5 Practical Tips in Choosing the Best WordPress Plugin for Your Website

As of this writing, WordPress powers 39% of websites that use content management system technology ‒ and for a good reason:

1. Free and Open Source. One of the reasons WordPress is popular is because it is a free and open-source platform. This explains why known web hosts offer WordPress hosting.

2. Ease of Use. What's cool about WordPress is that it is user-friendly. So, you do not have to worry about navigating through your dashboard, whether you are tech-savvy or still learning the ropes of blogging.

3. Customizable Themes. If you want a decent website up and running immediately, all you need is pick from their list of best WordPress themes.

4. Versatile. Aside from customizable themes, you can use a WordPress backend to run a personal blog, website portfolio, or online store.

This explains why WordPress is one of the robust and powerful CMS out there.

But other than the reasons stated above, what makes this platform popular is its plethora of plugins. These are add-on features that can make your website extra functional.

However, there are at least 50,000 WordPress plugins in the official directory. So, how can you choose what's right for your website?

Here are five practical tips to help you:

Consider Your Needs

Every website has a purpose. Hence, you need to consider what features you are missing. Doing so helps you narrow down the kind of plugins you need to install on your WordPress website.

It will also help if you have a checklist of website features that you would want to add. And then rank them based on importance. That's because you cannot find all features in one plugin.

Keep in mind that too many plugins can hog your website's page load speed. Hence, having a checklist helps you minimize the number of plugins you will need.

Know What to Look For

Looking for the perfect WordPress plugin that can suit your needs can be cumbersome. That said, you should keep the following factors in mind:

Ratings and Reviews

Ratings can indicate how well a plugin performs. However, this can also be stilted since not many users rate the plugins. This is where reading user reviews could come in handy.

For instance, your preferred plugin has a three-star rating from two people. It might not seem significant. But when you read the user reviews, it can give you an insight into whether the plugin deserves that kind of rating.

Description

Of course, it would be best to ensure that you are installing a WordPress plugin that suits your needs. And one way to know that it is the right one is through its description.

Author

Another factor to consider is the plugin developer's reputation.

One way to do that is to check the ratings of their plugins. Another thing to check is the number of downloads, as it indicates popularity.

A developer with an excellent reputation and puts out great products ensures that your plugin will do its job.

Version Test

On the plugin page's sidebar, you will see when it was last updated and the number of active installations. It also shows the required minimum WordPress version needed for the plugin to run.

The number of active installations shows how popular a plugin is, while recent update ensures that it is secured. Mind you, 98% of WordPress vulnerabilities are due to outdated plugins.

But just because the plugin was not updated within the last two months does not mean you have to freak out. Sometimes, a plugin gets an update when needed.

What's important is that you update it whenever you receive a notification. It would also be best that it is compatible with your current WordPress version.

Changelog

According to Rachel Gearinger, a plugin changelog is a great way to let you know what you are getting from a plugin. It also reassures that past vulnerabilities and issues were solved.

This ensures that developers consider their users' needs, and they take action is easing their qualms.

Check Support Threads

For some users, installing and activating WordPress plugins can be challenging. Hence, it would be best to check their support threads.

Luckily, WordPress allows you to check the threads that were open for the last two months.

If you are encountering an issue that was previously tackled, you are likely to see it here. And while open threads do not necessarily mean that the plugin still has some problems, too much of it could mean that the developers have gone rogue.

Read the FAQs and Other Notes

Below the plugin description, you will see the FAQs and Other Notes section. It contains helpful information on the best way to use the plugin.

That's because you might find cool tips and tricks in this section. This can include adding your CSS styles to the plugin output.

If you think that your plugin is not working correctly, we suggest that you read the FAQ section first before reaching out to the developer.

Test for Technicalities

If you are tech-savvy, it would be best to check your preferred plugin for technical aspects. Here's how:

• Run a page speed test using GTMetrix or Pagespeed Insights before and after installing the plugin.
• Use the P3 profiling plugin to see if your plugin is consuming too much memory.
• Use a query monitor plugin and make a before-and-after comparison to see if there is a significant increase in the database queries.
• Check your browser console for any JavaScript errors.

Install, Activate, and Support Your Plugins

Sure, looking for the right WordPress plugin can be cumbersome. It takes a bit of research, and there are a couple of factors that you should consider.

But once you found what suits your needs, the next step is to install and activate it. This ensures that your website has the extra features that will help it stand out from the crowd.

And when you are happy with the outcome, it only makes sense to support it. It can be as simple as sharing about it with your social media friends, leaving a review, or donating to the developers.

That way, more people will get to know about the excellent WordPress plugins you are using.