I’m in the process of setting up yet another WordPress install. I love WordPress. I haven’t found much I can’t do with WordPress. But anyhow, so I’m uploading the files right now and the next step, of course, is Plugins. I know there are a few that I automatically install with every WordPress site I build. So, here are my faves, in alphabetical order.
1. Contact-Form-7 :: Every site needs a method for users to contact the site owner. I’m not a fan of publishing email addresses on a website due to spam issues. I love forms. I can’t say I’ve tried every form plug in for WordPress, but I can say I’ve used this one repeatedly. Set up is easy, customization is easy. It’s a must have.
2. PHP Code Widget :: Sometimes you just need to toss some php into a sidebar widget.
3. Sexy Bookmarks :: If you’re going to have a blog or website, you need to allow your site visitors to easily share what they find on your site. Sexy makes it easy and it looks great at the same time.
4. TinyMCE Advanced :: The editor that WordPress supplies is nice, but sometimes you just need more control.
5. Twitter Tools :: Easily tweet your new blog posting. You can turn your tweets into blog posts and your blog posts into tweets. You can also display a sidebar widget of you latest tweets. Great way to integrate Twitter with your site.
6. Woopra :: A client actually introduced me to Woopra. You’ll need to register on the Woopra website, but with the plug in, you can monitor your site visitors and gather important date right from your WordPress dashboard. Woopra offers a few different levels of monitoring, but the free basic level is offers just enough.
Of course, there are more depending upon my needs. For one, I use one of a few plugins to style my log in/register pages, but those are dependent upon the site. These are the ones that I install first without even considering the type of site I’m doing. What are your favorite WordPress Plugins?
I should consult my own list and advice and get this blog up to date!
