An updated version of my WordCamp Miami 2015 talk, tailored for FL Blog Con and their blogger-focused audience.

1. How to Find the Best
WordPress Plugins for You
Adam Soucie & David Laietta

2. Today you’ll learn...
• What to look for in a plugin
• Where you can find reliable plugins
• Which plugins you should use regardless of
your site content
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

3. A little about us
• Web Developer
• Primarily focused on
WordPress
• WordCamp Orlando
organizers
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

4. What to look for in plugins

5. 3 things to look for
1. Actively supported
2. Does what it says it
does - and nothing else
3. Easy to use/set up
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

6. Actively supported?

7. Updates matter.
• Only use current plugins
• Because security.
• Check the change logs
• You may not understand them, but they should be
somewhat helpful
• Too many updates is a red flag
• If it updates every week, STAY AWAY
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

8. “A good plugin does one thing,
and does that one thing well.”
- Andrew Norcross

9. There is no single site solution.
• Your mechanic is not also your vet (I hope)
• Focused products keep your project focused
• Distractions take time, which costs you
money
• Exceptions for complicated matters like SEO
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

10. Is it easy to install?

11. One Click Installation is the goal
• Plugin files should install with a single .zip file
• FTP stands for “%&$# that plugin” because
you should never have to FTP for install
• All plugins on the WordPress repo have a one-
click install button
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

12. Is it easy to set up?

13. Settings Pages are the Devil.
• The plugin should just work.
• If the plugin does just one thing, why does it
take so long to set up?
• At most, you should only have to visit a
settings page on the initial install
• Again, SEO is the exception
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

14. And the plugins are where?

15. Trusted Sources ONLY
• WordPress.org repository
• Recommendations
• Friends
• Colleagues
• Meetups
• Twitter
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

16. RUN AWAY! (unless recommended)
• Random finds on Google
• CodeCanyon
• Quality Control
• Updating can be very tricky
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

17. Plugin
Recommendations

18. Use these.
• WordPress SEO
• Gravity Forms
• gravityforms.com
• Ninja Forms
• Display Widgets
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

19. Also use these.
• JetPack
• Akismet
• Comes pre-installed. Activate it if you
support comments
• Post Series Manager
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

20. For more info…
• @adamsoucie or @davidlaietta on Twitter
• impossiblycreative.com (Adam)
• sitehealthy.com (David)
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie

21. Any questions?
@adamsoucie @davidlaietta

22. Thanks to…
• Tina Fiume (illustrations)
• Andrew Norcross
(inspiration)
• Star Wars Rebels characters
are property of the Walt
Disney Company and
Lucasfilm
@davidlaietta@adamsoucie