What is a plugin in WordPress?
Los plugins son como un complemento en WordPress, los plugins proporcionan funcionalidad adicional en tu Blog de WordPress o se utilizan para hacer las cosas más fáciles.
WordPress has its own Plugin Repository with thousands of plugins, where you can get free WordPress plugins.
How to install WordPress plugins
1.Open your WordPress Dashboard.
2.Navigate to Plugins> Add New.
3. Clicking "Add New" will open a new Page, as shown below:
Ahora desde aquí puedes buscar plugins gratuitos, o si tienes a tu disposición de un plugin premium puedes subirlo usando la pestaña de subir.
After installing the plugins, you will need to activate them.
Plugins are like a plugin in WordPress, plugins provide additional functionality on your WordPress blog or are used to make things easier.
WordPress has its own Plugin Repository with thousands of plugins, where you can get free WordPress plugins.
Install plugin in WordPress
Now from here you can search for free plugins, or if you have a premium plugin at your disposal you can upload it using the upload tab.
After installing the plugins, you will need to activate them.
What are the best WordPress plugins
Many of the WordPress plugins that you will install on your site will be for specific features that you want, not necessarily that you needs. But beyond those niche plugins, at the same time there are some essential WordPress plugins that are totally indispensable for all the WordPress sites (ok - maybe 99.99% of WordPress sites - but still most sites!
A eso se dedica este post - the essential WordPress plugins that I think should appear on everything from a travel blog to an ecommerce store.
For most of the must-have plugin "types", I will offer both a free and a premium option. Y al mismo tiempo compartiré por qué cabe destacar pagar por el plugin premium. Por lo tanto, usted puede beneficiarse de este puesto sin importar cuál be su presupuesto.
So in the end, I will share some bonus plugins that are not 100% required, but are still "nice to have plugins". Let's start!
A cache / performance plugin to make your site load faster
Necesitas que tu sitio Web WordPress se cargue rápidamente por diferentes razones – tus lectores lo esperan y les da una mejor experiencia, afecta al SEO, etc.
Una de las mejores maneras de hacer que esto suceda es usando un plugin de cache y rendimiento. Sin entrar en toda la rigidez de lo que está pasando entre bastidores, sólo diré que el uso de uno de estos plugins regularly it will cut page load times in half. And that's amazing!
1. WP Fastest Cache - Free Option
I have tried many cache plugins, and WP Fastest Cache is consistently one of the best, so it has a 4.8 star rating from 2,200+ comments on WordPress.org.
Más allá del almacenamiento en caché de páginas, WP Fastest Cache al mismo tiempo le ayudará con otros ajustes de rendimiento, como la minificación, el almacenamiento en caché del browser, la compresión GZIP y mucho más.
This is one of the best ways to make loading your WordPress site fast and free.
2. WP Rocket - Premium Option
The main benefit of paying for WP Rocket is the convenience. Your site is not guaranteed to load faster than one of the free options - so don't feel compelled to buy it for that reason.
But the convenience aspect is great for a few reasons:
- It works "out of the box." Although there are some settings that you can configure, at the same time you can activate it and instantly get a great benefit, making it ideal for occasional users.
- Multiple plugins in one. WP Rocket will give you some features - like database optimization and lazy loading - for which you would regularly need a separate plugin.
- Premium support. If you run into any problems, you will get Premium support.
Beyond convenience, it does many of the same settings as WP Fastest Cache - page caching, browser caching, GZIP compression… you name it. Read our full WP Rocket review.
An SEO Plugin to Help Your Site Rank In Google
Si desea que su sitio para clasificar en los search engines how Google, needs a plugin SEO debido a que WordPress no tiene grandes controles de optimización de motores de búsqueda fuera de la caja. Estos plugins implementarán muchos ajustes automáticos para fomentar el SEO de su sitio. Y al mismo tiempo le darán la posibilidad de crear títulos personalizados y descripciones meta para la keyword de destino.
