5 Handy WordPress Plugins Every Blogger Should Know About

I’ve been writing my blog since 2007 and over the last 7 years I’ve always been surprised at the sheer mass of new plugins that become available. It’s enough to make your head spin and most bloggers stick with the plugins they’ve known and loved for years. While it’s always good to go with what you know, you also might not know what you’re missing.

So I thought now was as good a time as any to share five of my favorite WordPress blogs that I think every blogger should know about. All of these plugins are free so it’s easy to try them out to see if you like them without spending a dime. Enjoy!

Theme Check Plugin

Theme Check

There are so many WordPress themes out there that you could easily change you theme daily and never run out of themes. Of course, not all themes are created or coded equally. The Theme Check plugin makes it easy to test your theme and make sure it’s up to spec and not full of bugs.

Google Analytics Plugin for WP

Google Analytics Dashboard for WP

This plugin is an absolute no-brainer. Isn’t it annoying to login to Google Analytics every time you want to check out analytics data for your blog? The Google Analytics Dashboard plugin makes it possible to view your Google Analytics dashboard right from WordPress, simple and without a doubt a plugin that will save you time.

WPTouch Mobile Plugin

WPTouch Mobile Plugin

In case you missed the memo, Google is now requiring that website are optimized for mobile. While you could go and buy a completely new WordPress theme it’s easier to get the job done with the WPTouch Mobile plugin which quickly and easily makes your website mobile friendly. This is the plugin that I am currently configuring for my own site and while I don’t have it fully deployed yet, I like it enough and know enough other people that like it that I felt it was a good one to include here.

iThemes Security Plugin

iThemes Security Plugin

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the planet, which also means it is one of the top targets for hackers and spammers. The iThemes Security plugin allows you to quickly deploy over 30 different security measures to keep your WordPress site safe and secure.

clef-two-factor-authentication

Clef Two-Factor Authentication

This is one of my new favorite plugins. I try to use two-factor authentication just about anywhere I can because it dramatically increases security. Clef has absolutely nailed two-factor authentication for WordPress with their plugin and when combined with iThemes your WordPress site will be more secure than For Knox.

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton