7 Wordpress Plugins I install on all websites (2024)

Summary

In this video, web designer Reno shares his top seven essential WordPress plugins for smooth website operation, including admin and site enhancements, the classic editor, independent analytics, manage WP worker, Elementor Pro, and solid security. He also discusses the importance of proper website development and hosting for speed optimization, and mentions bonus plugins like ACF for custom fields and White Label CMS for branding. Reno emphasizes the value of efficient website building and the role of hosting in website speed.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ Reno, a web designer and no-code developer, shares his top seven plugins for enhancing website functionality and performance.
• 🔧 'Admin and Site Enhancements' is a new plugin that consolidates many previous plugins, providing features like content duplication and media replacement.
• ✂️ 'Classic Editor' is still a must-install for Reno to avoid the Gutenberg editor, which he finds less user-friendly for page and template creation.
• 📊 'Independent Analytics' offers a GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Analytics, providing a simple dashboard for tracking website traffic.
• 🛡️ 'ManageWP Worker' allows Reno to manage multiple websites from one dashboard, facilitating easy login, backups, and plugin updates.
• 🏗️ 'Elementor' and 'Elementor Pro' remain Reno's preferred page builders, offering extensive customization options for most projects.
• 🔒 'Solid Security' is Reno's choice for website security, providing a lighter alternative to other plugins like Wordfence.
• 🚀 'LiteSpeed Cache' is Reno's go-to caching plugin, especially when used with hosting services that utilize LiteSpeed technology.
• 🖼️ Reno no longer uses image optimizer plugins, opting to optimize images outside of WordPress for better control and performance.
• 🌐 SEO plugins are not included in Reno's list as he now offers SEO as a separate service, focusing on custom solutions for clients who request it.

Q & A

Why does Reno recommend installing the 'Admin and Site Enhancements' plugin?

Reno recommends the 'Admin and Site Enhancements' plugin because it combines the functionalities of many plugins he used before. It offers features like content duplication, media replacement, and the ability to customize the WordPress admin interface by disabling items from the admin bar and dashboard widgets.

What is Reno's stance on the Gutenberg editor and why does he install the 'Classic Editor' plugin?

Reno prefers the 'Classic Editor' plugin over the Gutenberg editor because he finds the Gutenberg editor stressful due to its block-based interface. He prefers the traditional input fields and installs this plugin to maintain a familiar editing experience, especially for clients who only need simple text and images for their blog posts.

Why is 'Independent Analytics' a good alternative to Google Analytics for some of Reno's clients?

Reno suggests 'Independent Analytics' as an alternative to Google Analytics because it is GDPR compliant, which is beneficial for EU members. It provides a simple dashboard overview of visitor statistics without requiring an account setup and integration like Google Analytics.

How does the 'ManageWP Worker' plugin help Reno manage his websites?

The 'ManageWP Worker' plugin allows Reno to easily log into any website, perform backups, and schedule automatic plugin and WordPress updates. It also offers features like sending reports to clients and managing multiple websites from one dashboard.

Why does Reno consider Elementor and Elementor Pro as his page builder of choice?

Reno prefers Elementor and Elementor Pro because they offer robust integration with his workflow, including the use of Crocoblock. Despite competition, Elementor remains his top choice for page building due to its features and the Pro version's additional functionalities that are often required for his projects.

What is Reno's opinion on the importance of hosting in website security and performance?

Reno believes that a good hosting company is crucial for website security and performance. He suggests that most security issues can be prevented by the hosting company itself rather than relying solely on security plugins. He also emphasizes the importance of investing in quality hosting for faster website performance, mentioning the benefits of CDN offered by larger hosting companies.

Why did Reno switch from using a security plugin like Wordfence to 'Solid Security'?

Reno switched to 'Solid Security' because he finds Wordfence too bloated and slow. He prefers a lighter plugin that still provides effective security without slowing down the website. He also mentions that 'Solid Security' was formerly known as 'iThemes' and has improved in appearance and functionality after a rebrand.

What is Reno's advice on website speed optimization and why did he choose 'LiteSpeed Cache' as his caching plugin?

Reno advises that website speed optimization should not rely solely on plugins but should be built into the website's development. He chose 'LiteSpeed Cache' because it is made by the same company that provides the LiteSpeed technology used by his hosting company, Hostinger, ensuring better compatibility and performance.

Why does Reno no longer use an image optimizer plugin and what does he recommend instead?

