What is a Plugin and useful ones to use.
A plugin is the name given to a piece of software that adds something extra to a program or application, enabling it to do something it would otherwise be unable to. In effect, it enhances the website by adding an extra feature. One of the most well-known plugins is Adobe Flash Player, which enables the user to view embedded videos in their browser.
It is certainly not obligatory to include plugins on your site; however, as they offer extra features to a viewer’s website experience or to your assessment of this experience, it would be foolhardy not to include some that are relevant to your business objectives.
Plugins are particularly useful – and abundant – for WordPress, allowing you to take control of your own site and customise it to suit your business as it grows.
Google Analytics
A must-have for every business website, you can find out where your web visitors live, what device they are viewing your site on, and even which browser and operating system they are using. Find out which pages visitors prefer, conversion rates, and how long people stay before moving on to another site.
OptinMonster
Grab your visitor’s attention as they prepare to leave your site. A pop-up box with a call to action can persuade them to sign up to a newsletter, find out more about a current promotion, or view a helpful video.
404 Redirected
Find broken links and limit the damage quickly. Search engines do not like ‘Error 404, Page Not Found’ messages and will downgrade your results; in addition, customers are quickly put off by them. Find them and sort them before they let you down.
Digg Digg
Add this little plugin to your WordPress blog and you make it simple for a visitor to share your post, photo or message with their friends on social media. Completely customisable, you can choose which social media sites to include to tailor the plugin to your exact needs and let your customers spread the word about your business.
Constant Contact
Build a list of email subscribers and send them relevant information to bump up sales figures with this plugin. Perfect for small businesses and easy to set up and use, it will help to build your customer base.
W3 Total Cache
One thing guaranteed to turn visitors away in droves is a slow website, which won’t win you any plaudits from the search engines either. W3 Total Cache compresses and caches your files to make your website faster.