Many businesses operate their websites through WordPress, a powerful content management system with nearly unlimited programming possibilities. The draw to this site is clear: it’s out-of-the-box simple, and easy to use and learn. Because of this, however, it also lacks many features and options to make your website unique.
That’s where one of WordPress’s greatest features comes in: its library of plugins, which allow you to customize your website. With over 36,223 plugins available, WordPress makes it easy for you to take full control of your site, offering great functionality and customization without extensive coding experience.
Customize endlessly
Whether it’s appearance, spam removal, or analytics, WordPress plugins let you spend less time coding and more time crafting awesome content for your website. These are some great starter plugins that can simplify your web management.
- Akismet — Automatically filters out spam to keep all posts in your comment section authentic.
- Broken Link Checker — Checks your blog for broken links and missing images, notifying you through your dashboard if any are found.
- Quick Page/Post Redirect Plugin — Redirect any pages, posts, or URLs on your website to another location, both within your website and outside of it. This tool is great for redirecting common URL typos (e.g. redirect mysite.com/blogs to mysite.com/blog).
- Simple Page Sidebars — The standard sidebars on WordPress look great, but what if you want to have different sidebar styles for different pages? This tool lets you quickly create new sidebars for specific pages without needing to code a new template.
- Floating Social Bar — Quickly and easily add your business’s social media buttons to your blog pages, either at the top or the bottom of your posts.
- WP Maintenance Mode — If your website isn’t ready for visitors or you need to schedule some work time, this plugin can be used to keep your visitors informed and up-to-date. It includes an optional countdown down timer and can notify subscribers when the site or a specific page is live again.
- BackUpWordPress — Just as the description says, the plugin provides “simple, automated backups” for your database and allows you to download the files.
Beware the white screen!
In rare cases, users might be confronted with the “white screen of death” when using plugins — so named by the WordPress community because the error will cause some of or your entire website to go blank! It usually happens when WordPress runs out of memory and can be a workout to correct. In cases like these, the expertise of a seasoned HTML editor or web developer can be paramount for getting your website back in peak working condition.
WordPress remains one of the most powerful web platforms businesses can use to create an exceptional website and business blog. By using plugins to give your site the customization and transparency you need, you can take your website and internet marketing to the next level.
