Welcome back to WordPress 101 series. In this 4th part of the series, we’ll learn about WordPress plugins, the biggest reason behind WordPress’s massive usage on the Internet.
From creating a simple blog to launching an e-commerce store, WordPress does it all very well. It solves some of the most frustrating problems when starting a new online business.
Any business needs improvements. One may start a business website with a few products in the store. As the store sells more products, the website needs to be upgraded for better customer satisfaction. Everything is straightforward in WordPress, from launching a new customer forum to an entire professional customer support system.
WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins allow extending WordPress functionalities. With Plugins, users can add almost any functionality to their WordPress site in just a few clicks. Currently, WordPress has over 58,400+ plugins in its plugins repository.
Similar to WordPress themes, one can also purchase WordPress plugins from different other marketplaces such as Envato. WPBakery Page Builder, Yoast SEO, Jetpack, WordFence, and Contact Form 7 are among WordPress most popular plugins.
How to Install WordPress plugins?
Installing WordPress plugins is as simple as installing a new theme, too simple. Do you remember installing WordPress themes from the last article? You can also install WordPress plugins in the same way.
If you want to install a plugin from the WordPress repository, click Plugins > Add New.
By default, WordPress comes pre-installed with two plugins, Akismet Anti-Spam, and a dummy plugin, Hello Dolly. If you have hosted your site on managed WordPress hosting such as rocket.net, it may have already installed useful plugins for site performance and security.
To install a new plugin, click Add New button.
By default, WordPress stacks some popular plugins. Use the search field to search for the plugin you wish to install.
Click the Install Now button to install it or the plugin name for more information about the plugin.
After the plugin is installed, activate it to use it.
If you have installed a plugin and it’s not active, you won’t be able to use it. To activate its functionality, click the Activate button.
Now that the plugin is installed and active, you should be able to use it. Different plugins have different options and settings page. So check out the plugin’s documentation on how to use it.
Install Paid WordPress Plugins
Most developers provide their paid plugins as a zip file. To install a plugin from the zip file, click Upload Plugin button on Add New plugin page and upload the zip file.
Conclusion
So there you have it. WordPress plugins are the main feature of WordPress. You can have any number of plugins on your site, but it’s not recommended to install many plugins as they will negatively affect the website’s performance and security.
Keep your plugins up-to-date. Most websites are hacked or compromised due to an outdated plugin. In the recent update, WordPress devs provided the option to automatically update plugins and themes as the new update is available. It is highly recommended to enable auto-updates for as many plugins as possible.