3. Yoast SEO - Free Option
Yoast SEO is the godfather of WordPress SEO plugins. Active in more than 5 million sites, It is very popular. And at the same time has maintained a 4.9 star rating from over 22,000 reviews on WordPress.org.
Beyond that popularity, one of the great things about Yoast SEO is that it does a good job of making things easy for beginners. This way if you are not an SEO expert, that alone is a great reason to choose Yoast SEO.
4. The SEO Framework - Free Lighter Option
SEO Framework es un plugin SEO más joven que está creciendo rápidamente debido a su enfoque ligero y racionalizado. Al mismo tiempo cuenta con una 4.9 star rating, although it is not that popular.
If you are a beginner, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one. But if you've built a few WordPress sites and have a solid understanding of SEO, I think The SEO Framework is a great option for handling your site's SEO.
An image optimization plugin to make your site load faster
According HTTP Archive, las imágenes comprenden un poco menos del 50% del tamaño del archivo de una página web promedio. Esto significa que siempre debes estar buscando formas de optimize el tamaño de tus imágenes para acelerar tu sitio de WordPress.
Image optimization plugins can do this automatically in two ways:
- Resize the dimensions of your images to the maximum you set
- Compress your images without loss of quality (lossless compression) or with a small loss of quality (lossy compression)
5. Smush - Free Option
Smush is a great free option because it allows you to automatically resize and compress images unlimited without paying a penny.
There are two caveats to this:
- Only lossless compression can be used
- The maximum file size for each individual image is 1MB
But most people won't run into any of those limitations, making this a great first stop. That is why it has a 4.8 star rating and is active in more than a million sites.
6. ShortPixel - Freemium Option
ShortPixel doesn't offer you unlimited free optimizations like Smush. Instead, you can optimize up to 100 images per month for free, but after that, you'll have to pay.
So why pay for ShortPixel if Smush is free? For some reasons:
- You will get multiple compression options. You can still do lossless, or you can do lossy compression with quite a few degrees of "lossy". For most sites, the lossy conservative approach is the best balance between file size and image quality.
- There is no file size limit.
- It supports something called WebP images.
ShortPixel at the same time had the best lossy compression performance in our comparison of image optimization plugins.
A backup plugin to keep your data safe and secure
If you're using a managed WordPress host, your host will likely automatically do the backups for you, so you don't need one of these plugins.
¿Para todos los demás? Es totalmente necesario un plugin de copia de seguridad. Usando uno de estos plugins de copia de seguridad, puede realizar automáticamente una copia de seguridad de su sitio en una programming establecida para que si algo sale mal, tenga una copia de trabajo de su sitio. Don't lose your site because it couldn't take a few minutes to set up automatic backups.
7. UpdraftPlus - Free Option
UpdraftPlus is by far the most popular free backup plugin. That at the same time is for good reason. Despite its free price, UpdraftPlus still enables you to:
- Automatically run backups on a schedule set by you.
- Automatically store your backups on external services, such as Dropbox or Google Drive
- Easily restore from one of your backups if you ever need to.
Utilizo la versión gratuita en todos mis sitios y encuentro que hace un gran trabajo. Muchas otras persons al mismo tiempo lo hacen, por lo que cuenta con una 4.8 star rating from 2,800+ reviews.
8. VaultPress - Premium Option
VaultPress es una solución de backup premium de Automattic, la misma empresa detrás de WordPress.com. Subscriptions start at $39 per year and at the same time give you access to the Jetpack plugin personal plan.
So what makes VaultPress different from UpdraftPlus? Well that depends on the plan you choose.
At a basic level, it is more convenient. VaultPress automatically downloads your backups to the VaultPress cloud interface. This interface makes managing your backups much easier. And at the same time you can restore from any backup with the click of a button.
If you are willing to pay for business levels (those starting at $99 per year), you will find even more differences like:
- Security analysis. VaultPress analizará automáticamente sus archivos de copia de seguridad en busca de malware.
- Real-time backups. Instead of daily backups, VaultPress offers a real-time approach that backs up your site every time there is a change.
