I had to evaluate plugins for a multitude of categories and thankfully I had my old catalog to choose from. However, some plugins had multiple choices, which made my eventual decision harder. I had to evaluate what they each could do for my website and what they had done in the past before my WordPress reset.

Security – Really Simple Security

As I’ve stated in the past, I prefer simplicity. Sometimes, plugins can be overcomplicated and useful, or they end up being just overcomplicated. I appreciate additional features, but Really Simply Security was my preferred choice before, so I selected it again.

Accessibility – UserWay

With the choices limited, the importance of accessibility became simple. UserWay functions as a widget that can fix coding issues and detect violations. Despite having blockers, I myself have had issues accessing my own website in the past, so re-establishing UserWay was vital for starting over.

Backups – UpdraftPlus

When I was experiencing plugin issues and file problems, I had to look to Dropbox and the ability of backups. Using UpdraftPlus, keeping backups local can restore plugins, themes, or parts of websites that may be corrupted. This has proven useful when UpdraftPlus was my only previous plugin, so I chose it again in case of another error.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics, run through MonsterInsights, was a key plugin for my previous website. This option is for the owner to view, as it tracks how visitors are finding the website. Furthermore, the analytics can track what is keeping viewers interested. From there, the owner can focus on the website details that are causing more traffic, leading to an further uptick in visitors.

Performance

Performance is essential for sustaining any visitors, as any mishap could cause people to look for other alternatives. This comes from cache storage and storing WordPress content in a way that decreases risk for issues. The aptly named “Performance” plugin was an easy and once again simple choice for storing HTML content and improve website functionality. Lastly, the configuration for me as the owner was quick and extremely necessary.

Social Media – Simple Social Buttons

With a website catered towards production and editing, social media outsourcing and direction is important for growth. Directing attention to other outlets in order to entice more viewers can be a pivotal step forward for a brand, especially with this website. Simple Social Buttons creates an easy and direct way to connect sites such as Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, and many others to optimize social sharing.

Comment/Spam – Akismet

With a social platform, comments are necessary for receiving feedback. However, spam comments can create a swayed reality, making it harder for visitors and the owner to see genuine feedback that other users have left. Akismet has made it easy to protect spamming from impeding on creating the best possible atmosphere for all parties.

Podcast – Seriously Simple Podcasting

Podcasting was not something I was personally expecting to be a piece of this WordPress puzzle. However, upon using Seriously Simple Podcasting to be able to talk about my passion in editing, I became engulfed by the media form. I hope it was clear in my previous usage of it, but having a audio recording of someone can strengthen a listeners choice in using this website. Along with the Security, Performance, and Social Media, the simple choice has turned out to the best choice most of the time.

Slider – NextGEN Gallery

The slider feature was a difficult one to tackle for me, so finding the correct plugin can make it much easier. NextGEN Gallery is the most popular of it’s kind in the WordPress plugin search function, and can display photos in the most appealing format. When showcasing a production company, production software, or results photos, having a slider can make accessing them much better.

E-Commerce – WooCommerce

I have taken multiple E-Commerce classes in my path, so keeping track of sales and traffic can make for optimal practices. Similar to Google Analytics, WooCommerce can monitor which items are selling faster, causing the owner to make more of that product or similar. Also, WooCommerce is able to sell whatever is possible with documents, community support, and an automated system.