Extending WordPress with Add-ons

Due to it’s popularity, WordPress has become the go-to platform developers to write their own add-ons. These add-ons are called Plugins.

Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. Just like apps on your mobile phone, you can install WordPress plugins to add new features to your website.

WordPress plugins directory

At the time of writing this article, there are more than 59,000 plugins available in WordPress.org plugins directory alone. This means if you can think of a feature for your website, then there is a very good chance that there is already a plugin for that.

Some WordPress plugins are simple and only add a specific feature. Other plugins add a large set of features and functionalities.

There are even WordPress plugins like WooCommerce, the most popular eCommerce solution, which have their own ecosystem of WooCommerce plugins and themes. Such plugins are like a platform built on top of the WordPress platform itself.

To learn more see our article on WordPress plugins and how do they work.

Some of the best WordPress plugins that we recommend for every website are:

WPForms Lite – Add contact forms to your WordPress site

OptinMonster – the best way to get more email subscribers and sales from your website.

MonsterInsights (Free) – Helps you track visitor stats using Google Analytics

WP Super Cache – Improves your website’s speed by adding cache

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) – Improve your WordPress SEO and get more traffic from Google

UpdraftPlus – Free WordPress backup plugin

Smash Balloon – Social media feed plugin that helps you connect Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to WordPress.

Plugins are often cited as the top reason why smart business owners choose WordPress over site builders like Wix and Weebly.