WordPress is fast becoming one of the most used platforms for creating websites, blogs, shops and more! Over 409 million people view more than 21.5 billion pages each month. With statistics like that, we’re not surprised that there are over 44,000 plugins available at your fingertips.
WordPress development offers an abundance of features and there is always space to add more and that’s where plugins come in handy. There are thousands of “good” WordPress plugins (and quite a few “not so good” ones), however amongst all of those, there are a few gems that really stand out from the crowd.
We’ve picked out our top 10 (in no particular order!) and listed them below.
All in One SEO Pack
With over 1 million installs and regular updates, the All in One SEO Pack is one of the most downloaded and used plugins on WordPress.
There are several features including; XML Sitemap support, Google Analytics support, Advanced Canonical URLs, Built-in API and so much more. It is also the only free plugin that provides SEO Integration for ecommerce sites, including WooCommerce.
If you’re feeling confident, you have the choice to fine tune all of the little details and if not, this SEO plugin works right out of the box, just install and you’re off! If you’re looking for a tool that will really boost your site’s SEO then AIOSEO is perfect, a must-have for any WordPress website.
Jetpack by WordPress.com
Speaking of must-haves for WordPress, Jetpack is another top rated plugin that will improve your website’s performance in minutes! Jetpack combines many features and saves you the hassle of installing lots of plugins!
As well as offering; traffic insights, reports, security and content management – Jetpack also supports; Custom CSS, Contact Forms, Galleries and Carousels, Notifications and Subscriptions, Configurable Widgets, and so much more.
Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 is one of the most used plugins for forms on WordPress. It supports multiple form types and allows for customisation. All form and mail content can be easily customised in the settings. It is extremely easy to set up any forms you may need, and it works well with other plugins such as Akismet, CAPTCHA and more!
Page Builder by SiteOrigin
Page Builder is a very simple and easy to use plugin for creating responsive column based content. The plugin has many features that allow for a clean and simple design. One of the great things about this plugin is that, no matter what theme you use or how many times you change themes, the plugin will always work and your content will always look the same.
Page Builder has several other great features like drag and drop to re-organise, absolutely no coding required, live editing and version control. If you’re looking for an easily adaptable way to share your work then Page Builder is an intuitive and clean solution.
Google Analytics Dashboard for WP
Why keep logging into Google Analytics to see your stats when you can have them right on your WordPress dashboard?
This plugin is great for so many reasons; not only can you easily see who is currently viewing your website, where they are, what they’re looking at.. but you can also check in-depth page and post reports, sessions, organic searches and so on. Almost everything you can do in Google Analytics, you can also do in your WordPress install.
Installation is so simple and only takes a few minutes before you’re up and running! If you’re looking for simple and insightful data on your doorstep then this plugin is a must-have.
Really Simple CAPTCHA
Really Simple CAPTCHA does exactly what it says on the tin. It is simply.. a really simple CAPTCHA. It was originally created to aid Contact Form 7, but has since been expanded to support other plugins.
Akismet
Akismet is a very simple plugin with one purpose; to stop spam. Sick and tired of logging in every day to see a ton of comments that have nothing to do with your posts? Not anymore! Akismet will run the comments through a spam filter and mark them as spam in your comments section.
Simple Share Buttons Adder
There’s not much more to say about Simple Share Buttons Adder than is already said in the name. This is a plugin that is true to its roots and does exactly what it says it does.. If you’re looking for a way to simply add share buttons to your posts and pages then SSBA has got your back!
Although when we say “Simple” we do not by any stretch mean “basic” because this plugin comes packed with loads of features including responsiveness, customisation, URL shortener, share tags, click tracking and shortcodes. If that isn’t enough, there’s also a plus version which adds even more features!
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin which allows you to sell anything on WordPress. The plugin has been built to integrate seamlessly into WordPress and is the world’s favourite ecommerce platforms that gives you complete control over how you sell your items.
WooCommerce also integrates with hundreds of extensions, allows freedom over what you sell and where you sell it, different payment options, stock control, configurable products, you name it and WooCommerce most likely has it!
TablePress
Adding a flexible plugin that allows you to easily create tables in WordPress has never been easier. TablePress allows for tables to be inserted into pages, posts or anywhere that will allow text. Absolutely no coding is necessary, as you can edit your table in a spreadsheet-type interface. Like Microsoft Excel, you can even add formulas to your table that will be evaluated.
There are also a whole host of TablePress extensions allowing for further and more in-depth customisation.
Conclusion
These are by no means the top WordPress plugins because there are thousands, if we were to list all of the best ones you’d be reading all day, but they’re a good start. To see more, why not have a look at the most popular plugins in the WordPress directory and let us know what you think.
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Don’t worry! We offer a custom WordPress plugin development service, so get in touch; give us a call or pop in for a chat.
