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Sara Nguyen

Helping Sassy Solopreneurs Reach more people and get more clients

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Top 20 Must Use WordPress Plugins To Power Up Your Website

 

wp_plugins

WordPress Plugins are a great way of increasing the functionality and efficiency of your website quickly and easily. Many plugins are user-friendly and allow you to enhance your WordPress website without having to struggle any or with too much code. Plugins can also save you a ton of money, allowing you as an administrator to add them to your website yourself and not have to rely on expensive developers to implement them for you.

Here’s a list of the top 20 WordPress Plugins that will help improve your website.   

Social Sharing

  • NextGen Facebook – Advanced Social SEO
    Display your content in the best possible way on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. This plugin allows you to set the image to be shared, instead of the default image that the social network displays.
  • Facebook Open Graph, Google+ and Twitter Card Tags
    Another great plugin to allow you more control over the display of your images and text from your website to the various social media networks.
  • NextScripts: Social Media Auto Poster
    NextScripts automatically publishes posts from your blog to your Social Network accounts including: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Blogger, Tumblr, Delicious, Plurk, etc profiles and/or pages. Just write a new post and either entire post or it’s nicely formatted announcement with backlink will be published to all your configured social networks.
  • Simple Share Buttons Adder
    The Simple Share Buttons Adder does exactly what it says on the tin – adds social media share buttons to all of your posts and pages.
  • Simple Social Icons
    This plugin displays your social media icons and link visitors to your various social profiles. With it, you can easily choose which profiles to link to, customize the color and size of your icons, as well as align them to the left, center, or right, all from the widget form.

Testimonial Plugin

  • Strong Testimonials
    Testimonials are a great way of increasing credibility and confidence in your services and offerings. Using a Plugin to display your testimonials professionally and consistently on your website helps develop trust and saves you time. I tested countless testimonial plugins to find one that displayed my testimonials beautifully on the page – without me having to spend time formatting. Strong Testimonials was the best of the crop. You can see it in action on my “Praise” page.

Opt-ins and Pop Ups

  • Popup Ally
    Popup Ally is a simple to implement popup that doubles conversions without annoying your visitors. This plugin also allows you to do in-post opt-ins too. It’s easy to set the design to suit your website and super user-friendly. 

SEO Plugins

  • WordPress SEO by Yoast
    The WordPress SEO plugin helps you write content that is optimized for search. The Plugin rates your pages and posts on how search engine optimized they are and provides you with suggestions on how to improve your overall optimization – from a technical point of view through your content.

Security Plugins

  • iThemes Security
    Themes Security is a great plugin that protects your WordPress website from common attacks. It’s quick and easy to use (especially for the non-techy among us), allowing you to install and secure your site in minutes.
  • All In One WP Security & Firewall
    The All in One WordPress Security plugin has the same features as iThemes. It’s not as easy to use as iThemes however, it does offer additional options for advanced WordPress users. I’d recommend picking one or the other.

Website Backups

  • UpdraftPlus Backup and Restoration
    It’s important to Backup your site “just in case” things go pear shaped for no particular reason (it really does happen.) UpdraftPlug does complete backups; manual or scheduled and backs up to S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, Rackspace, FTP, SFTP, email + others. 
  • ManageWP
    I personally love ManageWP as it allows me to update multiple WordPress websites – literally in one click. I can also scan all of my websites for threats and do maintenance easily from a single dashboard. Backups can also be manually or scheduled to Google Drive, Dropbox, Email and more.

Analytics

  • Google Analytics Dashboard for WP
    Using this Plugin you can easily install and view your website analytics data from your WordPress Dashboard. The Google Analytics Dashboard displays key analytics data and reports about your site’s: number of visitors, page views, bounce rates, pages per visit and traffic sources.

Caching Plugin

  • W3 Total Cache
    Fast and comprehensive WordPress performance optimization plugin that improves your website’s page load speed and performance.

