WordPress Tutorial Series is a continuing saga for the new WordPress users. In this WordPress Tutorial, we will tell you about some essential WordPress Plugins. For those who are reading this WordPress Tutorial part for the first time, might be interested to read our previously published article on WordPress Tutorial Series :
What is WordPress and How it Works
Finding a Suitable Web Host or Server
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Installing WordPress on your Server
Post Installation Works For WordPress
Basic WordPress Tutorial on WordPress Plugins
WordPress Plugins are either developed by WordPress brand themselves (that means Automattic) or third parties – individuals or brands. Most of the WordPress Plugins are free, comes with GPL or Creative Commons License, they can be found on WordPress.org website (extended > plugins) or paid. Paid are less, usually SEO related plugins and sold through their own websites. WordPress team checks each and every plugin before listing for badwares. Do not install any WordPress Plugin outside from WordPress site, if you have no idea about what you are doing.
Plugins extends some functions over what WordPress, by default offers. But this function is often at the cost of database burden – where the data of WordPress is stored. If you want to test new plugins, test it either on your offline WordPress installation or on your playground test domain or subdomain. It might be difficult to decrapify the leftover burden from MySQL, even if you have deleted/ uninstalled the WordPress Plugins. You can install WordPress Plugins, either via Plugins > Add New from your WordPress admin panel or you can upload it after unzipping to the Plugins folder. In either case, you have to activate them before using.
What Plugins we are saying about in this WordPress Tutorial
We will tell about the must have Pugins in this WordPress Tutorial, for any kind of website.
Akismet : It is a anti spam plugin that is included within WordPress installation bundle.
Google XML Sitemaps : What ever the website is, you will need it if you want to see your website on Google Search.
Platinum SEO Pack or All in One SEO pack : We personally prefer Platinum SEO Pack.
WP Super Cache with CDN Syc Tools : If you are using CDN, we found this combination is somewhat better if we consider all aspects. If you are not using CDN, then WP Super Cache with WP minify will work great. However, in both cases, a bit .htaccess tweak will be needed. There is another good cache plugin named W3 Total Cache.
BulletProof Security : In these days, its better to use it.
Easy Contact : Easy Contact is a simple, semantic contact form just like we have in our Contact Us page.
FeedBurner FeedSmith : ?This plugin detects all ways to access your original WordPress feeds and redirects them to your FeedBurner feed so you can track every possible subscriber. This is the exact official description and what it does.
404 SEO Plugin : Any kind of 404 SEO Plugin will work great.
These are basic minimum needed WordPress Plugins for a standard website or blog and in our WordPress Tutorial Series, we will discuss later about special plugins for special usages.
