The Complete Beginner‘s Guide to Choosing the Best WordPress Plugins

With over 55,000 free WordPress plugins to choose from, picking the right ones for your site can be downright overwhelming!

But have no fear – plugins are one of the best parts of WordPress when used properly. The key is having a smart process for evaluating the dizzying array of options.

In this complete beginner‘s guide, I‘ll share the exact step-by-step process that I use for finding great plugins as a WordPress expert with over 15 years of experience.

Let‘s get started!

Understanding WordPress Plugins

Before we dive into choosing plugins, let‘s quickly cover what exactly WordPress plugins are and how they work.

Plugins are mini-programs that extend WordPress functionality. They allow you to easily add all kinds of features and functionality to your site without needing to code it yourself.

Some examples of what plugins can do:

• Optimize site speed and security
• Add forms and surveys
• Allow user-submitted content or reviews
• Integrate ecommerce shopping carts
• Enable membership and subscriptions
• Connect social media accounts
• And basically anything else you can imagine!

There are currently over 55,000 free WordPress plugins available in the official repository alone, with hundreds more premium plugins available as well.

The plugin ecosystem is extremely vibrant, with over 1 million new plugin installs per day on sites around the world.

With this context in mind, let‘s look at how to find the best plugins for your specific needs.

Defining Your Plugin Needs

The first step is deciding what goals you want your plugins to accomplish. Don‘t just search randomly – define what problems you need to solve or functionality you want to add.

Some examples:

• Add an opt-in newsletter subscription form
• Create a members-only area of your site
• Allow users to submit product reviews
• Recommend related products on product pages
• Implement site search

I like to create a wishlist with my must-have features, nice-to-have features, and "bonus" features.

Order your wishlist by priority. It‘s unlikely you‘ll find a single plugin that does everything. Focus on your high priority needs first.

Taking the time to clearly define your plugin needs will pay huge dividends when it comes time to evaluate your options.

How to Effectively Search for Plugins

With 55,000+ plugins in the WordPress repository, effective search techniques are required to find the best options quickly.

Use Clear Keywords

Don‘t just search for "contact form plugin". Add descriptive keywords like "GDPR-compliant contact forms with email automation".

Sort by Downloads, Ratings

Filter search results by number of active installs and average rating. Popular plugins with high satisfaction are a good starting point.

Read Full Descriptions

Search result snippets only show a portion of the description. Always click through to read the full details.

Leverage Google Search

Add "WordPress" to Google searches for wider results with reviews and blog posts for helpful context.

Take your time with the initial search to surface the top contenders. Refine and repeat searches as needed.

Now let‘s look at evaluating those contenders to choose the best fit.

Evaluating Your Plugin Options

When comparing your shortlist of plugins, use these criteria to select the best option:

Ratings and Number of Installs

The number of stars (out of 5) indicates the average rating. But also look at the number of total ratings. For example:

• Plugin A has 100 downloads and a 5 star rating (but only 1 rating)
• Plugin B has 700 downloads and a 4.5 star rating from 100 votes

Plugin B is likely more proven with broader user testing.

Compatibility and Last Updated Date

Verify the plugin is compatible with your WordPress version. Also look for recent updates, as that indicates active development.

For example, Plugin A hasn‘t been updated in 3 years. But Plugin B was updated 2 weeks ago. Plugin B is a safer bet.

Plugin Reviews and Developer Reputation

Do users report major issues? Can you find blog or expert reviews? Have they developed other quality plugins?

A developer responding to support queries and releasing frequent updates is reassuring.

Documentation and Demo Sites

Comprehensive docs and demos indicate how easy a plugin will be to use. Well documented plugins almost always win out over sparse documentation.

Performance Impact

A poorly coded plugin can slow down your site. Use a site speed tool like Pingdom before and after activating a plugin to check for impact.

There are a few key signals to look for during your evaluation process. Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate contenders will help surface the best fit.

Testing Plugins Before Going Live

Before adding new plugins to your live site, I always recommend thoroughly testing them first on a staging site.

A staging site is a copy of your live site used for testing. Plugins can then be evaluated without impacting your real website or users.

Some tips for effective plugin testing:

• Install a plugin management plugin like StagePress to easily copy plugins and themes between staging and production.