Contact Forms

  • Ninja Forms
    There are LOTS of free Contact form plugins out there, I find ninja forms better than others. It has inbuilt anti-spam, so you don’t have to add an ugly ReCaptcha form and it’s also super user-friendly.
  • Contact Form 7
    Contact Form 7 is a commonly use free plugin that is also pre-loaded in many themes. It’s a very flexible contact form however, I find it’s SPAM-filtering weak and you typically need to add extra plugins to compensate for this such as Contact Form 7 Honeypot.
  • Contact Form 7 Honeypot
    A good addition to Contact Form 7, Honeypot adds anti-spam functionality to thwart spambots without the need for an ugly captcha.

Comments Plug In

  • Disqus
    Disqus, pronounced “discuss”, is a service and tool for web comments and discussions. Disqus makes commenting easier and more interactive, while connecting websites and commenters across a thriving discussion community.
  • Disqus Conditional Load
    Disqus is a GREAT commenting plugin but it can be very intense on your page’s load time, especially when you start to get loads of comments. How to have the best of both worlds? Disqus Conditional Load. You can decide how, when, where to load comments. This plugin prevents unwanted script loading and make your website super fast.

WordPress WISYWIG Editor

    • Tiny MCE Advanced

This plugin allows you to add, remove and arrange the buttons that are shown on the Visual Editor toolbar.

So there you have it. A comprehensive list of WordPress Plugins that will help boost your website’s functionality.

  • Author
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Sara Nguyen
Video and Course Creator | Online Marketing Strategist | Wine Lover | Coffee Addict | Geeky techy lady| 😀 Helping small businesses build and grow their business using social media with ease.
Latest posts by Sara Nguyen (see all)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. johncroks98 says

    March 12, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Great post and list. I would like to add “CopyRightPro” to this list. It prevents people from right-clicking and copying your website copy. While it is not a complete deterrent, if I make someone “work” a bit before they attempt to “borrow” my copy – so be it.

    Regards
    http://www.feedegg.com

    Reply
    • Sara Nguyen says

      March 13, 2016 at 3:00 pm

      Ah yes indeed John!
      Especially if you do a lot of creative work – photography, artist etc. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mayank Kumar says

    October 17, 2019 at 6:45 pm

    “Good post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I
    stumbleupon everyday. It will always be helpful to read content from other authors and use a
    little something from their web sites”

    Reply

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About Sara
I'm a coffee addict and donut lover who is obsessed with technology, social media and marketing.

Want to grow your business with social media that woos your ideal clients and gets them to buy what you sell? Sure thing!

I'll help you navigate through the maze of social media so you can connect and sell online with ease.

