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Do you run a WordPress website and want to give it more juice? One of the best things about using WordPress is the access you have to some amazing plugins that can turn your basic site into a polished, fully functional tool for any type of blog or business. But you’ve got to be careful – some plugins will either slow down, or worse, break your site. And having too many plugins installed will put a strain on your server and increase your hosting bill, so choose wisely. We’ve curated our top picks gathered over years of developing and running WordPress websites.
First, a word of caution about WordPress plugins. Only install the essential WordPress plugins you know you’ll use. Why? The more plugins you have, the more they drain your site’s resources and slow down your site. In fact, that’s a major feature to look for in any plugin you’re considering — some are better at saving speed; others not so much.
Article Overview
Best Plugins By Category
We’ve reviewed the top WordPress plugins for a variety of functions that can really spruce up your site. And we’ll continue to add more reviews to this list. Simply click on a link below to jump to a category you’re interested in or read through to see all the plugins we recommend.
Backup | Calendars | Chat | Forms | Manage Multiple Sites | Maps | Menus | Popups | Sliders | Social Media | WooCommerce
Want An Easy Way to Backup Your Site?
Tired of spending too much of your valuable time backing up your site? WordPress backup plugins can save you a ton of time and the hassle of staying on top of this crucial part of maintaining a site — all through the WP dashboard. Premium backup plugins also can restore and backup your site on an automated basis. Read about the best WordPress backup plugins that we’ve reviewed.
Events, Bookings, Calendars and More
Does your business need to display schedules, appointments, bookings or other events on your WP website? If so, a calendar plugin is a must-have. Many top plugins come with advanced features, such as recurring events, Google Calendar, Paypal and other integrations, data import, front- end event submissions (your visitors can create events) and more. Read our WordPress calendar plugin reviews of the top event, booking, scheduling and other calendar plugins.
Kick Up Your Customer Support With Live Chat
Are you looking to spice up your customer service and site conversions? Your website’s visitors will love the added touch of live chat. There are several chat plugins that are easy to use and send you instant notifications when a customer opens a chat. Live chat is an excellent way to to boost your brand’s reputation and show your customers that you’re there for them when it counts. Read our WordPress chat plugin reviews to learn more.
Connect With Your Visitors Using Forms: For Contact, Feedback, And More
There are literally thousands of WordPress contact form plugins available; how do you know which one to choose? Think about what kind of information you want to get from your site’s visitors. Not only do contact forms reduce spam mail, the more advanced plugins can also help drive your audience to fill in specific fields. This helps you with conversions and your ability to hone down on target marketing. Read our best WordPress form plugin reviews to learn more.
Maps: Help Your Visitors Find You Easily
Do you simply need customers to find your business or store locations? Or maybe you run a travel or real estate site that requires advanced mapping on your website? There’s a WordPress map plugin out there for you! Many of the advanced plugins integrate seamlessly with Google Maps and offer customizable map markers and a ton of other features to give your visitors an interactive experience. Find out which of the best WordPress map plugins is best for your site.
Manage Multiple WordPress Sites From One Dashboard
It can be a hassle when you have several WordPress websites and you have to log in to each site to handle minor management tasks. Fortunately, there are tools that allow you to manage as many different sites as you want from one dashboard. Read our reviews of the best ways to manage multiple WordPress sites to get started.
Menus Made Easy
Hate it when you can’t find what you need on a website? Navigation menus can make (or break) a website. They’re an essential element of any website for one simple reason: they help your visitors get around. But menus serve multiple strategic purposes. You can use carefully crafted, polished navigation menus to boost your site’s design aesthetic and steer your visitors where you want them to go. This helps you keep visitors on your site longer and score on conversions. Read our reviews of six of the best WordPress menu plugins.
Popups Aren’t Dead Yet
You might think that having popups on your website are a no-go. After all, they can get annoying for site visitors. But there are times when popups make sense for your business goals — if placed strategically. Using popups can increase your conversion rates, especially with email sign-ups, product info, and targeted types of customer engagement. Check out our guide to the best WordPress popup plugins.
Want Visually Stunning Sliders?
First impressions can make all the difference with websites, which are as much about the visuals as the information you’re presenting. Appealing image sliders can help you keep visitors on your site longer — one of the major goals of any site (visit our homepage to see one in action!). And advanced slider plugins give you a ton of customization and interactive features to engage your audience. Check out our picks for the best WordPress slider plugins.
Get Your Social Media Game On
Social media can be a game changer for your small business’ marketing efforts. Want more traffic on your site? Then a social media plugin is a must-have. What do they do? In addition to giving you customizable social media buttons for every page on your site, these plugins help boost your SEO rankings and conversions. Read our reviews of the best WordPress social media plugins to learn more.
WooCommerce Enhancements
WooCommerce is one of the most powerful and comprehensive e-commerce plugins available for WordPress. You can really enhance your online store with thousands of WooCommerce plugins. Read our best WooCommerce plugin guide to see some of our favorite enhancements.
Need A Good Hosting Provider For Your WordPress Site?
The more plugins you add, the more resources your site will use. Our experts therefore recommend only installing and keeping the plugins you absolutely need activated. A lighter WordPress site will make your pages load faster, your readers happier, and will improve your search engine ranking with Google.
But none of this will matter if your site is hosted on a slow server. Our experts review the top WordPress hosting providers for various budgets and traffic needs.
What’s your favorite WordPress plugin? Let us know in the comments!
Tagged With: WordPress
