Today, I want to today about the must have wordpress plugins. When you first install wordpress and see the plugin section. You don’t know what to add. I wish somebody would have told me the must have wordpress plugins when I first started. I would have done a few things a lot differently. Anyway, heres the plugins I recommend all bloggers have installed on their blogs.
Akismet – This plugin is a comment spam killer. I get tons of spam comments daily. If I didn’t have akismet I would go nuts. Akismet comes preinstalled with wordpress. To turn akismet on, go to the Plugins section of your wordpress control panel and click activate on the akismet plugin. The plugin does require an API key. However you can get one free by signing up for an wordpress account at wordpress.com
Subscribe To Comments – This plugin adds a “Notify me of followup comments via email” check box below the “Submit” comment button, so users can keep track of comments. When a new comment is made to the blog post, an email is sent to the subscriber notifying them of that new comment. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “subscribe to comments” and click search then click install on the plugin.
Exec-PHP – This plugin allows you to add php codes to your posts, pages, and in your widgets. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “exec-php” and click search then click install on the plugin.
Google XML Sitemaps – This plugin allows you to make a sitemap for google very quickly. Efvery time you update your blog or add new content, the plugin will genrate a new sitemap for google to use. Not only will it save you time but it will also get your blog indexed by google a lot faster. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “Google XML Sitemaps” and click search then click install on the plugin.
WP Super Cache – This plugin keeps your blog from crashing when you have too many visitors on your blog at once. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “WP Super Cache” and click search then click install on the plugin.
Enforce www. Preference – This plugin provides 301 redirects to queries with /index.php and enforces your use or non-use of www. In addition to you setting your preference in google’s webmaster tools. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “enforce www. preference” and click search then click install on the plugin.
Exclude Pages from Navigation – Provides a checkbox on the editing page which you can check to exclude pages from the navigation listings. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “Exclude pages from navigation” and click search then click install on the plugin.
MaxBlogPress Favicon – This plugin allows you to stand out from the crowd. You make a small 16×16 pixel GIF or PNG image and save it. Now you will have a custom icon when people bookmark your blog. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “favicon” and click search then click install on the plugin.
OIO Publisher – This plugin allows you to sell ad slots on your blog on autopilot. Grab this plugin at oiopublisher. For a discount click here.
Ninja Affiliate – This plugin converts keywords into your affiliate links, cloak your affiliate links to look like this http://www.example.com/productname and tracks how many clicks you get on your affiliate links. Grab this plugin at ninja affiliate.
Top Commentator – This plugin provides a widget that will show your top commentators. Encourages feedback and discussion on your blog by rewarding readers for making comments. Comments increased on my blog after installing this plugin. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “top commentator” and click search then click install on the plugin.
Threaded Comments – If you didn’t buy thesis theme. You will most likely need this plugin. Adds a “Reply to this comment” link to every blog comment When you click the reply link, your comment is placed directly under the comment you replied to. Great for answering your reader’s questions and great to start a community on your blog. Your readers will start discussion among each other. Go to the plugins section in your wordpress control panel and click “add new” type in “threaded comments” and click search then click install on the plugin.
If you think I missed any, post them below.
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I recommended more people to use threaded comments since it adds a whole new dimension for your comments. That’s one of the great things about using Thesis.
Indeed, having the plugin or thesis will allow commentators like me to reply to other commentators. Which will be a community around the blog.
I love the plugins list, most I already use or have used in the past I finally decided to try the threaded comments as I am having a hard time keeping up with my comments lately.
Awesome, now when I reply to other commentators on your blog. They will reply. Hopefully.
I’ve grown to appreciate Exec-PHP very much such that every wordpress installation I make, even if it’s not mine, always comes with Exec-PHP installed and ready. I know that anyone who maintains those wp sites will thank me someday for taking a few seconds to install it at the outset. It’s just one of those plugins I can’t do without.
There are of course a lot of other plugins I like. It’s just that everytime I read someone’s post about his favorite plugins, I always see Exec-PHP in their list.
I will have a look at the php plugin, maybe I could use something like that although I can also create a function in Thesis to do more or less the same.
I love threaded comment plugin because it allows us to interact closely with our readers, this improves the communication between our readers and ourselves.
I use most of these, and have heard of all the others except the Exec-PHP. I’m not well versed in PHP; can you explain why this might be important to use?
Mitch if you ever need to use php in your post, page, or sidebar. This plugin will allow you to do so. Also, to use some other plugins, you will need Exec-PHP.
I assume them, Deneil, if I don’t really know what it is that I don’t need it. lol