When resetting a WordPress website, it is important to reactivate the plugins you want to incorporate for your new site. In this post, I will assess various types of plugins and determine which ones I want to keep for my website.
Security
There are several security plugins that I wanted to continue using: Login Lockdown, Really Simple SSL, WordFence, and WP Activity Log. Let’s go through each one.
- Login Lockdown keeps track of IP addresses that fail to login. After a specific number of failed login attempts are recorded from the same IP address, this plugin disables all login functionality from that IP address. It’s great for protecting against brute force attacks.
- Really Simple SSL only requires your site’s SSL certificate for configuring your website to run over HTTPS.
- WordFence scans for malwares and blocks malicious attacks to your website. It also includes two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
- WP Activity Log records everything that happens on your site. The plugin is beneficial for detecting suspicious activities before they become a problem.
Accessibility
The best accessibility plugin for me is Accessibility by UserWay. This plugin ensures your website can be accessible to everyone, resulting in better site functionalities and user experiences. UserWay has tools to help you accomplish this such as automatically generating alt text, correcting color contrast, and providing page structure and organization to your site.
Automated Backups
Updraft is the plugin I use to automatically create backups for my site. The process of creating a backup and restoring it using Updraft is very simple, and it only requires a click of a button. This simplicity is why I chose this plugin.
Website Analytics
MonsterInsights is helpful for providing me information about how my website is performing. My primary use of this plugin is tracking the amount of traffic my site is receiving, which can be used to develop strategies for increasing exposure to my brand.
Performance
Jetpack offers a variety of tools and features such as design, marketing, performance, and security. It is a versatile plugin that can perform many functions, which is why I chose to use Jetpack.
Social Media
The social media plugin that I used for my website is Simple Social Buttons, which adds social media buttons to every post. It is fully customizable as you can choose from a wide selection of major social media platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn, and you can place these buttons anywhere within your posts.
Comment/Spam Management
To combat unwanted spam in the comment sections, I use Akismet Anti-Spam to handle this task. This plugin checks all comments and filters out the ones that looks like spam based on their global database.
Podcast
Blubrry PowerPress is a great podcast plugin. It supports all major podcasting apps like iTunes and Spotify, making it easy to publish my podcast to a wide audience.
Slider Feature
Smart Slider 3 is the plugin I use to display content as slides. This plugin makes it easy to create and integrate slides into my website.
E-commerce
WooCommerce is the go-to plugin for e-commerce. Its built-in tools and customization features help business owners manage their operations online, making the process of running an e-commerce business less of a barrier for those like me who’s just getting started.
