Customising your web site
useful WordPress plugins and widgets
A presentation for WordPress Findhorn, June 2013, by Mark Rowatt Anderson
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Overview
- What's a plugin?
- What's a widget?
- Where to get plugins
- What to watch out for
- Useful plugins
- Q&A
But first...
- Next meeting Thursday 19th September
- Survey results...
Anything else?
What's a plugin?
- Extends WordPress core functionality
- Does not change WordPress core code
- The sky's the limit!
But you can't install them on a wordpress.com site
What's a widget?
- Something which lives in a sidebar...
- Often part of a plugin
- Some are part of WordPress core
- Sometime part of themes (be careful)
Most widgets are part of a plugin
Most plugins don't include widgets
If you are looking for a new widget, you'll need to find a plugin
Widget Admin
Widgets in Sidebars
Where to get plugins
- WordPress plugin repository
Popular plugins and featured plugins - Direct from inside WordPress admin
- Commercial plugin vendors
- Random web sites (CAUTION!)
Is a plugin good (& safe)?
- Is it from a reputable source/author?
- Is it popular?
- Was it updated recently?
- Will your site depend on it?
If in doubt... backup before installing.
If not in doubt... backup before installing!
Plugin myths
- Plugins are complicated
- Plugins will slow my site
- Too many plugins are a bad thing
- One plugin can't do too much harm
Some useful plugins
- Must have plugins
- Site security & performance
- Forms, images & other content
- SEO & analytics
- Ecommerce
- Social & events
- Other
... it's not an extensive list, just a start!
Must have plugins
- Jetpack
- Limit Login Attempts
- Hotfix
- Yoast Google Analytics
- A backup plugin
- An updater plugin
Site Security
- Backup
- Updates
- Anti-malware
... or use a host who does all this for you
Backup
Updates
Anti-malware
Site Performance
... or use a host who does all this for you
Forms, images & content
- Forms
- Image galleries & sliders
- Other content
Forms
Image galleries & sliders
Other content plugins
- YARP (caution!)
- Testimonials Widget (it's a plugin!)
- Events Made Easy
- All in one Event Calendar
SEO & Analytics
Ecommerce
or...
- Copy & paste PayPal buttons
- Copy & paste Amazon links
- Hosted ecommerce services
Social
- Connect to social sites
- Host your own
- Stopping spammers
Connect to social sites
Host your own
Stopping spammers
And a few others...
Wrap Up
- What does your site need?
- Backup your site
- Experiment & have fun
- or... try writing your own!
Next meetings
Next meeting 19 September
(third thursday of month)
These slides available from http://findhorn.cc/wpfh
Thanks for listening
Mark Rowatt Anderson
(0797) 123 1239