WordPress Plug-Ins: The Bare Essentials

 

 

This past weekend, I was a presenter at PodCamp Cincinnati. Many talented people in social media attended from the region, so I learned quite a few things myself. My favorite session was by Daniel J. Lewis, the event organizer, who gave a snappy session on essential WordPress plug-ins. I'm going to share a few recommendations from his session (click here to see them all), as well as add a few of my own.

 

Must-have

Akismet. It should be installed for you, so don't remove it. It blocks spam. If you don't have it, add it.

Comment system


The WordPress default comment system isn't bad, but you can do better. I currently use Disqus; after hearing Lewis's presentation, I'm considering a switch to Intense Debate.

Social sharing


Social sharing plug-ins make it easy for people to tweet, "like," or otherwise share your post on their preferred social network. I currently use AddThis, but after Lewis's presentation, I may switch to ShareBar, which has more dynamic functionality.



Site speed

Lewis recommends several options; I use WP Super Cache.

Mobile-friendly


According to Google Analytics, about 50% of my traffic comes from iPhone users. That means the site needs to be mobile friendly. WP Touch automates this. Once installed, it just works. Love.


Broken link checker


When links break on your site, it's nice to know right away. I use Broken Link Checker to automatically scan my site every week. Through its interface, I can change URLs as needed, or remove the link entirely.


Social media widget


This plug-in allows me to easily build those appealing & visual sidebars that tell you where else I'm found online.


What WordPress plug-ins do you find indispensable? Share in the comments!