- Definitive storage. The cheapest tiers only store backups for 30 days
A security plugin to keep your site safe from bad people
Like automatic backups, if you're using a managed WordPress host, you can probably skip this one as a well-managed WordPress host should already have most of these things enabled for you. If not, using a security plugin is a great way to keep your site safe from malicious actors.
You will still need to do other things - like consistently update your WordPress site. But a security plugin can handle a good portion of the security burden for you.
9. Wordfence - Freemium Option
There is only one option here: Wordfence. Set up your site with:
- Firewall de apps Web para bloquear el traffic malicioso
- Malware scans
- File integrity monitoring
- Escaneo de contents para detectar URLs inyectadas maliciosamente
- Live traffic monitoring
- Lots of other little security tweaks
There is a reason you are active in more than 2 million sites, while it has maintained a 4.8 star rating from 3,200+ reviews.
The premium version extends many of these features and adds new ones, but the free version should be fine for most sites.
A form plugin for people to contact you
No matter what type of site you have, you probably need at least one contact form so that people can get in touch. And if you want a contact form, you will need a contact form plugin.
10. WPForms - Freemium Option
Again - only one option here because I think WPForms does the best job for the most of the sites.
It offers you a simple drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy for even beginners to create a custom form.
The free option is ideal for basic contact forms or comment forms. And if you pay for one of the Pro versions, at the same time you can get more advanced with things like:
- Payments
- Email Marketing Service Integrations
- Surveys and polls
- Conditional logic
- …
An anti-comment spam because people love WordPress spamming
Porque WordPress es tan popular, es un target jugoso para los spammers de comentarios de todo el mundo. Un plugin anti-spam puede detectar automáticamente la mayor parte de este spam, por lo que no es necesario moderarlo manualmente.
11. Akismet
Akismet is Automattic's anti-spam plugin (again - that's the company behind WordPress.com). Once you set it up (lo que requiere obtener una clave de API free), it will automatically check all new incoming comments and filter out any that appear to be spam.
Although there are other anti-spam plugins, I've never had the need to test them as Akismet does a great job on its own. It will catch most spam automatically and has very few false positives.
Este es probablemente el menos «esencial» de estos plugins esenciales de WordPress, pero todavía diría que el 99% de los sitios de WordPress se pueden beneficiar de un plugin de social share de calidad. Estos plugins ayudan a que tu contenido sea más compartido en las redes sociales añadiendo «botones de compartir» que posibilitan a tus visitantes compartir fácilmente tu contenido en la social network de su elección (you can see them in action at the top of this post).
12. AddToAny - Free option
AddToAny is a free solution that makes it easy to add share buttons for over 100 social networks. At the same time it includes a universal share button that enables visitors to choose their preferred network from the entire list.
If you want a free and flexible option, this is a good starting point.
13. Social War - Premium Option
Social Warfare has a free option, but most of its best features are in the premium version, which is the one we use here at WPLift.
As well as adding fancy share buttons, it can help you at the same time:
- Customize the appearance of content when shared
- Include the number of shares (how many times has the content been shared)
- Create Click-to-Tweets
- Use a special image for Pinterest
An email list building plugin if you want to grow an email list
Este sólo es necesario si desea hacer crecer su lista de correo electrónico. Pero si lo hace, necesitará totalmente un plugin de creación de listas debido a que WordPress no tiene ninguna funcionalidad para esto y las soluciones de formularios por defecto de la mayoría de los servicios de email marketing no son muy útiles.
14. MailOptin - Free Option
MailOptin enables you to create simple pop-up, sidebar, or content option forms that you can connect to a range of popular email marketing services. In the free version, you can create up to 3 different forms to opt for email, and this is one of the free plugins with more features that you will find.
Read our full MailOptin review for more details.
15. Hello Bar - Premium Option
Hello Bar es una opción premium que te posibilita crear atractivas ventanas emergentes y bars de notificación. No se limita a las opciones de correo electrónico, pero es una excelente manera de recolectar más direcciones de correo electrónico o promocionar cualquier otra oferta.