Reno no longer uses an image optimizer plugin because he optimizes images outside of WordPress using tools like img2go.com or bulkresizephotos.com. He recommends these tools for resizing and compressing images before uploading to WordPress to maintain smaller file sizes and improve website performance.

What is Reno's approach to SEO plugins and why are they not in his default list of plugins to install?

Reno offers SEO as a separate service and only installs SEO plugins like Rank Math SEO or Yoast SEO if a client specifically requests it. He does not include them in his default list because he prefers to focus on teaching efficient website building practices that inherently improve SEO, rather than relying on plugins.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Essential WordPress Plugins for Website Enhancements

Reno, a web designer and no-code developer, introduces seven essential WordPress plugins for enhancing website functionality and performance. The first plugin highlighted is for admin and site enhancements, which consolidates multiple functionalities, including content duplication and media replacement, into one. It also allows customization of the WordPress admin bar and dashboard widgets. Reno suggests that this plugin has become indispensable for his work. He also mentions the importance of using the classic editor plugin to avoid the Gutenberg editor, which he finds less user-friendly for page and template creation. The paragraph concludes with a teaser for two bonus plugins.

05:01

📊 Alternative Analytics and Site Management Plugins

Reno discusses his preference for 'Independent Analytics' as a GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Analytics, providing a simplified dashboard view for website traffic. He also addresses the need for a site management plugin, 'ManageWP Worker', which facilitates easy website access, free monthly backups, and automatic plugin updates. The paragraph also touches on the importance of choosing reliable hosting for website security and speed, suggesting that a good hosting service is more effective than relying solely on security plugins. Reno briefly compares 'Solid Security' with 'Wordfence' and 'Security Optimizer', favoring the former for its lighter approach.

10:01

🏆 Top Page Builders and Security Plugins

Elementor and Elementor Pro are identified as Reno's preferred page builders, chosen for their robust integration with Crocoblock and the necessity of Pro features in most projects. He also discusses the evolution of security plugins, moving away from 'IThemes' to 'Solid Security' after a rebrand. Reno advocates for the importance of proper website development and hosting choices over relying on plugins for security. He also mentions 'Lightspeed Cache' as his current choice for speed optimization, emphasizing the plugin's compatibility with hosting services that use Lightspeed technology.

15:02

🖼️ Image Optimization and Additional Plugins

Reno explains why he no longer uses an image optimizer plugin, opting instead for external image compression and resizing tools before uploading to WordPress. He recommends websites like 'imagetoo.com' and 'bulkresizephotos.com' for image optimization. The paragraph also addresses the absence of an SEO plugin from his list, as Reno now offers SEO as a separate service. He briefly introduces 'ACF Advanced Custom Fields' for custom post types and fields, and 'White Label CMS' for customizing the WordPress admin area, advising against unnecessary plugin installations to maintain website cleanliness.

👋 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In the concluding paragraph, Reno summarizes the discussed plugins and invites viewers to learn more through his course, hinting at a link in the description for interested individuals. He thanks the audience and signs off, indicating the end of the video.

Keywords

💡Page Builder

A page builder is a tool that allows users to create and design web pages through a visual interface without needing to write code. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of page builders for website creation, specifically mentioning Elementor as their preferred choice. The page builder is central to the theme of enhancing website functionality and design.

💡Plugins

Plugins are add-ons that extend the functionality of a software application. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses various WordPress plugins that they install to enhance the performance and features of websites. Plugins are integral to the video's message about optimizing website performance and user experience.

💡Admin and Site Enhancements

This refers to a specific WordPress plugin mentioned in the video that combines multiple functionalities previously provided by separate plugins. It includes features like content duplication and media replacement, which are used to streamline the website management process. The plugin is highlighted as a time-saving tool that improves website administration.

💡Classic Editor

The Classic Editor is a WordPress plugin that allows users to use the traditional WordPress editor instead of the newer Gutenberg editor. The speaker in the video prefers the Classic Editor for its simplicity and familiarity, especially for clients who require basic text and image blogging capabilities.

💡Gutenberg Editor

The Gutenberg Editor is the default content editor in WordPress, known for its block-based design. The video speaker expresses a preference for the Classic Editor over Gutenberg due to the stress and complexity they associate with the latter, especially for non-technical clients.

💡Independent Analytics

Independent Analytics is a plugin mentioned as an alternative to Google Analytics, noted for its GDPR compliance. It provides a simplified dashboard for tracking website visitor statistics, which is useful for clients who do not require the full feature set of Google Analytics. This plugin is part of the video's discussion on efficient website management.

