WordPress plugins are powerful tools that integrate with your WordPress installation to extend the functionality of your site. They offer a range of features related to security, search engine optimization, social media, customization, and more. Most of the popular features started as independent plugins and were eventually added to the platform as a feature.
The reason that plugins are developed independently, you have little control over their quality. They have been known to be the cause of many heartburns for years. Problems range from poor development, lack of support, or inconsistencies with your version of WordPress or other plugins and themes.
Therefore, it is important to make the right decision when choosing a plugin. Let’s take a look at some key points when looking for WordPress plugins.
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Examine Your Needs
Before looking for a plugin, it is essential to determine what to expect from the plugin. Sit down and write a list of exactly what you are looking for. This simple step can save you time and money with a plan.
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WordPress Security
Choosing a poorly coded plugin can have serious consequences. 22% of WordPress websites have been hacked due to additional security issues.
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from security issues is to check that the plugin is up to date. Select plugins that have been updated for at least two months and that have the latest version of WordPress installed. You can also take help from a Java development company.
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Check out the Changelog
The plugin not only shows if security issues have been resolved but is also an excellent tool to understand what you’re getting with a plugin.
The changelog shows which features are added with each update. In general, great success in the changelog means that plugin developers adapt to their customer’s needs and actively strive to improve the plugin.
This makes it easier to get the features you want from the plugin, with little progress on their to-do list.
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Free Versus Premium
When looking for plugins, you might get confused between free and premium plugins.
Free plugins are ideal if you’re looking for an instant financial investment. Depending on your needs, some free plugins can give you precisely what you are looking for. Most of the unlocking features also offer high-quality version upgrades.
On the other hand, premium plugins have many advantages. High-quality plugins are still compatible with newer versions of WordPress. They also have many other features that you can use to customize your site.
If you care about the price, most premium plugins are relatively cheap. And you’re more likely to help developers release a better product.
This means that their security is checked frequently, and they are usually updated more often.
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Support for Your Plugins
Premium plugins also provide ongoing support from developers working on improving plugins. Good support means that the customer can ask questions and get answers relatively quickly.
Free plugins assist in the WordPress Support Directory forum. While this support may be enough to fix some issues, it isn’t as personalized as support for premium plugins.
Support also means getting help if something goes wrong. This help can be invaluable if a security issue is found in the plugin. Support for high-quality add-ons also means that the developer logs in to your site to review your problems. It’s not available if you have a free add-on.
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The Reputation of the Plugin Developer
Before making a choice, it’s essential to consider the plugin developer’s reputation and other plugins. You can find out by looking at the reviews of these plugins and how often they are downloaded.
If a developer has a strong track record and makes the right products, some of their add-ons are likely to be good. Extensive support, security, and the developer’s reputation also go hand in hand.
Best WordPress Plugins
Are you a new WordPress user? Still not sure which plugin is best for your WordPress site? Below we have four of our favorite plugins for various functions. Have a look:
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SeedProd
SeedProd is the best WordPress drag-and-drop page builder. This allows you to easily customize the project of your website and create custom page layouts without writing code. Business owners love this because it allows them to create completely custom landing pages in minutes without hiring a developer. You can choose from over 100+ beautifully designed templates, or create a wholesome custom layout from scratch with its easy-to-use drag-and-drop WordPress page builder (no coding required).
There are pre-made templates for landing pages, sales pages, thank you pages, web page registration pages, upcoming pages, maintenance mode pages, 404 pages, and more.
SeedProd is equipped with an intelligent design system, so you can save time by reusing elements instead of repetitive work. You can define color schemes, save font combinations, page templates, custom blocks, sections, and more.It has all the blocks and features you’d expect from a powerful page builder, such as subscription forms, communication profiles, counting times, contact forms, buttons, various content blocks, and more. It also includes built-in order management and seamless integration with third-party email marketing services and CRM programs.
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PushEngage
PushEngage is the best push notification plugin for WordPress. Browser push notification technology allows you to send targeted messages and advertisements to your website visitors.
We use push notifications in conjunction with our email newsletters to increase customer loyalty and website traffic. Push notifications are consistently among the top 5 traffic sources for WP beginners.
PushEngage has all the powerful features like drip campaigns, A/B testing, dynamic user segmentation, subscription reminders, powerful analytics, target tracking, and much more.
E-commerce websites can automatically trigger shopping cart exit notifications, price drop alerts, inventory alert notifications, and more.
For bloggers and publishers, new blog post notifications can be automatically sent to all of your subscribers.
PushEngage works seamlessly on all website-building platforms including WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, and more.
They have a PushEngage WordPress plugin that makes it easy to enable push notifications on your website.
The best thing about PushEngage is that they DO NOT sell your data like everyone else in the field.
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WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress and is used by over 4 million websites.
WooCommerce is by far the best plugin for selling anything. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress and gives store owners and developers complete control. You can sell both physical and digital products, customize multiple options, sell online, and offer membership. With WooCommerce, the choices are endless.
Over the past few years, WooCommerce has established itself as the most dominant eCommerce plugin for WordPress. There is even a WooCommerce ecosystem with WooCommerce dedicated hosting, WooCommerce themes, and WooCommerce plugins.
This plugin offers many different shipping and payment options and is fully customizable to your brand. WooCommerce is also designed to help find the perfect WordPress theme storefront for your eCommerce store.
One of the best plugins of WooCommerce is the Woocommerce Private Store.
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LiveChat
LiveChat Inc is the best live chat support software for business and eCommerce websites. It’s very easy to use, and it allows you to quickly add a chat to your WordPress site.
It has lots of customization options and comes with a mobile app so you can provide live support.
It integrates with existing support software, CRM, email marketing, and other tools. Most importantly, it loads quickly and has a great user experience.
The LiveChat team has also created ChatBot.com, the best AI-enabled chatbot. You can use it in conjunction with LiveChat to ensure your users always get the fastest AI + human response.
That’s all
Choosing the right plugins for your WordPress site is key to your site’s success. By listing your features, researching the plugin you want, and exploring what others have to say, you surely find the right one for you.