For the premium price, you at the same time get more detailed features such as:
- Many triggers, including exit intent
- Reglas de segmentation para controlar exactamente dónde aparecen sus formularios
- A / B testing
- Built-in analytics
Eight Essential WordPress Plugins "Maybe Not" plus, but it's still nice to have them
Bonus time! Here are eight more plugins that are not 100% must-have WordPress plugins for every site, but that can offer something useful no matter what type of WordPress site you have.
16. Elementor - Design beautiful pages with drag and drop (Freemium)
Elementor is a WordPress plugin, which means that it helps you to design pages using simple drag and drop editing. If you've ever wanted more control over the design and layout of your content, a page builder like Elementor is a great choice.
17. Shortcodes Ultimate - Spice up your messages (Free)
Shortcodes Ultimate is like a lighter version of Elementor. Rather than giving you a visual and drag-and-drop interface, it offers you a range of shortcuts that you can quickly insert into your content to add a new style.
18. Smart Slider 3 - Create flexible sliders and carousels (Freemium)
Smart Slider 3 is the best WordPress plugin I have ever used. Take a look at our full Smart Slider review to understand why.
It offers you an easy to use interface from which you can create sliders and carousels including:
- Images / videos
- Post content
- Custom text
If you want to add sliders to your site, take a look.
19. Cookie Notice for GDPR - For Europeans, or others who care about GDPR (Free)
Si usted quiere permanecer en el lado bueno de la ley de GDPR, usted necesita conseguir el consentimiento de sus visitantes para las galletas y otros métodos de seguimiento. Este plugin gratuito le ayuda a hacer precisamente eso.
20. Code Snippets - An easier way to manage functions.php Code Snippets (Free)
If you often add code snippets to your functions.php file, the free code snippet plugin will save your life. The benefits of using the plugin over functions.php are:
- Each code snippet is separate and has its own title, making it easy to organize.
- You can choose to run code snippets only on the front-end or the back-end (or both)
- You can enable / disable snippets individually
- Your snippets will accompany you if you ever change WordPress themes
Get code snippets
21. Simple CSS - An easier way to handle custom CSS (Free)
Desde que el equipo central de WordPress agregó una opción de CSS al Personalizador de WordPress, ha sido mucho más fácil añadir CSS personalizado a WordPress.
Having said that, I still prefer the Simple CSS plugin because:
- It enables you to add custom CSS both from the WordPress Customizer and from your normal control panel
- You can add custom CSS to individual posts or pages
- Your custom CSS will accompany you on the journey if you ever change WordPress themes
22. Quick Page Redirect / Post-Redirect Plugin - Easy 301 Redirects (Free)
Si alguna vez cambia la estructura del permalink of the Url de su sitio o el slug de un mensaje o página individual, necesita configurar una redirección 301 para asegurarse de que el tráfico se redirija al lugar o lugares correctos. Aún cuando puede hacer esto manualmente, esto es una molestia para la mayoría de los usuarios, por lo que un plugin como Quick Page/Post Redirect Plugin puede ser útil.
It enables you to configure and manage redirects directly from the WordPress control panel.
23. Schema Pro - Markup scheme without a content box (Premium)
Markup Scheme helps you communicate additional information about your website to search engines and get the eye-catching rich results.
Even though the markup scheme doesn't directly make your site rank higher, it can make your site more visible in search results, which is a great thing.
Of all the schema markup plugins I have used, I like Schema Pro because it enables you to add schema markup to your site. no need to display an ugly front content box.
And that closes my list of essential WordPress plugins. Now, do you disagree with any of these plugins? Or do you think a plugin should be added to the list? Let us know in the comments!
WordPress and plugins go hand in hand. However, because there are literally thousands of them available, it is incredibly difficult to narrow them down to the bare essentials. Once you have that list, you will have to remove the best of the best in order to run a site that is stable, secure, and ultimately functional.
It's a good idea to think about the different 'categories' you will need, and work from there. As an example, you probably want to do some search engine optimization (SEO), which at the same time may include reducing your site load time through caching or image optimization. As such, you will eventually get a framework for choosing the best plugins today supported by the latest version of WordPress.
