From simple blogging to enterprise-level and complex websites, WordPress powers millions of websites.
Flexibility and ease of use are the key driving factors of WordPress’s ascending popularity. This platform offers various elements to create and run a site in no time.
However, not every person that wants a site is a developer or has experience in coding. Here, WordPress plugins make it easy for you to build authoritative websites without coding knowledge.
There is a huge demand for such plugins and this is why companies and developers who offer WordPress plugin development services are making huge profits by delivering this very need.
Yes, plugins are a boon to people who know nothing about coding. But one poorly coded plugin can make the entire site lag which increases the bounce rate.
With that in mind, we have covered a few vital things that should be considered when using WordPress plugins on your site to add additional functionality while avoiding pitfalls. Let’s learn from them!
Tips To Keep In Mind When Using WordPress Plugins
As WordPress is open-source, users can easily modify or extend the source code to add any required functionality to the site. You can easily create pages, and posts, upload images, manage and schedule content and comments, and much more.
This flexibility is one of the aspects that developers and many WordPress development services providers find appealing in this platform.
However, there are a few things to consider when using a WordPress plugin to sidestep likely hitches. Let’s have a quick look.
1. Plugin update is crucial
This point is obvious but worth mentioning, you need to keep your plugins updated. Because it is important for the functionality and security aspects of your site.
An outdated plugin not only makes a site vulnerable to security breaches but also breaks with WordPress updation or the release of other plugins.
Consider periodically checking for updates and keeping your plugin updated regularly.
It is recommended to rid of plugins that are not updated for a longer period, say one year. So, don’t fall short on this part if you want your site to keep running without glitches.
2. Get rid of deactivated plugins
In continuation with the first point, either get rid of deactivated plugins or update them with the newest version.
A deactivated plugin is one of the prime sources for hackers to penetrate your site and exploit security vulnerabilities. This rule is applicable to WordPress themes as well.
Check the plugin section of your site. If you see an inactive plugin there and feel that it will not be used in the future, consider removing it.
This practice will not only keep the section tidy but also patch up security weaknesses. In short, each plugin on your website should be used, if not get rid of it.
3. Use the right number of well-coded plugins
As a plugin is an additional code that is applied on a website, you can add this similar code within your functions.php file to attain the same effect.
The number of plugins you use on your site doesn’t cause many issues; using well-coded and resourceful plugins holds more significance.
Instead of using one overstuffed and vulnerable plugin, you can use multiple lightweight and clean-coded plugins on your site. You should consider what type of plugins you are installing on your site rather than concentrating on the number.
4. Avoid using too many plugins
Using too many plugins on a site can create issues and conflicts in its functionalities. Supposedly, if you have more WordPress plugins on your site, one of them will find conflict with the other.
Additionally, dealing with plugin conflict is one of the major issues that every developer faces.
This is because there are countless setup combinations within all WordPress installations. Many WordPress blogs have a unique set of installed plugins combination.
Apart from the weight and quality of the coding in a plugin, consider looking at the number of installations as well. Try keeping things more simple, it will be easier for you to manage them.
5. Quality is imperative
As already discussed, there are many things you need to consider when it comes to using plugins. Although weight and clean-coded plugins are good to go for, there are more things that decide the quality of a plugin.
You should be very selective when you pick plugins for your site and also themes for that matter.
Before choosing a plugin, consider looking at its reviews, average rating, number of downloads, company/developer who created it, and the size of the community and active support.
A plugin that you integrate into your site should not only add essential functionalities to it but also perform the same in the future. Avoid falling for shining lights, look at what you actually need then make a final decision.
6. All premium plugins are not the best
It is a basic psychological fact that people weigh a particular thing’s value by its cost.
If you get the same features in both paid and free versions of plugins, you might take a pause for a while before opting for the free or paid depending on the circumstance.
The point is, there are many unworthy premium plugins that claim to be the best but in reality are not. It is not always necessary that plugins that come with a price tag are better than free ones.
There are numerous free plugins that offer the exact same and top-notch features which a few premium plugins lack. Consider being involved in the WordPress community and see if a particular plugin is worth your investment or not.
Final Thoughts
WordPress plugins are crucial to extending the functionality of a site. However, you cannot opt for anything that appears on the top results of Google. There are a lot of things that need to be considered while selecting and using a plugin.
These are a few points that you need to keep in mind when using a plugin on your site. Follow them to fine-tune your website functionality without glitches!
