The 10 WordPress Plugins Every Sucessful Blogger Uses

Published on: 28 January 2017 Last Updated on: 04 September 2024
wordpress-1863504_960_720 edited

WordPress is one of the most amazing programs to grace our modern age of technology. It powers countless websites and continues to improve with every update and change. It’s the product of numerous people working on the open-source software and a true accomplishment. It’s also the best platform for bloggers.

Beyond the ease-of-use, WordPress is also great because of its plugins. These bite-sized apps give us huge flexibility and features we need to keep our sites healthy and our visitors happy. Today, I’m going to show you 10 plugins every successful blogger is using.

10 Plugins You Need For Your Blog Today

Some plugins offer additional security, some offer peace of mind, and still others improve the user experience. A careful combination of them can result in a powerhouse of a blog that runs smoothly and provides a great experience for visitors.

Let’s take a look at ten plugins I couldn’t live without (and neither should you!):

1.  W3 Total Cache

Website speed is incredibly important. According to studies, internet users today expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less, and every second that they have to wait past that tests their patience. To get your website down to this time, you need a good caching plugin.

W3 Total Cache fulfills this need handedly with their plug-and-play solution. Once you have the plugin installed and activated, you don’t need to touch it ever again if you don’t want to. Having it installed to make your pages load faster for users by caching data and making it easily accessible to browsers.

Better speed equivalates to a better experience, more conversions, and higher search engine rankings.

2.  SEO by Yoast

Speaking of search rankings, you’re going to need assistance with your search engine optimization. It isn’t something anyone can do themselves. SEO by Yoast is by far the most well-reviewed tool for this purpose.

Having a higher search engine ranking for your new website will do wonders for visibility and potential conversions. That’s why a tool like this is so important to have.

It’s most common use is for evaluating a page’s content. This tool will track instances of your main keyword, and how it’s been used throughout the post. You’ll also have the option to customize things like the permalink, title tag, and meta description.

This tool goes beyond that for those who have technical knowledge of SEO as well. Things like XML sitemaps can be generated easily with this plugin. It’s by far the best tool for managing and improving optimization across your site.

3.  Login Lockdown

By default, WordPress does not limit the number of times you can attempt to log in. This leaves you vulnerable because it gives hackers an unlimited number of chances to guess your login. With this plugin, if the number of attempts is passed, then it blocks the I.P address itself to ensure the would-be hacker can’t use another method to keep trying.

The default setting is a 1-hour lock after 3 failed attempts, but you can modify this using the administration settings of the plugin.

4. OptinMonster

This is one of the most trusted options for conversion rate optimization. You can trigger an email subscription when people are leaving your site and utilize a number of different tactics beyond this to capture more email subscribers than you ever could in the past.

Email marketing continues to be an extremely valid way of boosting your engagement and conversions, and this plugin is the #1 choice for doing so.

5. BackupBuddy

You may feel like your blog or website is invincible, but there’s always the chance that something could go wrong. The last thing you want is to lose hundreds or thousands of hours of work because you didn’t have backups in place.

This plugin is a simple and easy tool you can use to ensure your website is backed up in the event of a hack or a server issue.

6. MaxCDN

In the interest of website speed and performance, a CDN or Content Delivery Network is a must. These networks deliver content to web browsers based on the location of users that are accessing it. This geographical delivery ensures that speed is maximized for your visitors.

This plugin is a great way to get started with a CDN so you can see how it improves your website’s performance.

7. WPForms

Forms are going to come up as part of developing a website, so a form builder is a must. Whether it’s for contacting you or finalizing a sale, plugins like this are absolutely needed. This option is a great beginner-friendly option.

Drag-and-drop functionality means that you’ll be able to create forms, email subscriptions, payments, and anything else you need information for, with ease.

8. Wordfence

Security in today’s world is more important than ever. You need a good plugin to ensure your information and your site is safe. Wordfence handles these tasks with a great plugin that protects you on multiple fronts.

Things like bots that try to brute force their way into your site will be blocked automatically by this plugin. You can also get customized email alerts if anything suspicious happens.

9. WP Optimize

Keeping your databases optimized can go a long way towards maintaining your site’s health and performance. That being said, it can be extremely daunting or downright dangerous to your site if you don’t know what you’re doing.

This plugin will keep things in check automatically, and leave the rest of the daily tasks in your capable hands.