💡ManageWP Worker

ManageWP Worker is a plugin that connects a website to the ManageWP dashboard, allowing for easy management of multiple sites from one place. The video speaker uses this plugin for tasks like automatic updates and backups, emphasizing its role in enhancing website maintenance efficiency.

💡Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro is a premium version of the Elementor page builder, offering advanced features for website design and development. The video speaker prefers Elementor Pro for most projects due to its extensive functionality, which is often required for client projects, highlighting its importance in professional web design.

💡Solid Security

Solid Security is a WordPress security plugin that provides protection against various online threats. The video speaker compares it to other security plugins, suggesting that it is less bloated and faster than some alternatives, making it a preferred choice for maintaining website security without compromising performance.

💡Lightspeed Cache

Lightspeed Cache is a plugin for optimizing website speed by implementing caching mechanisms. The video speaker discusses the importance of website speed and how caching plugins can enhance performance. However, they also stress that proper website development and hosting are crucial for speed, and caching plugins should be seen as an additional optimization tool.

💡SEO Plugins

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plugins are tools that help improve a website's visibility on search engines. While the video speaker does not include an SEO plugin in their default list, they mention that they offer SEO services separately upon client request. This reflects the video's broader message about tailoring website enhancements to specific project needs.

Highlights

The necessity of plugins beyond a page builder for smooth website operation.

Introduction of seven essential plugins for website enhancement.

The merging of plugins and the reduction to seven from a previous list of ten.

The Admin and Site Enhancements plugin as an all-in-one solution for multiple functionalities.

Content duplication feature within the Admin and Site Enhancements plugin.

Media replacement feature for efficient image updates across the website.

Customization options for WordPress admin bar and dashboard widgets.

The Classic Editor plugin as a preference over the Gutenberg editor.

Independent Analytics as a GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Analytics.

ManageWP Worker for easy website management and free monthly backups.

Elementor and Elementor Pro as the preferred page builders for web design projects.

Solid Security as a lightweight security plugin alternative to Wordfence.

Light Speed Cache as the current choice for speed optimization plugins.

The importance of proper website development over relying on speed optimization plugins.

Hosting's impact on website speed and the benefits of using a reputable hosting company.

The shift to external image optimization instead of using a plugin for image resizing.

The decision to offer SEO as a separate service rather than using a plugin by default.

ACF Advanced Custom Fields for creating custom post types and fields.

White Label CMS for customizing the WordPress admin area for clients.

Transcripts

[Music]

