Just a week into my blogging and I am in love with WordPress and how easy and convenient a tool it offers to all us first-time bloggers. There is a long way to go and explore the various database parameters and tables involved, but I wanted to share my first few experiences about creating and using some of the plugins. So here goes….
My Top 5 Plugins installed on this site:
1. WordPress DB Backup – I am pretty certain that a blogger’s life would be miserable except for this useful backup utility. On my very 2nd day, i downloaded a plugin for comments/feedback, and immediately my website crashed. I was not able to logon to my WP account either and the only way left was to contact my hosting provider. He said, you need to restore from your ‘backup’. Well, that is how I actually used the Backup that I had taken a few hours back when I first installed this plugin. I think enough said now, just install this and configure a daily backup. I would also say, it is always better to send a copy of the backup file to your personal email account.
2. Akismet – I havent actually used this useful little Spam Protection plugin, but I have read enough to say, this would make my life easy to filter out all the spam comments I can expect once I go public. Note: If you have subscribed to the “Chocolate” plan from www.freehostia.com, it doesnt allow you to configure this plugin, you will need a higher plan like the “WaterCircle”. Chocolate plan also doesnt allow many other features like sending mails from your host id. Just a word of caution if you are still thinking about which hosting service and which plan to select.
3. Google Sitemaps – Now that you have basic 2 plugins ready and kicked off, now comes the time to allow those ‘bots’ or ‘spiders’ from google to index your page. Google XML Sitemaps is a useful plugin which is so easy to install and get your sitemap xml file generated. Life made easy!!
4. Feedburner – I still need to utilize this plugins’ full potential, but have read enough literature to say that this would be easy to direct all the feeds subscribed from your blog are redirected to ONE single feed via FeedBurner.
5. All In One SEO Pack – Just finished installing this plugin and would have put this on Top 1 if not for the already drafted post :-). Every blogger is trying to promote his site by various Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, and what more can you ask when you have a built-in plugin which does this for you. This is a must-have for any blogger.
Do you have more that you think you can add to this list, I know there will be many more all you long time bloggers have been using and analyzing everyday. Post your thoughts here.
Now, let me go back and explore more into the world of plugins/themes/META/Sitemaps along with my hot cuppa coffee.
Keep Blogging.
[…] of my initial posts was about the Best WordPress Plugins I had downloaded within a week of starting my blog. Now whenever I go to my PlugIns section I […]
i’d love to share this posting with the readers on my site. thanks for sharing!
Thanks Audrey.
Great list of essential plugins. I use them all except for Akismet. Since I used CommentLuv, which has GASP, I don’t need Akismet any more.
Hi Carolyn – Thanks for leaving a comment and also for sharing this article. Yes, these plugins will be evergreen in the wordpress blogs. I also wrote a follow-up of this article to list all the other plugins I am using here – http://www.dailymorningcoffee.com/my-top-wordpress-plugins-revisited/
Except Akismet I like all other plugins you mentioned here. Akismet is doing some problems.

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