In this post, we'll look at a number of stellar plugins, and discuss what makes them so great. Before that, despite everything, we will give you some tips on how to choose a top-notch plugin!
What to look for in a quality WordPress plugin
As we have hinted, choosing a plugin is not just about choosing the first one we come across. In fact, there are a few key criteria that you will need to consider. As an example:
- Does the plugin achieve its objectives from the first moment?
- Can you adjust the plugin to your exact needs if possible?
- Is the plugin updated normally?
- Does the community at the same time think that the plugin is valuable?
Of course, the first two can be determined directly from the product description for the most part. However, you will have to do some detective work on the last two. If you need something from the WordPress.org plugin directory, you will often see a date related to the last update made - we recommend that you stay away from those that have not been updated in the last six months:
At the same time, it is important to make sure that the plugin in the questions is well reviewed. Our advice is to look especially at any one-star or otherwise poor reviews to determine if there is something lurking under the hood that you need to know.
The most stellar WordPress plugins for 2018
Let's break down the list of plugins we recommend in 2018. Note that these are not in any particular order, so feel free to jump in and read about the ones that excite you the most!
1. Yoast SEO
En primer lugar, tenemos un plugin que puede ayudarle por sí solo a llegar a la cima de los resultados de búsqueda de Google. Yoast SEO ha sido esencial desde hace varios años, y con razón. Ha sido desarrollado para proporcionar una herramienta completa para asegurarse de que su optimización de búsqueda (SEO) está en el punto.
A modo de ejemplo, usted puede ver cómo sus esfuerzos de SEO se forman de un vistazo por medio de de un novedoso sistema de semáforo, y al mismo tiempo comprobar la legibilidad de su contenido de la misma manera. Aunque el plugin base no tiene costo, al mismo tiempo hay una versión premium para ayudar con aspectos tales como Local SEO and keywords de enfoque múltiple.
2. Close to the word
Wordfence has become an incredibly popular plugin for protecting your site. Even if you don't have the plugin installed (yet), the Wordfence blog is an excellent read for discovering how malicious attacks occur and unfold around the world.
However, the plugin seeks to stop such malicious attacks at the source. There is a complete Web Application Firewall (WAF) based on apps, and several main features. As an example, you can block certain IP addresses from accessing your site and, by getting the premium upgrade, you can add other protection items such as two-factor authentication to your site.
3. Jetpack
Jetpack is a sturdy old man, although its modular approach has criticisms in some areas. However, we still think that it is one of the best plugins to install in 2018, mainly because it might be the only plugin you need for most of the essential functionality of your site.
As an example, the free version comes with a ton of features, such as brute force protection and site monitoring, a functional contact form and comment forms module, and much more. The Premium version even includes backup functionality via VaultPress, and a myriad of themes to help get your site up and running quickly.
4. Ninja Forms
Most site owners tend to go for Contact Form 7 on their sites, but there are plenty of other alternatives. For our money, Ninja Forms is surely the best solution available. The free version of the plugin is fully featured and looks great out of the box. At the same time it is easy to manipulate, especially if you are a developer who uses the included 'hooks'.
For those who need more of the plugin, there is a selection of plugins that cover tasks such as email marketing onboarding, payment gateways, and much more. It is worth noting to try driving, just because of its drag and drop interface!
5. Elementor
For a plugin that started out as another 'me at the same time' page builder, Elementor has positioned itself as the featured site builder tool on the market today. It's still a drag-and-drop page builder, but at the same time it includes a number of other features depending on whether you've upgraded to the Premium version.
A modo de ejemplo, puede crear headers y pies de página desde cero independientemente del tema que utilice, aunque es probable que desee utilizar el tema hijo en blanco como marco de trabajo base. Al mismo tiempo hay un constructor de formas estelar, junto con tantas otras características que no podríamos cubrirlas todas en un solo artículo!
