Do you want to grow your WordPress site or blog without spending a fortune? And do you want to increase your site's functionality to achieve your goals? Then you need to try some of my top recommended WordPress tools and the best WordPress plugins.
There's a tool and plugin for every function you can imagine. You want to create a forum on WordPress, then go for bbPress. And you want to rank your pages on search engines like Google, then opt for RankMath.
Additionally, I have included image designing tools, hosting services, and resources for getting themes in this WordPress toolkit. So let's get started without further ado.
Top WordPress Plugins That Will Up Your Blogging Game
Some of these WordPress plugins and tools may be free, and some are paid. And some plugins like RankMath are based on a freemium business model. It means you can get started for free and upgrade to a premium plan if you're ready.
RankMath – SEO Plugin for WordPress
YoastSEO and All in One SEO are two of the most popular plugins for Page SEO on WordPress. But I believe RankMath is better because of the boosted functionality. It helps a site get the best SEO standards.
It makes you understand what's wrong with your post based on the best SEO practices. RankMath suggests you tweak a few changes from basic to advanced level. You can add a lot more functionality to your site using the plugin:
- Seamless installation
- Beautiful and clean interface
- Advanced SEO analytics reports
- Google Analytics and Search Console integration
- Rank tracking for particular keywords
- Ranking keywords for posts
- Easy-peasy scheme generator & importer
- Suggestions for increased readability
- Knowledge graph for Google
- Managing XML Sitemap
And the list continues. It's the most useful plugin to up your site's organic traffic. The plugin will add a lot of functionality even if you use its free version. There are tons of functions to play with. Here's a pro tip: activate the functions only if you need them.
MonsterInsight – WordPress Analytics Tool
I have been using MonsterInsight for years now. It's one of the best WordPress plugins for analytics. I particularly love the user experience. The dashboard is pretty clean. And there are all the tracking features you'll ever need in a single plugin.
Here are the top features of MonsterInsights:
- GDPR-compliant
- Universal tracking
- Real-time analytics
- SEO ranking reports
- Detailed e-commerce reports
- Most detailed Google Analytics reports
- Seamless integrations with third-party plugins like Yoast and WooCommerce
The plugins help you understand your site's journey and progress so that you may act accordingly. I believe MonsterInsights delivers what it promises and makes the analytics easy for you as a beginner. It truly is a must-have plugin for any WordPress site.
RafflePress – WordPress Plugin for Giveaways & Contests
I'm a firm believer in giving back to the community. That's why I always share very valueble information for free And the best WordPress plugin for giveaways and contests is RafflePress. Grow your email list, website traffic, and social media followers using this awesome plugin.
Here are a few things you need to know about RafflePress:
- Drag and drop giveaway builder
- Viral giveaway templates
- Responsive to any device
- Fraud detection
- Refer a friend
- Social media integrations
- Tracking and retargeting
- Awesome landing pages for giveaways
- Marketing and CRM
As you can see, there are all the plugins for giveaways under the same roof. I have been trying a lot of giveaway plugins. And believe me, most of them are buggy and slow. They make your entire WordPress site even slower. Look no further than RafflePress if you want to run contests and giveaways seamlessly.
Slider Revolution – Premium WordPress Slider
It started as a plugin to insert a slider into your WordPress pages and posts in 2012. But it has evolved into something more than just a WordPress slider plugin. Today, you can design your WordPress site or blog with this plugin.
Here are the top features of Slider Revolution:
- Drag and drop editor
- Eye-grabbing' Hero' sections
- 200+ Templates for websites, content, and media
- Stunning design elements including sliders and carousels
There's an extensive library of everything related to designing your website or blog on WordPress. And you can make any image interactive with over 25 add-ons. Change from dynamic range to overall looks and feel of sliders. It's a brilliant WordPress tool to design your sites.
OptimizePress – WordPress Landing Page Builder
Whether you're a marketer or entrepreneur, you need a landing page. And if you love WordPress like me, you must go for OptimizePress, a simple plugin to create stunning landing pages. It's an excellent software to create digital products and membership sites as well.