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sara.nguyen.video

Video Creator   🎥 🤳 🍪
Thank you to everyone who I’ve been able to help Thank you to everyone who I’ve been able to help through my videos. It’s because of you I get to do what I love 💕
New little @canonaustralia lens that I’m digging New little @canonaustralia lens that I’m digging. 😍
How do you get better at: livestreaming/video/danc How do you get better at: livestreaming/video/dancing/business?  By taking bold, messy action...even when...and especially when it scares you. That means doing things like: livestreaming, running ads and business-building activities that feel uncomfortable...  But you know you're supposed to do them.  The truth is, that if your business/life isn't where you want it to be...you are the reason why.  And when you take extreme ownership and massive action over and over...  ...Combined with solid, relentless focus...you get success.  But lots of people aren't willing to do the work and feel the discomfort. Because it's scary and you make yourself vulnerable. Yet, on the other side of the discomfort is what you've been longing and dreaming of.  It's all a choice my friends. What's it going to be? What are you going to choose?  #fempreneurs #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #beingboss #digitalcoursecreator #marketingstrategist #aspiringentrepreneur #growyourbiz #businessmoves #coursecreators #businessgrowthstrategy #onlinecoursecreators #onlinecoursecreator #hersuccess #womenceo #solopreneurs #entrepreneurher #buildingmyempire #businesstraining
Because COVID has completely taken over our lives Because COVID has completely taken over our lives this year, it’s hard to imagine life in this world without it now.   When life finally goes back to the new normal, are we going to be ready for it?  Are we ready for the income/impact/growth we desire now?  The truth is that you’ll never feel ready enough, and chances are ⁣that nobody is going to ‘choose’ you. ⁣  Instead, what if you do it.   What if you choose yourself?  When I first started teaching social media, I didn’t exactly ⁣look and feel like a success story, especially when I made videos from my derelict apartment.   But I started small, and even more importantly, I showed up and declared myself ready. ⁣  No one was going to do that for me.  My first few videos had 30 views on average. Then 50, then 100, and now, my top videos have over 100 000 views.  ⁣  Maybe one day, millions.   I declared myself a content creator, social media and video strategist and coach way before anyone else believed I was one.   I set up my own website, created my own content and uploaded my own videos and it was the combination of that hustle that was what started everything. ⁣  I wasn’t waiting for someone else to choose me, and I wasn’t waiting until I got a sign from the universe. ⁣  I decided that there was ⁣room for me (why not me?), and yes, there’s so much room for you too. ⁣  There’s room for:⁣  The quiet and the louder ones
The introverts and extroverts.
The out there quirky and the inward.

All ethnicities, ages, sizes, and histories.  Why not you, too?  #fempreneurs  #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #beingboss #digitalcoursecreator #marketingstrategist #aspiringentrepreneur #growyourbiz #businessmoves #coursecreators #businessgrowthstrategy #onlinecoursecreators #onlinecoursecreator #hersuccess #womenceo #solopreneurs #entrepreneurher #buildingmyempire #businesstraining
New YouTube video where I show you how to macguyve New YouTube video where I show you how to macguyver your iPhone and use it as a webcam using @filmicapps Filmic Pro. Link in bio to my channel.  #youtuber #howtocreatecontent #bossbitch #womeninbusinessrock #iphonevideo #videomarketingstrategy #socialmediacontent
You’ve seen the quote… Comparison is the thie You’ve seen the quote…  Comparison is the thief of joy.  All the gorgeously curated Instagram squares and perfectly styled YouTube videos will get you in comparison mode pretty easily.  (I totally get it ——> says the woman who has been told that she’s either ’too Asian’ or ‘not Asian enough’ her whole life.)  When you see other successful businesses posting on social media…  ...it's easy to let your reptilian brain take over…  ...and to start thinking that success is limited to only a few people in the world.  Unfortunately, once you start thinking down that path…  ...you open yourself up to believing that you aren't good enough.  I’ve seen too many incredible coaches, consultants and creatives get bogged down by allowing themselves to believe:  "I’m not enough. I don’t have what it takes."  But you can choose to do things differently.  Do you think that Patty Jenkins, Director and Writer of Wonder Woman looked up and said, “Well, Wonder Woman has already been done…guess I’ll just go home and not make a new, amazing movie?”  What if she had done that?!  The truth is…  ...if you want to transform your business, livestream, put yourself out there and see the growth that you deserve, you need to stop comparing yourself to other people.  Or like our school teachers used to say…

