When marketers want to develop a website that is fast, stable, and user-friendly, they usually turn to WordPress. The popular CMS has powered countless sites over the years, with adaptability at its core. Initially, you can choose from many templates to suit the needs of your business. From this point, you can start to add plugins to upgrade the standard installation. Plugins are a necessary part of using WordPress, but the endless choice can impede the development of a site. The following plugins are incredibly useful, with a history of support and satisfied users.
Rank Math
The initial installation of WordPress isn’t fully optimized for SEO. The Rank Math plugin can quickly adjust your settings, though, suggesting the best options for ranking. You can change some of the more detailed aspects of the configuration, or just let the plugin control the settings. Additionally, Rank Math will configure your articles to help rank for specified keywords.
TrustPulse
Social proof plays a crucial role in making sales. TrustPulse plays into this factor by displaying user behavior on your website. If a customer makes a purchase, the plugin will inform visitors that a transaction has just taken place. This display of activity can help others feel secure, increasing the likelihood they will make a purchase.
OptinMonster
Email marketing is still a powerful method of marketing to your audience. OptinMonster helps to increase subscriber numbers, providing several converting lead capture forms. You can target visitors based on the individual pages they land on, using analytics to improve the conversion rate.
WooCommerce
If you want to use WordPress for an e-commerce store, you will need a plugin that turns the platform into a functioning platform. WooCommerce is the best solution for making an attractive and user-friendly store, providing many useful options. You can easily create product pages designed to convert, with numerous extensions expanding your capabilities.
Wordfence Security
A malicious attack on your site could lead to many problems. Wordfence Security is a plugin that increases the protection you receive, preventing hacking attempts. The plugin aims to avert malware attempts, while also scanning your site for any suspicious activity. The free version can keep your site secure, while the premium option scans and updates in real-time.
WP Smush
Slow loading times are among the chief complaints of website visitors. A common issue for reduced speeds is a lack of image optimization. Large files can take time to load, creating a sluggish experience for users. WP Smush can solve this issue by compressing images to a manageable size. The image file size gets reduced, but the quality of the picture will remain.
WP Rocket
Image optimization isn’t the only factor that can slow down a website. Therefore, it is crucial that you add a caching plugin to your WordPress installation. WP Rocket is easy to use, but it can make a big difference to page speed. The plugin can cache pages and compress static files, reducing the burden placed on the server.
MemberPress
Membership sites offer a chance to generate recurring income while delivering content over an extended period. Running a membership site without specialist software, though, can be time-consuming and difficult. MemberPress is a plugin that turns your WordPress site into a functioning membership platform, restricting content access according to your needs. You can take payments, create multiple tiers, and control access to every type of content.
LearnDash
While blogging is an excellent way of delivering content, you may prefer to structure information as lessons. LearnDash is used by universities and significant organizations, providing all kinds of information to users. You can structure classes in different styles, such as gradually drip-feeding content or adding new lessons after certain conditions get met.
Monarch
Social media has become a valuable promotional avenue for websites. The right content can get shared across the main social sites, leading to more views and a new audience. The Monarch plugin helps with this promotion by adding social buttons in targeted places around your site. While social sharing buttons are commonplace, Monarch lets you customize the design, style, and placement far more than most options.
There are various other plugins you could choose from, many of which are incredibly useful. You could browse through the library for free options, while many independent developers invest in premium alternatives. It is easy, though, to add too many plugins or get distracted by choice. Instead, focus on what you hope to achieve with your website, adding products that help you meet these goals. It is tricky to run a high-powered WordPress site without plugins, but the level of quality choices means you can quickly get a user-friendly website up and running.