just a page builder alone isn't enough

to make your websites run smoothly so

here are my

set seven plugins that I install on all

websites right now by the way welcome

back if you're new here my name is Reno

I'm a web designer and a no code

developer a few years ago I made this

video about the 10 plugins I use now I

only install seven because some plugins

have merged they have more functionality

so we need less plugins which is always

good so let's let's start off with the

list of seven plugins and then at the

end I will give you two bonus plugins

that I install sometimes depending on

the project we're going to start off

with admin and site enhancements it's a

relatively new plugin but I cannot live

without it anymore because this plugin

combines many plugins that I used before

if you install it you will get this new

Option over here

enhancements then you will see this

simple menu and I always turn on a few

things for example content duplication

which will give you the nice duplicate

option over here to duplicate a page or

a post back in the day I always used to

install something like this duplicate

page or duplicate Post in order to get

the same functionality but it's built in

here media replacement which will allow

you to replace images inside of your

media library and then it replaces it

throughout the whole website so you

don't have to go into your page builder

and then click and replace everywhere

you just replace it straight from The

Source it is a little bit hidden though

you have to click on edit more details

then scroll down and then you have the

option over here to replace the media so

if the plugin developer is watching this

video please make it a little bit more

obvious maybe with a big button over

here to make it a little bit easier to

find they also have some options to

customize how WordPress looks because

you can disable things from the admin

bar over here which I've done which then

makes this top bar really clean

and you can also disable dashboard

widgets which are the widgets you can

find on the dashboard over here so if

you guys want me to make a separate

video about this plugin then let me know

for now let's move on to the second one

classic editor I still always install

the classic editor as many people do as

you can see by the installation amount

because if you don't have this installed

and you go to your pages and you click

on add new then you will get the

Gutenberg editor which for some reason

stresses me out because I don't see the

normal input Fields I know there's a lot

more possible with Gutenberg because you

have a lot more blocks to choose from

when you're creating a Blog but for

pages and templates I use a page builder

anyways and for blog posts uh most of my

clients just want simple text and images

so then they don't really need it so

unless a client requests to have more

options inside of their blog post then I

do not install classic editor but that

has never happened to me so I always

keep it active and for the people with

sharp eyes I know that there is an

option to also disable this inside of

admin side enhancements but I have found

this one to not work perfectly so that's

why I still use the normal classic

editor a new one is independent

analytics which is an alternative for

Google analytics this plugin is gdpr

compliant so for EU members this is

really nice it just gives you a little

overview like this on your dashboard

which is enough for most clients

um it just shows you the visitors the

views and you can also go to the

dashboard where you will find a lot more

information it actually looks really

good so you don't have to go to Google

analytics set up an account and connect

it like with other plugins like this one

exact metrics which I still use on many

websites because some clients just want

Google analytics but if they don't

specifically ask for it just install

this one it's enough and then if they

ask more you can always install another

plugin but I love this one it's so

simple and it just looks really good the

next one in the list is manage WP worker

that is the plugin to connect a website

to your managewp dashboard where all of

my websites are this allows me to log

into any website really easily it allows

you to make uh backups for free once a

month and you can even if you want make

your plugins update automatically on the

website they have this feature over here

called scheduling you can enable

scheduling and then say every Monday on

this time it should perform uh plug-in

updates you can even perform WordPress

updates but if you click on Save changes

this website will now be updated

automatically uh in terms of the plugins

they have a lot more options here for

example sending reports to your clients

about analytics it's just great I did

make a video about it I will link it in

the cart or in the description so it

doesn't do a lot on your website it just

connects it to your dashboard so that

you have all your websites in one place

okay then my page builder of Choice is

still Elementor and Elementor Pro in the

last 3 years a few competitors have hit

the market so Elementor has a little bit

of competition which is actually good

because I think it will push them into

the right direction if they see what

other people want but Elementor is still

the king of page Builders at this point

I love their integration with Croco

block which I still use a lot so I

almost always install Elementor and

Elementor Pro because most projects

Quire things that are in Pro and it

rarely happens that I only have to use

the free version but I will because it

will save me a license which is always a

good thing the next one is solid

security and this was called I themes

before they rebranded their whole

company I think solid WP just bought

them I don't know what happened there

but it's different now it actually does

look better and before I show you solid

WP I do want to say that Cy ground also

also has a security plugin which is

called security Optimizer which is also

free it works better if you are a cyron

customer because then you have more

features but it's also a great plug-in

already so I would say test both of them

as you can see their rating is exactly

the same and they also have around 1

million installs so both of these

players are great I know word fense is

still the most popular one on WordPress

but I don't like it I think it's too

bloated it just works a little bit too

slow I want something a little a bit

lighter so that's why in the past I I

worked with IES uh I did use their pro

version I don't do that anymore I now

think that the free version is enough

why well because I've learned that most

security problems can actually be

prevented by the hosting company and not

by the plugin itself so your hosting

company should prevent the hacker to

actually come into your WordPress adding

a plug-in is nice but it's actually one

step too late so that's why you should

not be too cheap when you're buying

hosting and just buy from a global brand

that is trusted like for example cyr

which has a very good reputation in the

markets in terms of security but also

company like hostinger these companies

are popular for a reason it's not just

because they offer something great it's

the whole deal security Optimizer from s

looks like this solid security also

looks really good but for now let's

