Top 6 Must Have WordPress Plugins

WordPress is currently the world’s most famous blogging platform. With the huge number of websites built using the WordPress system, it has proven time and again that it is more than capable of churning out simple blogs. The more accurate definition would be “website creation tool.” WordPress has the ability to create complex yet efficient websites through an intuitive interface that anyone can learn.

Part of WordPress’ appeal stems from the fact that it is highly customizable. People can choose from thousands of themes and plug-ins to suit their websites’ needs. WordPress’ power becomes more apparent in its use of plug-ins. These little program snippets can greatly change or even increase a website’s functionality. Here are some of the best plug-ins that WordPress can offer:

1. W3 Total Cache

This handy plug-in has the ability to accelerate any WordPress website’s loading time up to ten times faster than its usual speed. It does this by caching every website element so it can be easily pulled up whenever it is needed. The improved performance can drive more traffic to the site. W3 Total Cache can also help website owners save up on bandwidth space.

2. Disqus

Disqus (pronounced as “discuss”) is the first comment management system for WordPress. As such, it is the easiest comment engine to use, offering seamless integration with the WordPress platform. It can backup comments automatically into both the Disqus and WordPress database, and notifies the website owner of any new comments and replies. It is also SEO-friendly, and can help a website rank higher on search engines.

3. Akismet

Akismet is the number one spam-busting plug-in on WordPress. It works by identifying, filtering and blocking out spam by running comments against Akismet’s spam database. If a comment shows signs of being spam, it is automatically flagged and the owner will then receive a corresponding report. Akismet has a 90% accuracy rate, making it the most effective anti-spam WordPress plug-in on the market today.

4. Digg Digg

DiggSocial networking is all the rage in this online age. Digg Digg is a plug-in that puts a handy social sharing bar on a website’s pages. This bar includes sharing buttons for some of the Internet’s major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Pinterest.

5. WP Touch

More and more people are using mobile devices like tablet computers and smartphones to surf the Internet. Websites are usually rendered a bit differently on mobile browsers, since their displays are smaller than regular desktop browsers. WP Touch can automatically fix this by rendering a website into a version that is perfectly compatible with most website browsers.

6. All in One SEO Pack

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is the process of increasing a website’s visibility on the Internet by using techniques that can improve its ranking on search engine results. As the name suggests, this plug-in contains all the necessary tools that a website owner can utilize to make his or her site SEO-friendly. It can be used by SEO newbies out of the box, without changing any settings.

Do you have any other WordPress plug-ins to add to the list?

Alexis M is a freelance writer who loves to write tech-related stuff. She is a huge fan of HP products and always has a  HP promo code on hand.