1.
A Beginners Guide
to Free WordPress
Plugins
with Christina Hills

2.
#wcoc@christinahills
What are WordPress Plugins?

3.
@christinahills #wcoc
Plugins are like Apps on Your Phone

4.
@christinahills #wcoc
Plugin Can Be:
Fun or Functional

5.
#wcoc@christinahills
Fun: Falling Snow Plugin
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-super-snow/

6.
#wcoc@christinahills
Functional: SEO Plugin
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo

7.
#wcoc@christinahills
How Do You Evaluate a Plugin?

8.
#wcoc@christinahills
WordPress.org Plugin Directory1

9.
@christinahills #wcoc
Inside WordPress Admin2

10.
#wcoc@christinahills
Example:
“Image Widget”
Plugin
https://wordpress.org/plugins/image-widget/

11.
#wcoc@christinahills
Find Inside WP & Evaluate

12.
#wcoc@christinahills
Look at:
- Version Compatibility
- Active Installs
- Star Ratings

13.
#wcoc@christinahills
Look for:
- Screenshots
- FAQ
-Documentation

14.
#wcoc@christinahills
Find it on
WordPress.org
https://wordpress.org/plugins/image-widget/

15.
#wcoc@christinahills
How Active is the
Support Forum?

16.
#wcoc@christinahills
Go to the Plugin
Homepage

17.
#wcoc@christinahills
Do They Have a Pro Version?

18.
#wcoc@christinahills
Click to Install the Plugin

19.
#wcoc@christinahills
REMEMBER to Activate the Plugin!

20.
#wcoc@christinahills
See if the Plugin has a
Special Settings Area

21.
#wcoc@christinahills
For “Widget” Plugins Go to the Widget Area

22.
#wcoc@christinahills
Check the General
“Settings” Area

23.
#wcoc@christinahills
Some Plugins Have
Their Own Settings
Area

24.
#wcoc@christinahills
Save Your “Favorites” For Faster Install!

25.
#wcoc@christinahills
At WordPress.org
Click “Heart” to
Favorite

26.
What is a Shortcode Plugin?
[ ]

27.
#wcoc@christinahills
Plugin Shortcode:
“[“ words in square brackets “]”
[simple-sitemap]

28.
#wcoc@christinahills
Sitemap Shortcode: [simple-sitemap] in a Page

29.
#wcoc@christinahills
Resulting Page
Created from that
Shortcode

30.
#wcoc@christinahills
The FooGallery Shortcode: [foogallery id="133"]
Visual View

31.
#wcoc@christinahills
The FooGallery Shortcode: [foogallery id="133"]

32.
#wcoc@christinahills
The FooGallery “Photo Album” Displayed

33.
#wcoc@christinahills
The Jetpack Plugin
www.Jetpack.com

34.
#wcoc@christinahills
www.Jetpack.com/support
Explains all Features

35.
#wcoc@christinahills
Tiled Galleries
“Photon” Image Storage
Related Posts
Contact Form
Stats
Security
Monitor Downtime
Social Sharing
Widget Visibility
Extra Sidebar Widgets

36.
#wcoc@christinahills
If you are NOT a
developer:
Ignore Instructions that
Involve code!
Just say to yourself:
“This is not for me!”
www.Jetpack.com/support/site-breadcrumbs/

37.
#wcoc@christinahills
Always Update
Your Plugins!

38.
#wcoc@christinahills
Look for the Orange Circles

39.
#wcoc@christinahills
Sometimes Plugins Get “Moldy”

40.
#wcoc@christinahills
Watch for Outdated Plugins that have this Warning!

41.
#wcoc@christinahills
Use “No Longer in Directory” Plugin
https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-longer-in-directory/

42.
When Should You Upgrade to the
Pro Version of a Plugin?

43.
#wcoc@christinahills
You Upgrade to the Pro Version
For Support and More Features

44.
Must Have Plugins List:
Backup
Security
Under Construction
Contact form
Duplicate Post
Image Widget
Advanced Image Styles
TinyMCE Advanced
Caching plugin
Redirection plugin
Enhanced Media Library

45.
Additional Plugins to Consider
SEO
Social Sharing
Social Follow
Related Posts
Contact Form

46.
#wcoc@christinahills
Plugin Best Practices:
ALWAYS keep plugins up to date.
Delete plugins you are not using.
Keep the number of plugins at a minimum
Be nice in plugin support forums!

47.
#wcoc@christinahills
Graphic courtesy of SixRevisions.com

48.
#wcoc@christinahills
Donate to Keep Plugin Authors Happy!

49.
@christinahills #wcoc
So Gather Your Army of Plugins

50.
Connect with Christina Hills
Twitter: @christinahills
Email: christina@websitecreationworkshop.com