Plugins

Plugins are an easy way to expand the functionality of WordPress.The official WordPress Plugin Directory is the first stop for any plugins shopping.

The Most Useful WordPress Plugins:

• Askimet – Industrial-strength spam protection. It’s installed automatically, but you’ll need an API code from WordPress.com to activate it.
• Google Sitemaps Generator – Give Google and the other search engines a road map to your content.
• Related Posts – Give readers an easy way to find related (and buried) content.
• BackupBuddy - having a good backup AND restore system is vital … created for developers who want to build a local site and mirror it on a live domain
• Subscribe to Comments – Let comments keep track of the conversation.
• Contact Form – Give site guests an easy way to contact you.
• DisplayBuddy series – Showcase images, video series and text easily in WP widgets, pages and posts.
• Mobile – Make an iPhone specific version of your website.
• EmailBuddy – Collect email addresses to send professional newsletters to your clients.
• Easy Theme and Plugin Updater – Update your themes and plugins safely, with backups.
• Gravity Forms – Create all types of forms for messaging, applications, gathering information, surveys, etc.
• All in One SEO Pack Pro – An out-of-the-box solution for search engine optimization.

For more professionally developed and supported WordPress plugins, check out PluginBuddy.com.

You’ll also want to download the free ebook Getting Started with Plugins. It has key tips and best practices you want to know before you get too far along.