Here is a listing of some of my favorite WordPress plugins! They make blogging a lot easier.
Analytics 360
This is a plug in that is done by Mail Chimp. If you’re not familar with Mail Chimp, they are an email marketing platform, which is simple to use and have great help and videos. They have integrated their analytics with Google. You can check the effectiveness of your posts and email campaigns. The posts are one color dot on the grid while emails are another. It’s very simple to follow. But the best part is you can view it from the dashboard of your WordPress and never have to go into Google Analytics. Granted it’s a simple version of Google Analytics, but for quick information it’s great Visit the Plug In Site.
Dean’s Permalink Migration
This plug in is a life saver. If you set up a blog and forget to change the permalinks from the default, and then try to go back and change them, its almost impossible. Well not impossible but doing it will make you want to pull your hair out! This plug it allows you change your permalinks to make them more friendly for searching. It sets up 403 forwards, so that it redirects the search engine and other links to the new link! Visit the Plugin Site
GD Star Rating
This plug in is really cool for interaction with your readers. You can set up ratings, either thumbs up, single rate the post, to a multiple set of ratings. I have looked into other ways of doing ratings and that you have to pay for, sometimes a few hundred dollars. The worst thing about this post is the tutorials and information is written by a tech person so it’s not always easy to follow. But once you master it, it can be very useful. Visit the Plugin Site.
Gigya Wildfire
If you’re like me and you love social media, this plug in is awesome. It can let your readers to share your content to over 22 different social media sites. They include facebook, twitter, stumbleon and some you probably never heard of till this day. Its the simplest way I have seen to share with social media sites. Visit the Plugin Site.
Google Analytics for WordPress
If your’e not a code person and you don’t want to try to find where to put the Google Analytics code, this plug in is for you. All you have to do is copy the analytics number and click save and you’re done! This has come in handy, if you put the code on the template and have to update the template or change it, you have to remember to update the analytics as well. I forgot to do this and lost several days of data. This plug in carries over on what ever theme you want to use! So you won’t have any lost data. Visit the Plugin Site.
PodPress
If you’re going to do a podcast, this is the best plug in to get. Its very simple and straight forward. Simply upload the file to a directory in your hosting. Then you put in the file address and it puts it in your RSS Feed and can be read on the site or your favorite podcast catcher, such as iTunes But, one of the best things is that with this plug in you can see a mock up of what your page will look like in the iTunes store! You can update what goes to iTunes on this page. Visit the Plugin Site.
WordPress Database Back up
Backing up your information is very important. If you have a big blog, its extra important to back up your important files. You never know when disaster will strike. This plug in can be set to either let you down load a back up your database or have it emailed to you on a set schedule. Visit the Plugin Site.
wp-recaptcha
Spam is the worst on a blog. I worked on a blog where in one day I had to manage over 2,000 spam comments on one blog post. ReCaptcha makes your reader put in a code, you know those annoying codes you see on many sites to make sure you’re human. This version has the easiest to read codes. One site had Captcha system that took me, I kid you not 7 times to put it in. I couldn’t tell what was the a number or a letter. Its annoying when you can’t read what is displayed. You need to get an API key to make the plugin work, which is a another name for an activation code, but that is free though the site! If you download the plug in and don’t have it, they will direct you to it. Visit the Plugin Site.
TIP: There are plugins that require a WordPress API, and if you are self hosted you may ask, “How do I get one of those.” Well, you get it through the WordPress.com site. Instead of signing up for a free account you can sign up and just get the API code. This now won’t sotp you from using some great plugins!
The best thing about these plugins is they are all FREE. Yes, that’s right FREE. WordPress is, I feel, the most powerful blogging platform that is out there. You have at your disposal hundreds of plug ins, themes and widgets. The only thing stopping you is space on the blog!
I hope this helps you with some new plug in’s you haven’t thought of before! Let me know your favorites as well!