Eyes on your own work.  #beyourownboss #bosswoman #hersuccess #savvybusinessowners #womenceo #womenwhodo  #womenwholead #womeninbiz #businessgrowth #businesssuccess #entrepreneurgoals #entrepreneurlife #goaldigger #solopreneur
We make time for what we want. I'm calling it as i We make time for what we want. I'm calling it as it is. You can livestream effectively in 15-20 minutes a day...and *basically* for free using your mobile device. As one of the most efficient ways of producing content, building authority and generating trust and leads...why wouldn't you start your live journey? 🙂  #fempreneurs #bosswomanmindset  #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #beingboss #digitalcoursecreator #marketingstrategist #aspiringentrepreneur #growyourbiz #businessmoves #coursecreators #businessgrowthstrategy #onlinecoursecreators #onlinecoursecreator #hersuccess #womenceo #solopreneurs #entrepreneurher #buildingmyempire #businesstraining
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames 🔥 “ ~ Rumi  #rumiquotes #poetryislife #poetryofinstagram #motivationalwednesday #beautyinwords
Live streaming and being on camera can feel SCARY. Live streaming and being on camera can feel SCARY...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
...that’s totally NORMAL. But it also doesn’t have to stop you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The difference between SUCCESSFUL content creators and those who stay STUCK is that successful creators take action DESPITE the fear and anxiety they feel. ⠀⠀
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They do things to keep moving forward…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ...even if they don’t feel ready…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
...even if they’re not sure about what others will think...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ...they don’t “wait until everything is perfect.” —> They take imperfect action.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  How will you take imperfect action this week?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#fempreneurs  #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #beingboss #digitalcoursecreator #marketingstrategist #aspiringentrepreneur #growyourbiz #businessmoves #coursecreators #businessgrowthstrategy #onlinecoursecreators #onlinecoursecreator #hersuccess #womenceo #solopreneurs #entrepreneurher #buildingmyempire #businesstraining
Your livestreams, whether you’re on YouTube or F Your livestreams, whether you’re on YouTube or Facebook (or multi stream like me) should be generating desire for your products/services. 
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If they’re not…you may be focusing on the wrong things. It’s not the best light, camera or fancy animated overlay that makes a good livestream…yet this is where most people spend their time obsessing over.
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Your content and how you deliver it will be the difference between a successful livestream strategy vs going live for the sake of going live…and seeing no results. 
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#successbound #bossmentality #bossquotes #gogetit #millionaireinthemaking #businesscoaches #buildingempires #entrepreneurthing #womenbuildingempires #businessmoves #bosschic #bossladystatus #ladypreneur #buildinganempire #dreamchaser #ceomillionaires #womanceo #girlsbuildingempires #immyownboss #goaldigger #bossbabes #ladypreneurs #womaninbusiness #femaleentreprenuer #hersuccess #buildanempire #thesixfigurechick #goalgetter #dreambigger
One of the comments I get most often is… "Sara, One of the comments I get most often is…  "Sara, you’re such a natural in front of the camera. I could never do that."  And I find that rather amusing.  Why? Because that was NEVER me.  I was always the person behind the scenes — producing other people’s shows and webinars and livestreams.  And you know what?  I was comfortable.  Comfortable with my job. Comfortable with my life. Comfortable all around, really.  And that comfort made me feel safe.  … but it also ate me away inside.  Why? Because I knew I had a message to share, and I knew I could be in front of the camera sharing it… instead of stuck in the background building someone else’s dreams.  But alas, it stayed that way far longer than I want to admit.  And it stayed that way because of my own limiting beliefs — because of all the little stories I kept telling myself.  Every time I thought about getting in front of the camera, a little voice would pop in my head and say:  "What makes you think you’re good enough to be on camera?"  It was torture.  And it wasn’t until I overcame my limiting beliefs that I began to see real change.  The truth is…  I’ve never been ‘natural on camera’ or ‘made for the screen.’  I worked very hard to develop these muscles… especially as an introvert who’s naturally shy and insanely awkward.  It was very challenging for me.  But it was also the thing I knew I had to do if I ever wanted to rise above.