10 Google Analytics Dashboard

Google Analytics is a must-have tool and a huge value, seeing as how it’s free. This plugin will give you the opportunity to see your analytics in your dashboard on WordPress, which is convenient since you would have to otherwise leave and go to your dashboard to see them.

Final ThoughtsHaving the proper plugins can elevate a site from good to great. Do you utilize any of these plugins on your blog? Let us know in the comments!

Read also: 

  1. Top Torrent Sites For Games Download
  2. 4 WordPress Plugins To Make Your Blog More Powerful
  3. Best SEO Tools For Ranking The Website
  4. WordPress Developer: Job Profile And Key Responsibilities

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All Comments

Very well presented. Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content. Keep sharing and keep motivating others.

There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites

Looking forward to your next post. Keep up the good work!

This blog post hit all the right notes!

You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

Related

Blogging Benefits

Blogging to Live Better: 10 Benefits of Blogging

Remember back when blogs weren't really a thing? Not the case anymore. As of 2015, 28.3 million Internet users updated a blog at least once a month. If you're not sure what all the hype is for, here are ten benefits of blogging that you shouldn't miss out on. 1. Share Your Passions : Maybe you have a deep-seated love of French baking. Or maybe you're gung-ho about knitting. Maybe you're a talented underwater basket-weaver. Whatever your passion project might be, a blog is a great place to share it with the world. Because where else but the Internet can you find people with so many different passions wanting to talk to each other? 2. Get a Better Job : If you're great at blogging, you can even turn it into a better job. Maybe you use blogging as a tool to help improve your online profile, show potential employers your chops, and get hired. Or maybe you love blogging so much and get so good at it that it becomes the better job you always dreamed of. Either way, if you dedicate yourself to learning how to blog well and writing regularly, you could parlay it in to a better job than the one you have now. 3. Become a Better Writer : And while you're at it, you could become a better writer in the process. After all, blogs update all the time--every week, every few weeks, or every month (or, for the very ambitious, every day!) Where else would you have so many opportunities to practice your craft? And if you're worried about how blogging translates into more technical writing like whitepapers, reports, emails, or essays, think of it this way: the only way to get better at writing is by writing. A lot. Blogging is, as a rule, a conversational form of writing. It's a great way to get comfortable writing, and writing quickly. Once you're thoroughly comfortable around your own language, how to structure a piece, and how to rock a word-count, translating those writing skills into other forms of writing is a breeze. 4. Practice Another Language : Since you have so many opportunities to write, why not use them to practice another language? If you're consistently forcing yourself to form coherent thoughts, sentences, and paragraphs in your non-native language, you may be surprised to find how much easier it is to work with that language. And, as you establish a following, you'll have more opportunities to interact with native speakers of the language, which means you'll be able to practice even more. Who knew blogging could help you learn so much? 5. Improve Your Technical Knowledge : Of course, it doesn't have to be languages. You could also flex your blogging muscles to improve your technical know-how. Let's say you want to write about failed back surgery syndrome, like this website. What's the easiest way to learn about failed back surgery syndrome? By writing about it and doing the research required to write about it with authority. Always been curious about coding or economics? What better way to talk your way through what you've learned that blogging about it? 6. Connect with New People : And while you're blogging, you'll have all kinds of opportunities to connect with people as you establish a following. These could be people you'd like to add to your professional network. Maybe they're potential blogging clients of yours. Or maybe they're people who are just as passionate about interior design as you are. Either way, learning how to spread your opinions and engage with your comments section is a great way to bring more people into your orbit. That's the beauty of the Internet. 7. Get Immediate Feedback : Plus, while all kinds of new people are engaging with your work, you'll have all kinds of opportunities to get feedback on your work. Did you ever take a writing class in high school or college? Think back to how that process worked--you wrote something, turned it in, and waited a week or a semester to hear back about it. It was a decidedly one-sided process. Blogging is different. When you post something, people have a chance to engage with it in real-time via your comments section--and you have a chance to talk right back. This is especially useful if you have an idea you want to develop further. Put it out into the world on your blog and see what people say. Sometimes, a little outside perspective is just what you need to make progress. 8. Establish Yourself as an Expert : Let's be honest--anyone can blog about something. Let's say you want to be a travel blogger. You can totally start a blog and write about far-off places. But as you spend more time on your blog, doing your research, writing about what you've learned, and sharing your expertise, the more your blog turns into a demonstration of your expertise in your chosen field. One post about something is one thing. But if someone comes to your blog and sees twenty in-depth pieces about a particular subject, they'll view you as someone who knows what they're talking about. 9. Get More Exposure : Of course, not everyone starts a blog just to write about their dogs. Plenty of businesses start blogs to help boost their online exposure. Who says you can't do it too? As we noted, blogging is a great way to attract an audience and engage with people. If you run a business, a blog is a great way to bring attention to that business and topics related to your business. It might even bring you a few customers. 10. Build Your Portfolio : Finally, the only way to build a writing portfolio is by writing. A lot. Blogging is nothing if not writing a lot on a regular basis. If you need to beef up your portfolio and show your own expertise on a subject, a blog is a great way to start getting your name on articles online. Even if it's just your own blog, it gives employers, clients, and fellow enthusiasts a chance to read your work in a casual setting. More Benefits of Blogging (and Writing) Now that you know so much about the benefits of blogging, why not start a blog for yourself? If you're not sure where to start, no worries. We can help with that. Check out our blog for all kinds of tips to boost your writing and blogging, like this post on the common mistakes every new blogger makes. Read Also : 5 Blogging Tips For Beauty And Fashion Bloggers In 2018 Bloggers, Beware! Blogging Mistakes You Should Avoid

