If you work on WordPress and create custom themes for your clients, here is a list of 5 must use WordPress plugins that can help you create a very flexible and great website. These plugins include various phases of project like Development, SEO, Performance & Migration.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.
1. Custom Post Type UI
This plugin helps you creating custom post types and taxonomies in WordPress. For example, if you want to create a section for Team Members, you can easily create the custom post types for these. After creating the custom post type, you can add the members in same type you add post in Posts tab.
Another example is, suppose you want to add recipes section in your website and you also want to categories your recipes. You can first create a custom post type “Recipes” and further create a custom taxonomy “Recipe Category” for this post type.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/custom-post-type-ui/
2. Advanced Custom Fields
In a proper business website, all pages are not simple pages like post page. So, you need to give proper options to clients for editting details like email, address, phone number, home page sections (sliders etc).
To do this, you can use the plugin “Advanced Custom Fields”. It is a great solution to this problem. You can create options page for site wide data or add custom fields in custom post types. Or, you can even add fields on specific page.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/
3. Yoast SEO
In websites, SEO plays a very important role. If you are an SEO expert, you can take care of on-page SEO yourself. Otherwise, using Yoast SEO is a good option.
Yoast SEO automatically adds the code in your website through the <?php wp_head(); ?> and <?php wp_footer(); ?> methods. You just have to go through their configuration wizard in WP admin.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/
4. W3 Total Cache
With SEO, caching is also important for speed-wise better performance of the website.
W3 Total Cache handles almost all kinds of caches like database object cache, page cache, image caching etc. It improves performance by minifying the files like css, js, HTTP etc. It does a lot more if configured properly.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/w3-total-cache/
5. Contact Form 7
Websites have different types of contact or inquiry forms. If you have created a custom theme, I am sure you want to keep the same with your forms.
Contact Form 7 gives you the flexibility to create the design of the form according to your theme, while it takes care of all the backend processing and emailing stuff. Also, there are lots of hooks available you can play with.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/
Here is one more bonus plugin for you 😉
6. Duplicator – WordPress Migration Plugin
After developing the website, I am sure you want to migrate the website from your localhost or development server to the live production server.
Duplicator is a perfect solution for this. For small size websites which are newly developed, it handles everything. All you have to do is follow the wizard. For large size websites, it provides an alternate solution which requires a little bit of manual work.
Official Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/
Hope you also find these plugins helpful in your development. In case you have any query and want to discuss with us or other developers community, post it on Webolute Blog Facebook Group