6. UpdraftPlus
Backup plugins are a popular niche when it comes to WordPress. Choice is a good thing, because that creates competition. However, UpdraftPlus is the best in our opinion. It's very easy to use - just click the appropriate button, and you're done. Of course, at the same time you can automatically make backups and set a regular schedule.
At the same time you can store those backups on various storage media, including Dropbox and Google Drive. Upgrading to the Premium version provides you with a migration tool and all other extensions that are offered. At the same time, you get free updates, one year of support, and 1GB of remote storage for your backups.
7. ShortPixel
Like backup plugins, optimizing images at the same time is a very popular niche. Again, this means that there are many options, so it is important to look through the good plugins. ShortPixel is our pick here, simply because of how well it compresses image file sizes.
The plugin is easy to use, and can be configured to automatically compress any image when uploading it to WordPress. Upgrading to the premium version simply increases the number of images you can run through the plugin each month, and is very reasonably priced on all levels.
8. WP Rocket
Caching is one of those optimizations that can dramatically improve your site's performance, so choosing a good plugin here is crucial. WP Rocket is a perennial pioneer because it offers consistent speed benefits across a number of different sites and hosts.
However, although there is no free version, the plugin offers good value for money. It includes features like GZIP compression, font and database optimization, a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and much more.
9. WooCommerce
En el mundo de WordPress, el comercio electrónico suele ser igual a WooCommerce. No tenemos excusas para apoyar esa afirmación, debido a que es un plugin tan estelar para crear un escaparate en línea.
Out of the box, WooCommerce makes it possible for you to add, remove, and edit products, adjust shipping to your exact needs, and much more. At the same time there are a large number of free and premium extensions to choose from, which means that you can tailor your store to your exact needs. In our opinion, any other solution pales in comparison!
10. Plugin Detective
The following is a great plugin for non-technical users who suffer from (and need to fix) WordPress bugs. Plugin Detective offers a fun presentation, which essentially revolves around 'interrogating' your plugins to get to the bottom of a bug you specify.
There is no premium version for this one, which is amazing given the functionality. It enables you to quickly classify errors and begin to fix the problem. If you are concerned about your website being offline for long periods and you need to take action quickly, Plugin Detective may be the ideal solution.
11.Google Analytics Dashboard for WP from ExactMetrics (previously GADWP)
Los análisis son a menudo un componente necesario de la ejecución de un sitio web, por lo que poder verlos de un vistazo es siempre una ventaja. Google analytics Dashboard es ahora propiedad del equipo de WPBeginner, y es una alternativa mucho mejor que su plugin MonsterInsights.
We like how you can find out the number of sessions and users you are receiving, and some of the other metrics are a step ahead of other competitors. We have a feeling this plugin will usurp its brother sooner rather than later, and it can be said that it is going to be just as vital in the long run.
12. dFactory Cookie Notification for GDPR
Por último, tenemos un plugin para ayudarle a cumplir tanto con la Ley de Cookies como con el General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). El Aviso de Cookies para GDPR es una solución engañosamente simple que se coloca como una barra flotante en su sitio web, informando a los usuarios sobre sus políticas de cookies y privacidad.
It offers a lot of customization, so you shouldn't have to worry about fitting your existing brand's requirements. At the same time, it is wonderful when combined with a service like iubenda: you can use their solution to create a privacy and cookie policy, and link to it directly from the plugin. It is almost a one-stop shop for making sure you comply with the directives and regulations that apply at the moment.
conclusion
Choosing plugins can be fun, but you should never lose sight of the real goal. Strengthening the functionality of WordPress should be your main concern, which means choosing only those that meet your strict requirements. Thus, your site will remain stable, and you can get on with your business by managing your website on a day-to-day basis.
This post has looked at 12 different plugins - all of which we believe are essential to running a WordPress website. Not only that, we have looked for the best examples. Of course, your opinion may differ (that's the beauty of WordPress), but choosing solutions like Yoast SEO, UpdraftPlus, and Jetpack is a solid way to go.
Do you agree with our list of the best plugins for 2018? Let us know in the comment section below!