READ MOREDetails
blog writing

How to Become a Great Travel Blogger: 11 Secrets

Writing an article while you are sitting on the ocean beach with a rainbow cocktail? Of course, you have seen the pictures of travel bloggers that seem nothing to do but enjoying exotic countries. They travel several months a year, taking gorgeous pictures, meeting new people, and exploring different cultures. Are you a white-collar who is sick of his job? Is your secret dream to pack your stuff and open the door to adventures? Well, if it is so, you should do your best to prepare for a great journey. But how do travel bloggers make money? What are they living for? What do you need to do first to start the blog? Does this business worth quitting your cozy office? We gather several secrets that will guide you while you are considering which country to choose for your first travel. 18 Hours a Day It is not a joke. As a rule, to achieve success, a newcomer has to run his own business in the real world 18 hours a day. Travel bloggers are not an exception. They apply efforts every day to create cool content and attract the attention of big advertisers. High competitiveness requires constant attention, so a blogger needs to work day and night tirelessly. Don't be misled with pictures taken on lovely landscapes because this is not such easy at it seems. Travel bloggers spend long hours at the laptop cursing all your life when Wi-Fi is poor. Create Content Maybe, you are an adventurous man or brilliant engineer. If you can't put words together when it comes to writing, your new business is sure to fail. You need a lot of talent to get popular on the Internet. So, before starting a blog try yourself in the writing field. Create something awesome and ask your friends or relatives for a review. Are you still uncertain of your own genius? Then practice! Write! Jot down your thoughts, create an essay and read it aloud. It will take at least several months to feel confident about your skills. You may find plenty of practical pieces of advice about essay writing on various online services. Find Your Audience Building trust relations with the readers is the most important task for any blogger. Why? The answer is simple. You just can't earn a decent income without a proper audience. No one will invest the money in your business. Get readers first. Find out who is your target audience. The money will come later. What is a Use of That? We read travel blogs, not just for fun. Mostly, tourists seek useful information about the place they are going to visit. Thus, creating entertainment content, you should never forget of those who will come to your blog searching for the timetables, prices, tips, and tricks. Include food recommendations, details where to stay or what to do in your story. Add to your excellent video entertainment and breathtaking photos. Do you think you have a sense of humor? Then make a joke! People like it! Gorgeous Photos Take pictures of everything you see and do while traveling. Remember that even the most mundane things will be in use when you create a story or supply your blog with additional information. You can take pictures of an airport and describe where a traveler can exchange money or find a bus station. Create Events Make your journey impressive and fascinating! Do you have favorite activities? What about getting a new experience? How about biking through India or climbing Kilimanjaro? Do some exciting stuff. Your readers will love it! Use Guest Posting Does no one seem to know about your blog? The best way to change it is to place guest posts on popular resources. The link will lead a new audience to your blog and sent you traffic. Besides, if you will post an article on reputable sources, it will help you with branding and credibility. Work via Social Media These days, social media are the most powerful promotion tools. Staying active on Facebook or Twitter is essential if your goal is earning a living. But don't let yourself to become a victim of social networks: don’t waste too much time there. Analyze your traffic, choose the time to share publications and respond to comments. Do not neglect other social media platforms like YouTube or Pinterest. Art of SEO Your texts must respond not only the reader's interest but Search engine requirements as well. In other words, you need to use magic phrases to attract engines like Google. The art of writing this "spell" is called SEO. If you are going to run a popular blog, you have to study this subject laboriously. Targeted Advertising Sooner or later you will understand that to expand the target audience you need to spend money advertising on social media. You may pick Facebook or Twitter or any platform that you like. Announce your blog loudly! A percentage of visitors will become your regular readers after discovering the blog for the first time. Hire a Team You can't run a successful travel blog alone. Of course, the first time you will be playing different roles: a traveler, journalist, photographer, public relations, accountant, graphic designer, and so on. Mostly, it is a typical situation as many bloggers met this challenge when they entered their career. For some time, you are the only person that is responsible for the safe “voyage.” But a “shipwreck” is inevitable if you do not hire a team when your blog gets popular. You will not be able to run it alone. We have outlined the tip of the iceberg. As you see, a travel blogger works long hours every day. While moving from place to place, you never know whether you will have a comfortable work environment, a nice chair, and a cozy bed. You face a thousand obstacles, survive in long and tiresome car journeys, struggle with mosquitoes and have a risk to catch an exotic disease. All travelers meet language challenges. You have to realize clearly what is waiting for you on this path. Otherwise, your travel blogger’s experience will be the most disappointing. So, we want to showcase that this is not a job but a lifestyle that has its own benefits and hardships. Read More : 4 WordPress Plugins To Make Your Blog More Powerful Doing It The Right Way: Common Mistakes Every New Blogger Commits The 10 Wordpress Pluging Every Success Blogger Uses Bloggers, Beware! Blogging Mistakes You Should Avoid

