First, for those that do not know, a plugin in a small piece of software that can be installed on your WordPress site to add a specific feature to the site that WordPress does not have as part of the standard software package. There are literally thousands of plugins to choose from, the majority of which are free. By adding plugins, your WordPress site can be very powerful. Along with the many free plugins available, there are also specialized plugins available for a fee. If you still do not find what you need, it is also possible to hire someone to create a plugin for you. The possibilities are endless.
Anyway, the following 7 plugins are ones that we use and feel that every blog must have.
Akismet – This plugin saves you a lot of time in deleting spam comments. You set the specifications and the program learns over time which type of comments you do not want to see. Akismet blocks the spam comments so you do not have to deal with them.
All in One SEO Pack – This plugin allows you to configure each page and each post to be highly SEO friendly.
Contact Form 7 – With this you are able to add an attractive contact form to your blog which will make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you.
Google XML Sitemap – This plugin creates a sitemap of your blog. The biggest benefit of the sitemap is that it makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index new information on your site quickly.
ShareThis – This is a plugin that makes it very easy for your visitors to share information they find interesting on your site with their friends.
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin – This plugin will add, beneath each post, a list of posts that are related to the subject of that post. This helps keep your readers on your site longer.
StatPress – This will give you an idea of your visitor statistics each day. You will still probably want Google Analytics but this information is available on the site.
While there are other plugins that you will probably want and need depending on your blog, these are the 7 that we feel every blog needs. Hope this list helps. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in comments or through the “Contact Us” page.
FYI: We are offering a special discount of up to 50% off through August 1, 2010 for anyone that would like help setting up a WordPress site. For more information, click here.
Photo credit: Interactive Institute
