I get questions asking about different WordPress plugins all the time. I’ve tested quite a few and figured I’d share the ones I use on my own blog and ones that I use for clients websites and highly recommend for Bloggers using the WordPress platform.
There’s thousands of plugins out there, some paid, some free. These are all free (YEAH!) and all really well made. Feel free to leave questions if I missed something or you need a recommendation on a different type of plugin! Enjoy!
To Reduce Spam: Akismet
Akismet has saved me countless hours of deleting spam comments. Seriously, if you hate every other plugin I talk about today, just install this one, you’ll be so happy you did. All you need is an Akismet key, which you can get here. You set the price you’d like to pay. $0-whatever. A small donation is always kind as these developers are doing some seriously awesome work! Once you get your key, you just drop it in and the chance of any future spam comments will practically disappear. Typically Akismet is already installed to your WP installation, all you need to do is add the key!
To Display Your Twitter Feed Cleanly: Xhanch – My Twitter
Xhanch Studios offers this great Twitter plugin for free. It displays your Twitter feed quite cleanly, or if you’re handy with design and CSS you can make it look pretty! styled Twitter via VenzEdits.com
Showing off Your Instagram Pics: Instapress
There’s plenty of Instagram plugins, but I like this one, it allows you to select how many you want to show, and how often you want it updated. Also the size! When you click on the image, you have the option to open it in a lightbox, as shown above. I decided to show four of my latest pics which is a good reminder that I take too many pictures of Oliver.
Pinning Images Directly: Pinterest Pin It Button for Images
Pinterest Pin It Button for Images by Canha allows you to pin images directly from the image itself. Love this plugin, it’s one of the newest ones I’ve installed. Just roll over any of the images in this post and you’ll see what I’m talking about. This comes with a basic Pin It button, but with a little extra designing, CSS and access to your FTP server you can add your own custom button.
A Better Commenting System: Disqus
I like this commenting system better. You can reply directly to each message and it tallies other ‘reactions’ which means shout outs on Twitter, etc. You’ll need to sign up for an account at disqus.com and then install the plugin and configure it. Simple. Oh and this one also works with Blogger, so if you can’t stand the Blogger commenting system, try this one!
Search Engine Help: Google XML Sitemaps
This helps search engines index your blog. A sitemap helps the crawlers by seeing the structure of your blog and grab the good stuff more efficiently. It’s a behind the scenes app, but definitely a good one!
Monitoring Traffic: Google Analytics
And this one, you’re probably already familiar with, but if not, go sign up for Google Analytics now and then install this plugin by Kevin Sylvestre to drop in your tracking code and see how much and where your traffic is coming from!
If you’re not sure how to add plugins, simply click on ‘Plugins’ from your WordPress dashboard, then ‘Add New’ and search for the one you’re looking for. Sometimes they have the same name, but different authors, so double check that if you’re looking for one of the plugins above. Hit ‘Install Now’ and then ‘Activate Plugin’. Some plugins you’ll need to configure after the fact. Typically it’s under ‘Settings’ or it creates it’s own button on the dashboard. Click there and fill in the required fields and go! If it’s a sidebar item, you typically will set it up under ‘Widgets’.
I’ve been wanting to do some blogging tutorials and finally got around to it. If you have other questions about blogging tips, etc. please leave suggestions below and I’ll try to cover them! Hope this was helpful for all the WordPress bloggers out there!
