I have written on plugins before, and the funny thing is, I really am uber sensitive to using plugins sparingly, as this is an easy way to "break" your site or provide a gateway to hackers. On the other hand, a solid plugin can really be a time saver and performance enhancer, so a site that is totally Plugin free may be unrealistic (or boring).
To help me with this post I reached out to my gang of professionals at Expand2Web (+1 extra friend) to get their suggestions. Here is the best of what I culled through. As we all know, the plugin waters run brisk and deep, so I am sure that I am missing some really cool stuff, please, take a moment and share your must haves in the comments!
From Thomas, developer of the SmallBiz theme:
- Google XML Sitemap Plugin
- Yoast SEO
- Backup WordPress
- Coming Soon
- Jetpack (love the forms, post via email and subscribe to blog via email)
- DiggDigg
Diana Ratliff - web designer and SEO specialist:
- Testimonials (Rotates testimonials in a widget)
- Viper Bar (to increase blog or newsletter subscriptions)
Julie Larson - Apps, Mobile Websites and QR Code Queen
- Column Shortcodes (for implementing shortcodes)
Me, Eileen Lonergan:
- Let it Snow (just for a few weeks in December)
- Pinterest Badge
- 301 Redirect Editor
Tim Tewalt - Sites that Click
Brenda Ellison - Florida Gulf Coast Guide & WordPress Specialist
- Simply Instagram - (get your Instagram feed, followers and who is following you in a widget)
Please, let me know your favorites! Also, please let me know if you have found any "issues" with any of the above.