READ MOREDetails
blog

How to choose the best affiliate programs to promote on your WordPress blog

Affiliate marketing certainly presents an excellent opportunity to make an ongoing income by selling third-party products on your WordPress blog. But in order to make a success of integrating this business model with your web platform you need to ask a few basic questions from the outset. The most basic of all is which products to promote. So how do you choose the best affiliate programs to promote via your blog? Marketing strategy : The program you opt for will depend on the niche you intend to focus on. It is crucial you get this decision right because choosing the wrong program can easily result in poor conversions which are of no use for your business. However, if you sign up for an effective affiliate program you will be able to monetize your WordPress blog effectively. What's more, if you are running an optimum-performing affiliate program, you will be presented with the opportunity to collaborate with partners to join like-minded affiliate networks such as TopOffers. Before you even get as far as examining the range of products you could be promoting, it would be worthwhile taking a step back to look at the benefits affiliate marketing can offer. It is a business model which revolves around the sharing of revenue. You can promote products through an affiliate network and earn a considerable commission. In order to do this, you need to engage with your blog's readership by providing them with positive full-length reviews of the items you have signed up to promote.  Also, there are very low start-up costs with running and then marketing a blog, especially when you are doing so in conjunction with WordPress. You don't have to get involved with product support as stock management is the advertiser's responsibility. And you can manage your affiliate program at your own pace. Once you have gained a handle of how this is all going to work in the longer term, it puts you in a better position of deciding on the ideal products to place at the forefront of your business. Your Niche : What is your blog about? What are the topics you are discussing with your readership on a regular basis? Will it be relatively easy to insert the links to the affiliate purchase pages so they run organically with your overall content? The reason you have to consider these basic questions is that affiliate marketing is a specific type of promotion which relies heavily on your ability to keep your audience fascinated by your items. It is up to you to cultivate your customer base by engaging with your readership as opposed to simply posting links onto pages and expecting people to activate them. In many ways, it's not the product itself which is important as opposed to how well you know it and can sell it. It’s the best affiliate program for you if you can assimilate it into your blog, then really excite your customer base about it. Encourage them to engage with your blog content by making articles interactive. The icing on the cake in terms of promotion is when you introduce social media buttons and invite your clients to not only comment about your items, but to share reviews with friends, and then friends of friends. In this way, your potential customers will expand greatly. Read Also : How To Become A Great Travel Blogger: 11 Secrets Bloggers, Beware! Blogging Mistakes You Should Avoid The 10 WordPress Plugins Every Successful Blogger Uses

READ MOREDetails