Right now, you may be at the time in your life when you’re finally saying "No" to mediocrity, lame excuses, and all the so-called barriers standing between you and greatness…  And finally saying "Yes!" to the specialized knowledge, strategies, tools, and techniques that can take your business and career to the next level.  You’re becoming someone who won’t settle for anything less than you deserve.  So hit record, go live and get that thing out into the world.  #fempreneurs #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #beingboss #digitalcoursecreator #growyourbiz #businessmoves #coursecreators #businessgrowthstrategy #onlinecoursecreators
When it comes to putting yourself out there, I sti When it comes to putting yourself out there, I still feel nauseous before a livestream or hitting record. 
Despite these feelings…it’s about continuing to show up for the people that you want to serve…even when it’s hard. And it’s always hard. 
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If you keep going live and you keep hitting that record button…things start to happen. You get better at being on camera, you feel more confident, your audience see you and connect with you more and you can finally start moving the needle in your business with more reach, leads and sales. 
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But you deny yourself and your audience the chance of any video magic…if you don’t take action. 
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Take action my friend. No matter how imperfect you feel. No matter how uncomfortable you feel. With every opportunity, no matter what happens you will continue to learn and grow. 
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#doitanyway #videocontent #contentmarketing #impostersyndrome #limitingbeliefs #creatorlife #youtuber #contentmarketingtips #contentcreation #fempreneurs #coursecreator #ceomindset #businessstrategist #onlinebusinesscoach #bossbabemovement #sheconquers #womanceo #buildyourbusiness #ceolife #womenwholead #fempreneur #buildinganempire #growyourbiz #hersuccess #womenceo #solopreneurs #entrepreneurher #buildingmyempire
#doneisbetterthanperfect Stop thinking that every #doneisbetterthanperfect 
Stop thinking that everything needs to be perfect for your livestreams/videos. Perfection doesn’t exist. Create. Put it out there....and give yourself a chance to connect and impact people. #youvegotthis
Friendly reminder in case you’ve forgotten, with Friendly reminder in case you’ve forgotten, with all that is going on in the world right now.  #sundaymotivation❤️ #bossbabequotes #risingtidesociety
Write down your ideas. I use the Notes app on my i Write down your ideas. I use the Notes app on my iPhone when I get ideas and then I can reference them when I’m on my computer as well. I also use Google Keep...so I can sync thoughts and ideas across my mobile and computer.  I found that I’ve forgotten less ideas this way...you know that stroke of genius you get...that you swear you won’t forget about...until you do...lol 🤣  I get ideas for videos and content all the time. Mostly when I’m about to fall asleep 😂...so I write them down and then later, I verify that there’s search volume/data to warrant a video. I believe in using data and not just our emotions (feels) to guide what we should create.  I don’t always follow this workflow. Sometimes I look up trends and data volume first to give me inspiration on what content to create.  And that’s ok too. As long as you’re creating...there’s no perfect formula or method.  #contentideas #contentisking #contentisqueen #contentiseverything  #videoideas
Hey coaches, consultants, creatives...have a Q you Hey coaches, consultants, creatives...have a Q you'd like answered about livestreaming, social media or content creation? I'm considering doing a Q&A session...so submit your Q's and I'll look at covering it in a livestream 🙂 
Link to the form in bio and here: https://forms.gle/bC6TBJfbkUwzMFvm7
Hello #weekendvibes ... brunch date. Zucchini frit Hello #weekendvibes ... brunch date. Zucchini fritters, poached egg, smoked salmon and #coffee (of course) 😍
#weekendbrunch
Behind the scenes. Dave helping me test out my set Behind the scenes. Dave helping me test out my set up the evening before a morning livestream. Yes, that’s a McDonalds cup...accompanied my shaker fries and nuggets (off screen)😛🍟#behindthescenes #mustbelove
🙌🙌🙌🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋 🙌🙌🙌🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ Me. You get better the more you execute.
Oh what a glorious mess 😝. I’m livestreaming Oh what a glorious mess 😝. I’m livestreaming about how to livestream with your DSLR. So if you want to use your DSLR camera as a webcam...I’ll show you how. You know the drill. Link to my YouTube channel in bio to join me live...or for the replay.  #contentcreation #contentcreation #livestreaming #livestreamsetup #messydesk #videogear
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