15 - WordPress plugins, and why you should use them

WordPress plugins, and why you should use them

WordPress sites are a canvas that lets you bring your voice to the world. But that’s not all they’re good for. With its near-total ubiquity and incredibly vibrant online community, WordPress has become so much more than that. The popular blogging platform has since grown to host everything from exclusive membership sites to some of the internet’s biggest online storefronts. If you could think it up, there’s probably a way to get your big project up on the platform.

The sheer scale of WordPress’ influence is there for good reason. If you find a way to give your user base the tools they need to go about their passions, they’ll never have to look elsewhere. Thanks to its robust backend, and near-infinite amount of integrations, this has largely proven true– with up to 1.3 billion active websites, and over 70 million new posts per month to show for it.

Sure, you could still start an online journal, but there’s something reassuring about being able to integrate e-commerce into an existing site with the right plugin and a couple of clicks. There’s nothing like the idea of living off of something you love, so turning a personal blog into a full-fledged brand, service, or online store is definitely an important next step for some– if not an outright goal.

In so many ways, this success ultimately boils down to flexibility– that endless font of features that you so easily bend to your will. A huge part of this is with the way WordPress manages its plugin functionality. Everything you’d like to do with a website is possible, all you have to do is decide on a direction.

Plug into hassle-free functionality

WordPress plugins are modular snippets of PHP code that extend your page’s functionality, and can make for interesting, if incredibly helpful additions to your site’s user experience. Now, the great thing about these is NOT having to know code to use them. For the most part, all you have to do is follow the instructions on the proverbial tin. Well-designed plugins just work, and keep on working.

They could be anything from quality of life improvements like enhanced security, and in-window SEO tools to plugins that completely overhaul the site’s purpose, such as turning it into a store, marketing platform, or even an online forum if you so choose! With up to 55,000 free and premium plugins available, the world’s your oyster. Should you need it, there’s probably a plugin for the job.Since the tools are largely available, and for little to no cost, you may want to browse through WordPress’ stellar plugin directory. We’re fairly certain you’ll find everything you need and more the first time you browse. Don’t be afraid to check reviews or in-depth comparisons for plugins either! While most of the tools you find will no doubt be helpful, some might be more helpful than others or just better aligned to your own personal tastes.