Five WordPress plugins every blogger needs

FIVE WORDPRESS PLUGINS EVERY BLOGGER NEEDS

There are tens of millions of blogs on the web, with the WordPress platform being one of the most popular, accounting for a whopping 25% of all websites. (MarTechToday)

Trying to gain traction in such a busy space is never easy, but there are online tools available to help – including WordPress plugins.

There are so many great options available with niche to mainstream popularity, here are just some of our favourites:

  1. Yoast SEO

Yoast is a great tool for websites, especially bloggers who want to grow their traffic and optimise their site.

You may have heard people talk of the ‘green light’ system – this is part of its on-page analysis which determines whether your content is SEO savvy.

Used effectively, Yoast can help drive visitors from search engines and social media. It will also make you think about how you structure your writing, the keywords you use, subtitles, meta tags and so much more with its on-page content analysis.

There are over a million installs of the plugin, which comes in free and premium versions.

More about Yoast here.

 

  1. Newsletter

With more than three million downloads, Newsletter is one of the most versatile

and easy-to-use tools for any website. It allows you to create engaging personal newsletters for your readers, linking content from your website. They can be scheduled, previewed and easily tweaked.

You can even create your own subscriber lists, email automations and notifications. Its tracking analytics are also useful to understand mail opens and overall statistics.

While the plugin is free, there are premium extensions available too.

You can find the Newsletter plugin here.

 

  1. WP Forms

WP Forms is an essential plugin for businesses that need to create contact forms in just a few clicks. This could be for payment and order forms or email subscriptions.

Straightforward to use, it makes payments easy and even provides notifications.

While there is a basic ‘lite’ version, subscriptions are reasonably priced from $39 a year. Get more information on WP Forms here.

 

  1. Shareaholic

If you’re keen to grow your traffic and build engagement with your audience, then Shareaholic is a valuable plugin.

Described as an “All-in-one content amplification platform” this robust tool creates shareable icons on your articles for readers to share with others, via email and social media.

It’s particularly useful for blog sections and press areas, where you may want content to ‘go viral’.

There are four pricing options, including a free one. Find out more about Shareaholic here.

 

  1. Google Analytics+

We couldn’t miss Google Analytics + off the list, an essential tool in getting under the skin of your audience.

 From the early days of registering a domain and launching your website, you can see your website performance, including tracking user behaviour to help you improve your website management.

 From page views to bounce rates and referrers to track visits, it offers a comprehensive overview of your demographic and their behaviours. The insight is particularly valuable for e-commerce.

 It’s free for 30 days, then $49 a month thereafter. Find out more here.

 Don’t forget, LetsHost offer specific hosting plans for hosting WordPress websites.

 

*Please note, prices accurate at time of going to press. We take no responsibility for changes in products or prices.