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There's no doubt that plugins are the lifeblood of WordPress. These nifty little packages are what make this platform so limitless in its power. From creating an e-commerce store to tweaking the smallest of settings, there's a plugin for everything.
With over 55,000 plugins already listed in the WordPress official directory, however, finding the right plugin can be challenging. Every imaginable function has dozens of listings fighting for your hosting space. Which one should you pick?
To help you cut through the noise and install the right plugins, we've gathered a list of 4 essential types of plugins that every website should have.
Shall we begin?
1. Backup
This is the first thing you should set up. Why? This is the magic wand that you can use to roll back any mistakes, from small errors to site-killing disasters, with the click of a button.
Once you have a proper backup solution in place, you can comfortably play around with the rest of the options listed in this post without worrying about their impact on your website. Going back will take less than a minute.
Best Backup Plugin
In this category, we have two solid options that come with practically every feature you could hope for. Both of these are excellent choices.
2. Security
Now that you have a system in place to roll back any disasters, the next step is to install a plugin that will prevent those disasters in the first place.
Luckily, WordPress has many advanced security plugins these days that automatically monitor your website and watch out for any suspicious activity. Not only that, but the best plugins also take autonomous action to tackle many threats.
For instance, a security plugin can monitor your files for any changes, make sure your visitor connection is encrypted through SSL, your server is free of any malware, and so much more.
Best Security Plugin
For security, we have a single pick that outperforms virtually every other protection-centric plugin out there. It offers an entire suite of security solutions, including the option to set up two-factor authorization for your WordPress login page.
3. Search Engine Optimization
If you want free organic visitors who are genuinely interested in the topics your website is about, SEO is a golden goose that simply cannot be ignored. Breaking into the coveted first page of Google could send thousands upon thousands of targeted people to your landing pages.
While there's a lot that goes into a successful SEO strategy, it all starts with optimizing your website. As you can guess, there are WordPress plugins that make it effortless to do just that.
Best SEO Plugin
SEO is one of those categories where new plugins keep popping up every month. Fortunately, there are two names that have withstood the test of time and proven themselves as worthy of your consideration.
Both of these plugins support virtually every SEO feature imaginable, from optimizing metadata and indexation settings to advanced on-page SEO tactics.
4. Performance
Last but surely not least is your website's performance. Not only can the right plugin speed up your website and uplift the experience for your visitors, but it can also lower your hosting bill.
That's right. By using a variety of tactics to lower the load on your server, the right performance plugin can help you downgrade to a cheaper hosting package and enjoy those savings every single month.
In fact, a poorly optimized website is likely to be sluggish despite investing in VPS or even a dedicated server. In today's fast-paced world, performance optimization is not just good to have but necessary.
Best Performance Plugin
For performance, you simply cannot go wrong with WP Rocket. It can automatically create a cache of all your pages, distribute your files across content delivery networks (CDNs), support lazy loading so the most important parts of your website will load first, and perform a whole host of other remarkable boosts.
Conclusion
While you have an endless list of plugins to pick from, the key is to minimize your usage to the most essential items. After all, each new plugin is an additional strain on your limited hosting resources.
By installing the four essential plugins outlined in this post, you'll have a solid foundation in place to support the growth of your website. If you want to take things one step further, be sure to check our hosting plans and see what a premium hosting experience feels like.