continue with the next plug-in light

speed cash this is right now now my

speed optimization plug-in of choice

I've learned a lot about website speed

in the last year and I just want to say

a few things please do not think that

any of these speed Optimizer plug-in

will solve a website that is built in a

bad way what I mean by that is that

people don't know how to build

efficiently they don't know how to work

with Dynamic content how to work

globally how to work with images they

install way too many plugins and then

they hope that a plug-in like this will

will solve all of their problems that's

not how it works you should really focus

on learning how a website should be

built in a proper way so that this is

just a nice little add-on that will make

it a little bit faster instead of hoping

that it will solve bad development that

being said hosting is also a big factor

many people buy cheap hosting from some

unknown company because they can get a

good deal it's fine but don't expect

their service to be fast if you want a

fast website you should also invest in

hosting because the bigger hosting

companies they have for example CDN

which is multiple servers around the

world and then your website loads from

the place that is the closest to where

you are so that anywhere in the world

your website loads fast smaller hosting

companies don't have that feature and

therefore it's just slower so so I just

wanted to say those things there's a lot

more technicality uh involved with cash

which I am learning right now but I can

tell you one thing if you're hosting

company uses light speed technology then

please use this plugin as your caching

plugin because this is made by that same

company for example hostinger uses light

speed technology so this one is really

good if you're using hostinger but if

you're using S ground well then why not

use their Optimizer they have their own

speed Optimizer which obviously works

better with their servers so again I'm

learning more about cash and as always I

will share everything I know on YouTube

but if you already want to learn how to

build websites in an efficient way so

that your website will stay fast well

then you can check out my course because

that's where I show how to do that there

will be a link in the description and

also a little discount for subscribers

so now a question why do I not use a

image Optimizer plugin anymore and that

is because I do that now outside of

Wordpress that does not mean that an

image Optimizer plugin is bad because

many people simply don't optimize their

images and then they just upload it then

an Optimizer plugin is great but if you

know how to resize and compress from

your computer why use an XR plugin if

you can just upload it in the correct

size and a very small file size to your

WordPress so I want to show you one

thing and that is that there are

websites for example like this one image

too.com where you can just upload an

image or even multiple images like this

these images by the way are way too big

as you can see 5,000 pixels and 1.7

megabyte which is way too much for a

website you can then go in here and then

you can put the quality down which

actually will not destroy the image at

all and then you can also do resizing so

you can say for example I want this

image to be

25% of the height and width it

originally was and the compression will

be applied and then if you convert it

you can now see that this image has

become 100 80 kiloby so we went from 2.6

megab to 1.8 which is 20 times smaller

and look it's still super sharp so so

please just don't drop your big megabyte

images inside of your WordPress use a

website like this this one is really

good I will link it down below this one

is also really nice bulk resides

photos.com both are free to use by the

way great tools and why is there not an

SEO plugin in this list any more that is

another question which I need to tackle

because in the past I did promote rank

MAF SEO and also Yo's SEO which are the

two most popular SEO plugins in

WordPress these both plugins are still

great Yos SEO does a little bit more in

the background but rank MAV offers some

things for free that are paid inside of

yast again both of them are good but I

offer this now as a separate service so

only if my clients request like hey I

want my website to rank high in Google

then how I say okay but I'm going to

charge you extra to optimize your

website for SEO that's why it's not in

my default list anymore but that does

not mean that I don't do SEO for my

websites so I wanted to get that out of

the way now let's tackle the bonus

plugins yeah which I sometimes install

the first one is ACF Advanced custom

Fields the most popular custom Fields

plugin in WordPress which now finally

also offers custom post types in the

past I did use a lot uh of this plugin

custom post type UI which is very

popular it was not that great to be

honest but it did the job uh for free

which was great and then I combined that

with ACF to have custom fuels right now

this whole functionality is built into

ACF so you don't need custom post type

anymore but if you need Pro features

from ACF that's where ACF Pro becomes a

little bit more expensive because right

now they don't have a lifetime anymore

which means that if you want it for

unlimited websites because this is

something you use on a lot of websites

you're going to pay 250 per year they

don't have a lifetime option so

personally I still like to use kroo

block because kroo block has jet engine

which is exactly the same well not

exactly but very similar to ACF Pro and

they offer it for a lot cheaper but they

also do have a lifetime deal if you want

it this package I promoted a lot in the

past I still do this is the price of 3

years of ACF Pro but you have it forever

not only that you get a lot more

products from Croco block as well for

example smart filters which is a

functionality that is great for listing

websites when you're working with

Elementor or jet search I love their

products but for this list I just wanted

to focus on jet engine or ACF sometimes

it happens that I just use ACF and don't

install jet engine that's only when I

know it has has to be really simple like

a title and a description and an image

then I don't need to use a license from

my KOCO block package because the normal

version of ACF is free and jet engine is

not so yeah that's my answer for uh so

yeah that's my answer for custom post

types and custom fields and then the

last one is a customizer plugin for your

WordPress I already showed you that you

can disable some things with the uh

admin and sight enhancement plugin which

is great but if you want to add some

things to your website like a little

look logo in the top over here then I

recommend white label CMS it's not the

best though but it does the job it gives

you some options to add a logo over here

add a logo to your login page so only

install that if you know your client is

going to log to your website and you

want to give them a nice experience but

never add a plugin like this if it's not

needed because you want to keep your

website as clean as possible and that's

kind of like the the theme in this video

then for now I hope that you learned

something and and again if you're

interested in my course all of the

information is in the description okay

thanks guys and see you next time