Every website has some basic needs. It needs to be found on Google, it needs to be secure and traffic needs to be tracked. When we have web questions, we always consult Webmaster (and VP of Web Development) Javier Fuller. He has put together some essential plugins that every WordPress website can use to be more effective and help you reach your goals. Best of all, these plugins are totally free! *Click on any title to access the plugins.*
Yoast SEO
This essential plugin makes sure that your website and all its pages can be found on all the search engines. It allows you to tailor page titles, keywords, metadata and sitemaps to maximize your search engine listings. Additionally it allows you to tailor the images and descriptions shown when you share your pages and blog posts to social media. Finally, it controls which pages are submitted to the search engines through your sitemap.
Wordfence
This plugin keeps your site secure. It periodically scans your entire site for known malware, viruses and security vulnerabilities. It can alert you when someone is trying to hack your site. It can also let you know if one of your users is using a weak password or a password that was previously hacked. If your site has been hacked or something has been modified, Wordfence has some ability to repair your site as well
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights is the plugin that will show you traffic to your site and where it’s coming from. It integrates with your Google Analytics account and shows you reports based on your analytics data right within your site. You don’t have to go to the analytics website to view your own site’s information. Additionally, It will automatically filter out your logged-in administrators and other users you choose so that you don’t skew your information.
UpdraftPlus or XCloner
Any glitch during the normal operation or update of your website can cause a major crash, so backups of a website are essential. Both of these plugins are great at creating backups of entire sites. XCloner works great for smaller sites and puts everything into one file for each backup. UpdraftPlus is great for larger sites, but can be more challenging to restore from its multiple files per backup. Both sites offer remote storage so that your site and backup live on different servers, an important feature if your server ever completely crashes
Contact Form 7
CF7 enables forms on your site. So once you have tracked all that secure traffic on your site, you want that traffic to take some action, like filling out a form. Forms can be used to submit a question on a “Contact Us” form or subscribe to a newsletter. A form can also be used as an application for services. However you use forms, they are an essential way for your website visitors to interact with your website and your business. CF7 is a great plugin that allows you to create flexible forms, formatted just how you want and processed just how you want.
A good website is a MUST HAVE for any brand. Need help setting up your company website?
Call the CONRIC team at 239-690-9840 ext. 1001 or email info@conricpr.com to schedule your free virtual business marketing consultation today.