• Test one plugin at a time. Activate the plugin, use all features, then deactivate before testing the next. This isolates for conflicts.

• Check frontend and backend functionality. Screenshot issues to document bugs.

• Use a site speed tool to measure performance impact of activated plugins.

• Follow troubleshooting tips and FAQs if issues arise.

Thoroughly testing on a staging site provides confidence before going live. Some plugins end up getting scrapped at the testing stage, saving headaches down the road.

Optimizing Plugin Performance

While plugins provide tons of useful functionality, they can impact your site‘s performance if poorly coded.

Here are some tips for maintaining fast performance:

• Limit the Number of Active Plugins – Each plugin increases load time slightly. I recommend keeping it under 10-15.

• Use Premium Plugin Options – In some cases, premium plugins are faster than free versions since they are more robustly coded and supported.

• Enable Caching – Caching stores rendered web pages so WordPress doesn‘t have to rebuild them each time. Must-have for larger sites.

• Minify Plugins – Minification removes unneeded code to reduce file size. A plugin like Autoptimize can minify and combine files.

• Choose Lightweight Plugins – Check reviews and speed tests to choose lightweight options. Avoid plugins with lots of extra scripts.

Follow these guidelines, test regularly, and your site will still run fast no matter how many great plugins you add.

Security Considerations

Plugins introduce additional attack surfaces for hackers. With over 1 million new plugin installs daily, vulnerabilities get found and exploited.

Here are some tips for choosing secure plugins:

• Favor popular plugins from well-known developers – more eyeballs finding/fixing issues

• Check plugin support forums for reports of vulnerabilities

• Avoid changing plugin permissions to 777 – use default permissions if possible

• Disable unused plugins – reduces avenues of attack

• Keep plugins updated – updates often contain security patches

• Use a firewall like WordFence to block malicious requests

With some basic security precautions, you can utilize plugins safely. Perform security scans regularly to detect issues early.

Licensing Considerations

WordPress plugins are typically licensed under GPLv2 which gives you flexibility in how you use them. Some key points:

• You can use GPL plugins on as many sites as you want

• You can customize GPL plugin code to better suit your needs

• You must license any derivative works under GPLv2

• You must keep copyright notices intact

Some plugins use "split" GPL licensing. This restricts use of code modifications and derivatives. I recommend avoiding these.

Stick with regular GPL licensed plugins for full usage freedom. Before making any modifications, carefully review the license terms.

Giving Back to Plugin Developers

Thousands of developers contribute their plugins for free to the WordPress community. I believe it‘s important to give back. Here are some great ways:

• Rate and review – This helps future users evaluate plugins. Any feedback is appreciated!

• Donate – If a free plugin brings value to your site, consider a small donation to support the developer.

• Report bugs responsibly – If you do experience issues, report them constructively following project guidelines.

• Spread the word – Share useful plugins you discover through your site, social media, newsletters, and conversations with other WordPress users.

Giving back sustains open source software for the benefit of the entire WordPress community.

Troubleshooting Plugin Issues

If a plugin isn‘t working as expected, try these troubleshooting tips:

• Check for conflicts – Disable all other plugins and switch to a default theme. Re-test the trouble plugin in isolation.

• Verify installation – Double check all files uploaded and any activation/setup steps completed.

• Compare to demo – If the plugin has a live demo, ensure your version looks and works identically.

• Read FAQs, docs, support forums – Official documentation often resolves common problems. Search support threads as well.

• Check server requirements – Some functionality issues stem from server configs like PHP version or memory limits.

• Test an alternative similar plugin – Sometimes an alternative just ends up being a better fit for your specific use case.

• Post in the support forums – Thoroughly document the issue and steps you‘ve taken. The developer may provide personalized troubleshooting suggestions.

With a few targeted troubleshooting steps, many plugin issues can be quickly resolved.

Wrapping Up

The massive selection of WordPress plugins available can certainly seem overwhelming as a beginner. By taking a methodical approach to evaluating and testing plugins, you‘ll be able to find those perfect gems that propel your site to the next level.

I hope you found these insider tips and tricks helpful for choosing fantastic plugins and avoiding duds. Keep this advice in mind as you continue growing your site over time.

Your new supercharged site is now just a few clicks away – happy plugin hunting! Let me know in the comments if you have any other great tips for choosing plugins.