4 Types of WordPress Plugin Your Website Needs

Regardless of whether you’re setting up your first hobby website or you’re a seasoned internet warrior with niche sites as far as the eye can see, there are a few types of plugins that every site should consider installing in order to get maximum functionality.

This post is going to discuss what those plugin types are and give you a few suggestions for each. Even if you only find one or two to use, it’s going to be well worth the read. Full disclosure: Despite the title, some of these aren’t going to be used every single day. That said, you’re going to be happy you have them on hand when you do need them.

Spam Protection

One of the most annoying things about having a blog on your website is having to spend tons of time monitoring your comments. Sometimes, it can take ages to determine which ones are legitimate and which have come courtesy of the dreadful spam bots.

Askimet is commonly used to battle this issue, but there are plenty of alternatives on the market.

Here are just a few:

Captcha Plus: This plugin can be used anywhere that you would like to ensure you’re only encountering humans (password recovery, comments, contact forms, list registration, etc.). It’s known to be very reliable and has been downloaded by more than 2 million WordPress, so they’re definitely doing something right. For more information and/or to get it, click this link.

Spam Protection – Comment Spam Prevention: If comments are your main concern, this plugin might be more suited to you. The developers claim that by simply installing this plugin (read: you don’t need to spend a bunch of time configuring it! There are a few options if you’d rather have some control, though), you can reduce the amount of spam on your blog by up to 90%. Learn more or get it here.

WPBruiser Pro { no-Captcha anti-Spam }: Let’s be real, there are few people out there who actually enjoy having to prove that they’re human via Captcha every time they try to click or comment on something. This plugin uses an algorithm along with killer technology that identifies and blocks bots from ever leaving spam in the first place without having to resort to those annoying methods. It’s very user-friendly, is completely self-contained (meaning that you’re not going to have to connect to anything outside of your website), and begins working immediately. Check out its extensive list of features and/or download it here.

A Good Cleanup Tool

Links break, pages and posts are archived and forgotten about, and that drafts folder fills up pretty quickly if you neglect it for any length of time. It doesn’t matter how well you think that you stay on top of your website(s), the fact of the matter is that you’re going to need the help of a decent cleanup plugin if you want to get maximum speed and functionality out of it (or them). Here are a few such plugins that fit the bill perfectly:

WordPress Cleanup & Optimize Plugin: If you’re not a very experienced user, this is probably the best choice for you. It comes equipped with a super user-friendly interface and all the features you’ll need to get the most out of your website. To see what those features are or to download it for your own use click here to learn more.

Lighthouse: If you’re concerned about the addition of a cleanup plugin slowing your site down (it shouldn’t, but if you already have more plugins that you need it’s a possibility), Lighthouse is an incredibly lightweight (read: zero-footprint) alternative. The developer claims that by using this plugin, you can increase your website’s speed by up to 300%! Learn more here.

Smart Cleanup Tools: This plugin comes brimming with more than 35 tools for you to clean, reset, and remove all of the things you need to in order for your site to be as optimized as possible. It’s easy to navigate and use, is fairly straightforward, and comes with a handy user guide in case there’s anything you’re having troubles with. If you still have questions after reading the PDF, the developer offers online support. Perfect for modest and more advanced users alike. Get it here.

WP-Optimize: Arguably the most popular clean up solution. With over 600k active installs and 500+ 5 star reviews you can’t really go wrong with WP-Optimize. Check it out here.

*Bonus*Beyond Multisite – Utilities for WordPress Network Admins: If you have multiple websites, this plugin is probably more up your alley than any of the others mentioned above. In addition to the bulk action support, a big benefit to this one is that you only need to buy the plugin one time; additional updates are free for life. They also offer 6 months of free support to help you out while you get a better feel for how things work (the support can be extended for a small investment which isn’t bad when you consider that you only pay for it once). Check it out here.

Something To Make Search Engines Want You

If you haven’t yet heard about how important search engine optimisation is when it comes to getting your website seen, you must be living under a rock. Since the rules of what’s acceptable and what isn’t have a tendency to change more than the tides, installing a tool that makes sure you’re always doing the right things is a good idea. Regardless of what your budget is, there’s an SEO plugin out there with your name on it. Try one of these:

Yoast SEO and All-in-One SEO: If you’ve not heard or Yoast SEO or All-in-One SEO then you must have been living under a rock. Both of these plugins are highly regarded and insanely popular.  We like All in One SEO here but there’s other alternatives out there.

Premium SEO Pack: If your main goal is to monetize your site, your best bet is to invest money in things that are going to help you do that. You could download a bunch of different plugins, but that’s likely to slow your site down (which, in case you didn’t know, can actually drop your rankings). From validation to link building; site mapping to SERP tracking; image sizing to social stats and a whole lot more, this all-in-one plugin carries a ton of value. Click here to see all of its features and to try it out.

DELUCKS SEO: If what you’re after should be easy to use and understand; if it should be capable of quickly and efficiently doing what it needs to do without you needing to be some sort of computer wizard, yet still have the extensive functionality that makes you look like you are, look no further than DELUCKS SEO. This plugin also comes with support for multiple languages, which makes it a perfect tool to have for developers who service international clients. Check it out here.

Smart SEO: For those that don’t want to have to deal with all of the bells and whistles that some plugins come overflowing with, smart SEO might be more your style. It lets you see the rules you need to follow and helps make sure that you’re doing everything you can to get the best optimisation possible. If your site is more of a hobby than anything else, this is probably more than enough for you. See what it can do and get it here if you think that it’s worth taking a shot on.

Engagement Options

If you don’t have a way for your readers to engage with your website, you’re missing out on a huge market. Fact is, a lot of people want to be able to express their opinion on everything – If you’re not giving them the option to express themselves on your page, they’re most likely going to go somewhere else that does give them that ability.

There are quite a few different ways that you can go about this – social media sharing buttons, a voting or polling system, open feedback, etc. – and even more plugins to help you do it. Here are just a few of them:

Fixed WordPress Social Share Buttons: If you just want to have some buttons on your site that will allow your audience to share your content to whatever their preferred social media network is, this plugin will give you everything you need. It’s especially recommended for use in European and other countries where privacy and data collection is taken more seriously. See if it’s the right plugin for your website and/or try it out here.

WPeddit: If you just want to know whether your readers are enjoying your posts or not, an up/downvote system similar to the one reddit uses will probably work just fine for you. This plugin makes sure that your audience sees the best content you have to offer first which can significantly reduce your website bounce rates. Check it out here,

Socializor – Floating Social Media Bar for WordPress: If you’d prefer to display your share and/or subscription options in a popup style, Socializor is what you need. It’s simple to navigate and doesn’t have a whole lot of additional features or options, which makes it a perfect choice for beginners. You can read more about it and/or give it a shot by clicking this link.

Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress: This plugin lets you take your social media engagement to the next level. Sure, it comes brimming with all the usual stuff that this sort of plugin boasts, but it also allows you to take things a step further by giving you the ability to lock all or a piece of your content until it’s been shared. If you’re having issues getting shares on social media, this might just be the plugin that solves your problem. Check out all its features and see if it works for your website by getting it here.

There are, of course, plenty of other plugins that can add even more functionality to your website (Landrr, for example, is an incredible plugin for making and customising your landing page to suit your individual needs), but these four main types will get you off to a good start.

What plugins do you have installed on your website that you can’t live without? Let us know below.