The document provides a guide on finding the best WordPress plugins, focusing on important criteria such as active support, functionality, and ease of installation and setup. It emphasizes using plugins from trusted sources, recommending specific plugins like WordPress SEO and Gravity Forms. The authors encourage users to avoid plugins from unreliable sources and to prefer those that are simple and effective.

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