Choosing the Right Plugins Ira Horowitz Cornershop Creative @ira_horowitz
About Cornershop Creative Online services company that provides excellent design, expert web development, and innovative online strategy for nonprofits and small businesses
Summary Where to Find Plugins? Criteria for Selecting a Plugin Must Have Plugins
FINDING PLUGINS
Where to Find Plugins WordPress.org (http://wordpress.org/plugins/) Can Filter by Tags and Popularity It s integrated directly into the WordPress Admin Pnel Tidy Repo (http://tidyrepo.com/) Tagline of A curated list of the best WordPress Plugins All plugins are tested and verified before listing
Where to Find Plugins Code Canyon (http://codecanyon.net) More than 3,000 plugins Custom Premium plugins Search and filterable Google If you can t find it via these sources, google it
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PLUGINS
Do You Need a Plugin? Is it functionality already provided by the theme or somewhere else? Is custom functionality better for your purpose? Is there a web service that works without installing a plugin?
Number of Downloads
Plugin Rating
Plugin Reviews This is where most of the complaints will exist Common or often complaints can be an indicator of a bad plugin
Updated Regularly How often is it updated? Does the publisher make bug fixes quickly? Are there security patches or concerns? Are updates performed when WordPress releases?
Compatibility Make sure it is compatible with the latest versions of WordPress Ensure that it is still in active development and maintenance
Plugin Website
Support System Check out FAQs Look at documentation or knowledge base
Plugins by same author Check to see if the same person/company is actively developing other plugins Multiple plugins from one author with high rating are typically safe
Where there s one There are probably 10 Review other similar plugins and don t just take the first one you find
Go Pro! If available, it s worth the small investment (usually only $20-$50) Better features Better support
MUST HAVE PLUGINS
Advanced Custom Fields https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/ Let s developers easily create custom fields on posts and pages
Gravity Forms http://www.gravityforms.com/ Create unlimited number of forms Collects responses in WordPress Customized confirmation page and email Dozens of extensions that let you collect payments, and send data to third-party tools like MailChimp & Salesforce
WordFence https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/ Makes your site secure Regular security threat notifications Lockout notifications Blacklist spammers
Backup Buddy https://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/ Keep a backup of your content should anything go wrong
HAVING FUN WITH PLUGINS
Intuitive Custom Post Order https://wordpress.org/plugins/intuitive-custom-post-order/ Easily drag and drop to sort posts, pages or anything in WordPress
Collapse-o-Matic https://wordpress.org/plugins/jquery-collapse-o-matic/ Create collapsible menus in the body of your pages Great for FAQs or long-content pages
Widget Menuizer https://wordpress.org/plugins/widget-menuizer/ Sick of the same old boring dropdown navigation menu? Create more dynamic and engaging menus Pulls widget areas in a menu, so anything you can put in a widget, can now be in a menu
NextGen Public Uploader https://wordpress.org/plugins/nextgen-public-uploader/ Let users submit their own photos to your site, showing their support Make a great action campaign Let users submit their photos and automatically display in a variety of excellent gallery layouts
Photo Contest WordPress Plugin http://codecanyon.net/item/photo-contest-wordpress-plugin/8320636 Create photo contests Easily reset contest Run multiple contest at once
WP Lightbox 2 https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-lightbox-2/ Add a mobile responsive lightbox to your website
BBPress https://bbpress.org/ Create dynamic and interactive forums
Conclusion Don t just look at the WordPress.org Plugin Gallery Research all alternatives before selecting a plugin Before using, confirm it s legitimate via downloads, reviews, and support Go Pro!
@ira_horowitz www.cornershopcreative.com ira@cornershopcreative.com