Everyone seems to have a list of their favourite WordPress plugins. Not to be outdone, I felt that I should throw my list into the mix.
Keep in mind that blogs are used for a variety of reasons and have different requirements. Some WP users may swear by a certain plugin while others will simply have no use for it.
Having said that, here is the Silver Barrel list of plugins that we typically install on most blog projects. Most of these plugins are very easy to install and configure but should you run into any snags, we’re here to help. Just drop us a line at www.silverbarrel.com .
WordPress Database Backup
As the old saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Since almost all of the information that you add to your blog is stored in a database, it’s critical to back that database up at regular intervals. The WordPress Database Backup makes this easy. Scheduled backups can be automatically emailed to you or saved on your hosting server as often as you like. Manual backups can also be done at the click of a button.
Download here: http://ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup/
Google (XML) Sitemaps Generator
This plugin allows for a very easy way to create a compliant XML sitemap for your site which helps Google index your site. This format of sitemap is supported by Google, Ask.com, Yahoo and MSN search engines.
Download here: http://www.arnebrachhold.de/projects/wordpress-plugins/google-xml-sitemaps-generator/
Single Click Plugin Updater
Since we’re talkin’ plugins here, why not make it easy to install them and keep them up to date. Some users might be comfortable installing or upgrading plugins via FTP while some of you might have your website developer deal with it. For those of you who want an easy way to handle this on your own, this plugin is for you. It allows you to install a new plugin by either entering the download URL of the new plugin or by navigating to a plugin found on your computer. You also get an ‘update automatically’ link in the notification area of WordPress when any of your plugins are out of date.
Download here: http://w-shadow.com/blog/2007/10/19/one-click-plugin-updater/
Askimet
This plugin checks any comments that users (or spammers) post to your blog against the Askimet service to see if they are spam or not. We’ve had some of our blogs hit hard by spammers before and this service has made life much easier. You’ll need a WordPress API key to configure the Askimet plugin. You can get the API key here: http://en.wordpress.com/api-keys/
Download here: http://akismet.com/download/
WordPress Automatic Upgrade
Every few months WordPress developers release an upgrade. This plugin makes upgrading your blog as easy as clicking a button. As long as the file permissions on your blog are correctly set, this plugin does all of the work for you.
WordPress automatic upgrade upgrades your current blog installation by completing the following steps:
1. Backs up the files and makes available a link to download it.
2. Backs up the database and makes available a link to download it.
3. Downloads the latest files from http://wordpress.org/latest.zip and unzips it.
4. Puts the site in maintenance mode.
5. De-activates all active plugins and remembers them.
6. Upgrades wordpress files.
7. Gives you a link that will open in a new window to upgrade installation.
8. Re-activates the plugins.
The plugin can also can be run in an automated mode where in you do not have to click on any links to go to the next step.
Download here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade/
All in One SEO Pack
Like the name says, this plugin handles most of the best SEO practices for WordPress. You simply type in the information about your site and you’re off to the races.
Download here: http://wp.uberdose.com/2007/03/24/all-in-one-seo-pack/
Google Analytics for WordPress
This plugin adds your Google Analytics tracking code to all pages within your blog. If you’re using Google Analytics for stats, then you’ll want this plugin.
Download here: http://yoast.com/wordpress/google-analytics/
Lightbox 2
This creates that snazzy pop-up lightbox effect for your images. Here’s a sample: http://www.huddletogether.com/projects/lightbox2/ . It’s easy to install and configure so if you want to go that extra mile to make your photos really stand out, this plugin will help.
Download here: http://zeo.unic.net.my/lightbox2-for-wordpress/
Twitter Tools
For all you Twitter nuts out there, this blog plugin is a must have. It will display your tweets on the sidebar of your blog, create new blog posts for each tweet, and even compile old tweets (daily or weekly) into a single blog post depending on how you configure it.
Download here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade/
WP Super Cache
As with most dynamic websites, code is being executed and a database is usually being queried every time a visitor hits a page. This means that if your hosting server is slow or if you’re getting lots of traffic, you’ll likely experience slow load times on your blog. This plugin generates HTML files that are servered to visitors rather than running any server-side code. Soooooo, what does this mean? Install this plugin and your blog pages will load faster!
Download here: http://ocaoimh.ie/wp-super-cache/