The 7 Best WordPress Plugins [2023]
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Hannah Macey
- Sep 27, 2022
There are over 50,000 plugins to choose from on WordPress, as well as thousands more on third-party websites. Each one offers a different array of features, so why not take advantage of those that could help take your website to the next level?
Whether you are looking to add more interesting elements to your design or delve into the world of E-commerce, it’s worth looking into the library of plugins to learn whether any of them could help improve the user experience.
Elementor
Elementor completely changes the WordPress website-building experience as it allows you to use a simple drag-and-drop technique to add elements to your page. You can create impressive dynamic designs without having any coding knowledge, as well as being able to apply CSS to edit certain aspects of the design if you wish.
In addition to this, when working with clients Elementor is extremely useful, as once they are given the logins they can easily make smaller changes to text or images without having to ask for any assistance.
Used mostly for: Building websites
Skill level required: Beginner
Pros:
- Simple to use
- Front-end page building
- Drag-and-drop
- Great for formatting
Cons:
- Limited features without Essential Addons
- Creates bloated code
- Slow load times
Essential Addons for Elementor
If you use Elementor on your WordPress website, Essential Addons is a great way to expand your library of available widgets and add new elements to your design.
If you don’t feel as though the standard library of elements offered by Elementor is enough to achieve your desired outcome, then this can be a great option to take your website to the next level.
Used mostly for: Enhancing website functionality
Skill level required: Beginner
Pros:
- Highly customisable
- Tons of add-ons
- Shouldn’t affect performance too much
Cons:
- Might not be worth the cost for a single website
Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is one of the best form builders there is.
As well as being simple to use and easy to customise, you can also set up a variety of notifications to alert site admins about the details of the form submission. Additionally, confirmations can be set up which allows you to create your own customised message that either gets emailed to the user upon form submission or is simply displayed on the screen. You can drag and drop a variety of form fields, including dropdowns, checkboxes and a reCAPTCHA element, to create a form that captures all of the information you require from the user.
Used mostly for: Creating forms
Skill level required: Beginner
Pros:
- Simple to use
- Custom CSS
- Great for responsiveness
Cons:
- No free version
- Overkill for simple forms
Crocoblock
Crocoblock works alongside Elementor, allowing you to choose from a selection of tools that can elevate your website design.
The Crocoblock tools are available as the JetPlugins Pack which you can explore once you’ve set up your subscription. Some of the available features include additional Elements for the Elementor page builder, a menu builder tool and a tool for creating custom WooCommerce product pages.
Used mostly for: Enhancing website functionality
Skill level required: Beginner-Intermediate
Pros:
- Adds a variety of functions
- Helps create a dynamic website
- Great compatibility with Elementor
- Great value
Cons:
- Can cause issues with performance
- Primarily for Elementor users
WooCommerce
If you are thinking about stepping into the world of E-commerce, then the WooCommerce platform is definitely worth exploring. Not only does it allow the store owner to accept a variety of payment types, including Paypal, Stripe and bank transfer, but it’s also one of the simplest and most flexible options.
Its integration also provides great SEO for ecommerce websites, meaning that your website will be more likely to rank higher when people search for it.
Used mostly for: Managing E-commerce functions
Skill level required: Beginner-Advanced
Pros:
- Simple to use
- Great for managing finances
Cons:
- Bland UI
- Can be reliant on other plugins
Envato Elements
Envato Elements is a useful tool for web developers and designers as it gives you access to an array of different templates and digital assets. Designers can take inspiration from these and incorporate some of the elements into their work, allowing developers to add these to the website and make any changes they wish.
Used mostly for: Gathering assets (images, templates, etc…)
Skill level required: Beginner
Pros:
- Wide range of assets
- Affordable pricing
Cons:
- No lifetime membership
Hotjar
Hotjar is an excellent tool when it comes to analysing the behaviour of those who access your website.
It provides valuable insights and can help you learn how to improve the user experience and understand which parts of the website are being interacted with more than others. The process of viewing where the user clicks and how long they spend looking at a particular thing can inform the website admin which parts of the website may be unnecessary, or which section should perhaps be moved further towards the top of the page to have a greater impact.
Used mostly for: Tracking user behaviour
Skill level required: Intermediate-Advanced
Pros:
- Great heatmaps
- Varied methods of tracking behaviour
- Really useful for SEO
Cons:
- None really…
These are just a handful of useful plugins that can enhance any WordPress website, but there are many more that could be perfect for you depending on the purpose of your site. It’s nearly impossible to run a successful WordPress website without adding functionality through plugins, and if there’s something you wish your website was able to do then there’s more than likely a plugin that can help you achieve this. Why not try out some of our suggestions to help you get started?
If you would like help with creating your website, then contact us today. Our graphic designers and website developers can work with you to create a bespoke website for your company.