Here are fantastic features of OptimizePress
- Create opt-ins and landing pages
- Offer deals and create sales
- Build lead and sales funnels
- Analyze stats and optimize accordingly
That's everything you need to sell your products and services online. OptimizePress has got you covered if you want to create lead magnet pages or webinar registration posts. It also helps you create exit pop forms and email confirmation pages as well.
But if you're here for a straightforward affiliate website on WordPress, you gotta try PrettyLinks.
PrettyLinks – Affiliate WordPress Plugin
I'm in love with PrettyLinks. It's a must-have WordPress tool for affiliate marketers. It also helps you cloak your affiliate links on the go. And it's important for affiliate marketing because of increased trust in your audience.
PrettyLinks:
- Creates speakable links for podcasters
- It helps attribute your links
- Replaces specific words into affiliate links automatically
- Imports and exports all the data and functions
You must use PrettyLinks to cloak your affiliate links in your posts and emails. Mailchimp doesn't allow affiliate marketing links in your emails. But with PrettyLinks, you do it seamlessly. I believe it's a must-have WordPress plugin for marketers.
LiteSpeed Cache – WordPress Tool Supercharge Your Site
With recent Google updates and Core Web Vitals, the speed of your site has not been more crucial than now. And caching is the best way to supercharge your site. That's where the LiteSpeed Cache plugin pops in.
Here are the top features of LiteSpeed Cache:
- Free QUIC.cloud CDN and Object Cache
- Image Optimization
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
- Combine and minify inline CSS/JS
- Automatically generate Critical CSS
- Lazyload images/iframes
- Responsive Image Placeholders
And more. It's an all-in-one plugin to boost your WordPress site in minutes. And it features server-level cache and seamless optimization options. I highly recommend going for this WordPress tool to speed up your site in minutes.
Hustle – Email Marketing WordPress Tool
Do you want to build your email list and convert your site's traffic effectively? Then you need to install and activate Hustle, a perfect email marketing WordPress tool. There is a large variety of templates to choose from. And you can create slide-ins, options, popups, and more.
Here are some of the benefits of using Hustle:
- Enjoy ready-made templates
- Get creative and stylize your popups and opt-ins
- Customize everything to sync your brand
- Target your visitors based on behavior
- Use AI-powered triggers
- Set schedules for the best results
And the list continues. Hustle makes it easy for you to do your email marketing without leaving the WordPress dashboard. But wait, there's more. You can also include top social icons to help your audience share your content on social media. What else do you want!
Sucuri Security WordPress Tool
The Internet is filled with scammers, spammers, and hackers who are ready to crash your WordPress site. Sucuri Security is an incredible plugin that scans and audits your site for malware and security. It has the following security features:
- Security Activity Auditing
- File Integrity Monitoring
- Remote Malware Scanning
- Blocklist Monitoring
- Effective Security Hardening
- Post-Hack Security Actions
- Security Notifications
- Website Firewall (premium)
The free version of Sucuri offers a scan of your site with all the tools you need to remove threats manually. And the premium version offers all the features given above with automated action. Go for this plugin if you want to secure your site.
bbPress – Best Forum WordPress Plugin
Do you want to create a community or Forum? Or do you want to build a standalone forum site? If your answer is yes, then the solution is bbPress. It's a brilliant WordPress plugin to create a timeless and elegant discussion board.
Here are some of the fantastic features of bbPress:
- Easy to set up and moderate
- Clean and fast design
- Full integration with one click
- Availability of making multisite forums
I initially used it to create forums on H-Educate. But now I run them with wpForo. With bbPress, you can create unlimited topics, manage replies, and build profiles for your members. Other forum plugins include Asgaros Forum, Forum Engine, BuddyPress, and more.
LiveChat – Top Conversational WordPress Tool
You may want to offer support or communicate with your site's visitors for something else. LiveChat comes in handy to increase sales and improve customer service. It lets you add live chat and support to your WordPress site quickly.
