Top 10 most used WordPress plugins

Most used WordPress Plugins

You can easily expand WordPress website with extra functionality. For example a slider, contact form or a registration form. If these options are available in the form of plugins or are built in the template by your web developer / web builder. Plugins are basically pieces of code that are linked to your website. What you need to keep in mind is that every piece of code is written by a third party and poses a potential risk to your website if the code is badly written or outdated.

What do I pay attention to when selecting a plugin? That is actually very simple, how new is the plugin, is it regularly updated and how many have already been downloaded. And of course I don't forget to read the responses. If the design is beautiful and can be restyled to my client's house style, and there is also a Dutch translation available, then it is fully approved.

Over the years I have worked with different plugins and now there are a number of favorite plugins that I use regularly.

Please note: do you want to install a plugin yourself? First make a backup and know how to restore it if the installation goes wrong. Nine out of ten times it goes well but sometimes the code of one plugin can conflict with the code of another so that something in your website no longer works. Leave the installation of plugins to someone who knows what he / she should do.

Yoast SEOYOAST SEO

To optimize your website for the search engine. You can get started with it yourself, or have it completed by a SEO specialist agency. The dots color from red to green to indicate whether your page is sufficiently optimized.

jetpack

The paid version offers an online backup tool. The other free functions that I find useful are: automatic sharing via "Publicize" to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. And showing the related blogs. Jetpack is from the same makers as WordPress.

Gravity Forms

Extremely flexible forms plugin. From simple to order forms. I also use it in combination with a MailChimp addon so that you can check in the form that you want to receive the newsletter. This person is then placed on your MailChimp list behind the scenes.

Widget kit 

This plugin makes me completely happy. You create almost all imaginable layouts with your blogs or put together something custom. Do you want to know what you can do with it?

Maitenance (or other similar)

Before a website goes live, I put it in maintenance mode. Hereby the customer can look behind the scenes with the website and visitors who are a little too early can already leave an email address and get into the atmosphere by placing beautiful image-filling images in the corporate identity of the company.

BackWPup

Simple plugin if you want a backup system in your website. Some hosting providers offer this through their control panel but if this is not the case then this is a very nice solution. Can be set in five minutes, and makes a backup to FTP or, for example, your dropbox.

 WP Rocket I put

this (paid plugin) as standard in all my websites. A handy plugin that improves your website on several points without too much work.

PopUp maker

You like it or you find them terribly annoying: pop-ups. There is a free version that will take you a long way. With triggers you indicate when you want to show your pop-up. And it is easy to combine with Gravity Forms

Cookiebot

This plugin scans your website and sets a standard text for the 4 types of cookies. In addition, it exposes the javascripts that cookies place. This way you can easily change the code in your website when someone does not give permission. You will pay above 100 pages.

Really Simple SSL

You install and activate this plugin before activating SSL. After activation, this plugin detects whether the SSL certificate is active and you can prepare your WordPress website for SSL with 1 push of a button.