordPress site. However, there are a ton of plugins out there that work with WordPress to pretty much accomplish everything you need such as tools to build pages, import and export database tables, handle eCommerce, backup and restore sites, and handle SSL, SEO, and GDPR. There are so many in fact that you can feel like you’re walking through an endless maze or hall of mirrors spending what seems to be forever trying to figure things out.
Where do you start? Well, you’ve come to the right place. We will walk you through a core set of must-have plugins for you to create your FAMOUS site!
FAMOUS
Functional. Your site’s code needs to function correctly to provide a good user experience.
Attractive & responsive. Your site should have a theme with an arrangement of images and text that is simple and pleasing to the eyes. Responsive means that pages display well on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, and other mobile devices.
Maintainable. You need to be able to back up and restore your site and be able to update themes and plugins.
Optimized for SEO and marketing. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and marketing are key to increasing traffic to your site and increasing sales.
User-friendly. The site should be organized and easy to navigate.
Safe and transparent. The criticism that Facebook has seen and the new laws in the European Union clearly emphasize the desire for safety and transparency. It’s important to let your audience know how you store and use their information and whether you are an affiliate for products you recommend.
DISCLOSURE
Speaking of transparency, before proceeding I wish to be totally transparent with an important disclosure:
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we will earn a commission that comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I recommend them because they will likely provide a significant function or benefit, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to purchase one or more of these must-have plugins. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you believe, as I do, that they will help you achieve your goals.
MUST-HAVE PLUGINS
Now let’s get down to the must-have plugins we recommend! You can find these and other recommended tools and plugins at our store.
1. Popups by OptinMonster.
One. First on the list is OptinMonster. OptinMonster is a lead generation tool to capture leads and maximize conversions. This tool will certainly help you to optimize your site for marketing. It features a powerful drag & drop builder that creates visually stunning opt-in forms. OptinMonster has a 4.5-star rating with more than 800,000 active installations.
We are using the Pro version. One form we created was a signup form for joining our community. This form uses a feature we really like about this plugin which is the Exit-Intent technology that provides visitors leaving the site an opportunity to subscribe for notification of new content or products. Check out OptinMonster.
2. WPForms.
Two. Next on our list is WPForms. WPForms was designed for business owners, bloggers, designers, developers, photographers, and basically everyone else. If you want to create a custom WordPress form, then you need to use WPForms. WPForms has a 5-star rating with over 1 million active installations.
We are using the Pro version. We have used this tool to create our contact form, beta test evaluation form and are working to create forms for some important research we are doing.
In fact, WPForms is packed full of features and has plenty of addons including integrations with products such as Aweber. Take a look at WPForms.
3. Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights.
Three. MonsterInsights allows you to connect your WordPress website with Google Analytics, so you can see how visitors find and use your website, so you can keep them coming back.
This is one of the key must-have plugins to see your site’s SEO health from outside your website. We have been using this tool for connecting Google Analytics to our sites. Google Analytics is very important to track and understand your site’s traffic patterns. For example, external links to your site is an important metric to Google Analytics, an with MonsterInsights you can find out who links to your site and see the top Google search terms! This must-have plugin is rated at 4 stars with over 1 million active installations. See MonsterInsights list of features.
4. Elementor.
Four. Elementor is a testament to how far web page design has progressed over the last decade. Elementor is a WordPress page editor with a live frontend that allows you to see your design take shape as you are building it. I started with the free version and upgraded to the Pro version. Elementor has a 5-star rating and over 1 million active installations. Get Elementor.
5. Advanced Ads.
Five. Advanced Ads is a great tool for creating, organizing, and placing ads. You can create plain text and code ads, image ads, and Adsense ads. This plugin has a 5-star rating with over 70,000 active installations.
One feature we love is ad grouping and rotation. Ads can be weighted such that some appear more frequently than others. Learn more about Advanced Ads.
6. Yoast SEO.
Six. Yoast is currently considered the most comprehensive search engine optimization software available for WordPress users. Yoast has a 5-star rating with over 1 million active installations.
In contrast to the MonsterInsights plugin, this is one of the key must-have plugins to see your site’s SEO health from inside your website. We use this tool to perform readability checks of our pages and for keyword optimization. This plugin is updated every 2 weeks to ensure the website is optimized for the most recent Google algorithm. Check out Yoast.
7. ConvertKit and Aweber.
Seven. ConvertKit is number seven on our list. We recommend ConvertKit if your tools can integrate with it (or don’t need integration) and the Email marketing is an essential for any web business. ConvertKit is an email marketing platform for capturing leads from your WordPress blog. This plugin has a 5-star rating with over 10,000 active installations.
The power behind this must-have plugin is the ConvertKit service which allows the user to create forms, sequences, and automations. We used the form and broadcasting tools for beta-testing. Check out the ConvertKit demo video.
8. Aweber.
Eight. Aweber is number eight. We have switched (at least temporarily) to Aweber. Aweber is less expensive and integrates better with our other plugins. Like ConvertKit, Aweber also has automated email sequences, tagging, and split testing. Check them out here.
9. Cookie Notice.
Nine. By now you’ve surely noticed that almost every site asks you to accept the use of cookies. This is to comply with the EU cookie law GDPR regulations.
Cookie Notice for GDPR is very easy to use. Just create the message and button text and this plugin does the rest. Cookie Notice for GDPR has a 5-star rating with over 800,000 active installations. See the Cookie Notice features.
10. Advanced WordPress Reset.
Ten. Advanced WordPress reset plugin will reset your site’s WordPress database back to its first original state and avoid using the manual method of removing files and going through WordPress traditional installation. This plugin has a 3.5-star rating with over 50,000 active installations. See the Advanced WordPress reset plugin along with other plugins offered by SigmaPlugin.
WHAT DROPPED OFF THE LIST?
One item came off this list – UpdraftPlus. While we have no issues with their product, we question their desire to support their customers and affiliates. After helping to sell several copies of their products, they terminated our account without compensation and have made no contact with us to explain why. Since they did not honor the agreement we had with them, we don’t have any confidence that they will provide quality service for their other customers.
ADDITIONAL PLUGINS AND TOOLS
You can find other recommended tools and plugins at our store.
Do you have a favorite plugin or tool? Let us know below (must be logged into your account).