LiveChat has a commendable set of features like:
- Show product cards to make shopping easy
- Offer awesome customer experience
- Automate your chat with AI
- Integrate with over 200 tools like TeamViewer or WooCommerce
And you can enjoy LiveChat everywhere – from Messenger to Email and from WhatsApp to SMS. Yes, you aren't limited to interacting with your customers on your WordPress website only. Go for the LiveChat WordPress plugin if you want to offer quick support.
Non-WordPress Tools & Services That Are Must Have
These tools and services include domain name provider, hosting service, and image editor. They may not be within the WordPress ecosystem, but they help build a better site.
NameCheap – Domain Name Provider for WordPress Sites & Blogs
Are you looking for a cheap domain name for your WordPress site? NameCheap is the best option available in the market right now. You can register a domain name for as low as $0.99 for the first year. Every domain comes with
- 24/7 support
- Full DNS access
- Free domain privacy
- Detailed knowledge base
- Free migration if you want to host as well
And it's not just about the domains. NameCheap also offers hosting, PositiveSSL wildcard, VPN, and more. It also provides email hosting services for as low as $0.74 per month. Other domain name registrants include Bluehost, Google Domains, and Namesilo.
Bluehost – WordPress Recommended Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress, Bluehost offers a variety of hosting services for your site. You can choose from shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting. I recommend it because it's reliable, fast, and affordable hosting without a doubt.
Some of the top features include:
- Fast average load time (1.48ms)
- Quick average response time (1.26ms)
- Free domain and SSL
- One-click WordPress installation
- Support on the phone, live chat, and knowledge base
And you can start hosting your site for as low as $3.95 per month if you pay for 3 years in advance. Pricing for dedicated hosting starts from $79.99 per month. And VPS hosting starts from $19.99 per month. I always recommend Bluehost if you want to for shared hosting.
Contabo – Premium Hosting Service
You'll love two things about Contabo; low prices and fast hosting. Go for it if you want to start with a solid foot. The premium hosting service offers three dedicated server options. As for VPS, you can choose what's best for you – the number of CPU cores, RAM, and more.
All the Contabo plans include:
- Root access
- VNC access
- Website builder
- Dedicated IP address
- Unlimited number of domains
- Web interface reboot capability
- Access to OS installation and management
You can use the colocation services, security features, and backups as well. Contabo facilitates easy up-and-down scaling. It's a professional VPS that owns its data centers as well.
Canva – Image Designing Tool
You have got your domain, hosting, and plugins. Now is the time to start posting content on your WordPress site. And you need to insert images and videos as well. For that, Canva is a wonderful designing tool for non-designers.
You can do a lot of things like:
- Animate your texts and elements
- Apply textures for homey designs
- Crop and trim images
- Drag and drop all the elements
- Enjoy speech bubbles
- Remove background from images
- Collaborate with your team members
And more. You can also straighten images and videos. Using stock footage and images is also seamless with Canva. Add thousands of stickers to your photos for free. You can get started on Canva for free and upgrade it to enjoy most of Canva.
Other WordPress Tools, Themes, and Scripts
If this is not enough for you, there are many developers creating something new daily. You can find a lot more WordPress tools and plugins from CodeCanyon and iTheme. Both these platforms have plenty of cool themes as well.
Almost all the projects listed on CodeCanyon or iTheme have free upgrades to the latest versions. And they are fully documented, which means you can install and edit them according to your needs.
Use These WordPress Tools and Plugins But…
Use them only if needed. The more plugins, the slower the WordPress site. That's why I always recommend using as few plugins as possible. Consider carefully which plugins and tools you will use. Do not use more than one plugin for the same functionality.
For example, don't choose RankMath to optimize your site for SEO if you also have YoastSEO. It's because both the plugins add almost the same functionality. If you want to see your site's analytics using RankMath Analytics, then don't install Google's Sitekit.
But why? As a result of the same plugins and tools doing the same thing, your site becomes slower, and search engines are confused. Sounds fair? Let me know which of the WordPress plugins and tools you're going to install.
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