WordPress has now eclipsed 60,000 free plugins available to help your website. The question is: What plugins help my site? We are going to give you 6 plugins that we install in every site we develop for our clients, as part of our Custom WordPress Development Services, that we think can immediately help your brand. We call them our starter pack, so let’s dive in!

What is a WordPress Plugin?

A WordPress plugin is software that extends the functionality of your WordPress site. These plugins can add new features, enhance existing capabilities, and improve your website’s performance and security. With over 60,000 plugins available, you can find tools to help with SEO, security, social media integration, and more. Plugins are easy to install and use, making them a popular choice for both beginners and experienced developers.

Where Do You Find WordPress Plugins?

You can find WordPress plugins in the official WordPress Plugin Directory, accessible from your WordPress dashboard under “Plugins” > “Add New.” The WordPress team has reviewed and approved this directory, which includes thousands of free plugins. Additionally, many premium plugins are available from third-party developers and marketplaces like CodeCanyon and individual plugin websites. Always download plugins from reputable sources to maintain your site’s security and performance.

WPS Hide Login

WPS Hide Login is the first plugin we install after experiencing a brute force attack on one of our sites. This lightweight plugin allows you to create a custom URL for your login page, significantly reducing the risk of brute force attacks. It doesn’t slow down your site and has minimal impact on the user experience. This essential security plugin ensures that as your site traffic increases, your risk of unauthorized access decreases. Protect yourself and your customers’ data before it’s too late.

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is one of the most dynamic and useful plugins available. It allows you to create custom fields for any post type, page, or WordPress entity with highly customizable options. You can add image fields to your posts, special URL fields on custom post types, or even admin area drop-downs. The possibilities are endless, and integrating these fields into your templates is simple with get_field('fieldName'). This plugin enables you to enhance your site’s functionality and performance with minimal coding.

Google Site Kit

Google Site Kit is your all-in-one Google hub, providing real metrics on your site’s performance and how users are finding you. This plugin requires some technical knowledge (we strongly suggest setting up a Google Analytics account first) as it relies on Google’s JavaScript being placed in your header. Once set up, Google Site Kit offers valuable insights into your website’s traffic and user behavior, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve your site’s performance.

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a user-friendly plugin powered by SEMrush, one of the largest SEO consulting companies. After understanding user behavior with Google Site Kit, you can optimize your SEO with Yoast. This plugin offers suggestions for on-page and off-page SEO improvements that many other plugins miss. It also allows you to customize your meta tags, which are crucial for getting indexed by Google. Yoast SEO helps ensure that your site is search engine-friendly and effectively optimized for higher rankings.

JotForm

JotForm is an all-in-one solution for creating and managing forms on your website. Collecting form data is critical for any website, and JotForm simplifies this process without requiring any coding. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can create customized forms for contact information, surveys, registrations, and more. JotForm also provides a built-in data collection area, allowing you to easily view and manage the information submitted through your forms. This plugin ensures you have a seamless way to gather and utilize crucial user data.

LinkWhisper

LinkWhisper is an intelligent internal linking tool designed to help you optimize your site’s internal link structure effortlessly. By analyzing your content and suggesting relevant internal links, LinkWhisper enhances your site’s SEO by improving link equity distribution and helping search engines crawl your site more effectively. It also speeds up adding internal links, saving you time and enhancing your site’s navigation. You can learn more about it here.

Bonus: DefiniteSEO

DefiniteSEO is a powerful and user-friendly WordPress SEO plugin designed to simplify search engine optimization for beginners and professionals alike. By integrating insights from Google Search Console, it helps you understand your site’s performance and identify areas for improvement. This plugin offers detailed suggestions for both on-page and off-page SEO that many competitors overlook.

You can easily customize meta tags, titles, and descriptions to improve indexing and click-through rates. DefiniteSEO ensures your WordPress site is fully optimized for search engines, helping you achieve higher visibility and better rankings.

Wrapping Up The 6 Must Have Plugins For Your WordPress Site

These 6 must-have WordPress plugins are essential for any website, providing tools for security, customization, analytics, SEO, form creation, and internal linking. Each plugin offers unique benefits that can help your site perform better, stay secure, and attract more visitors.