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I’ve been exploring various plugins for my WordPress website.

As a new blogger, I’m still learning the ropes, but I believe that sharing my experience could assist others who are also starting out.

Each plugin I use has a unique purpose that makes my blogging journey more efficient and enjoyable.

In this article, I’ll take you through my go-to plugins, such as those that enhance functionality, improve user engagement, and assist with affiliate marketing.

Whether you’re looking to boost your site’s performance or optimize your content for search engines, there’s something here that could help you on your blogging path.

Key Takeaways

• These plugins can enhance your blogging experience significantly.
• User engagement is improved with the right tools.
• Choosing the right plugins can help you grow your audience effectively.

Plugin Overview

I want to share the plugins I use on my WordPress website. As a new blogger, I’ve found these tools really helpful. Here’s what I’ve got going on:

• 17th Avenue Post Slider: This one helps me show different blog posts on my site with a nice slider. It’s small but very effective, especially since I use the Amelia theme from 17th Avenue.
• Ads Text Manager: If you’re running ads, you need this to add your ad scripts properly.
• All-in-One SEO: I mostly use this to connect my Pinterest to my website. It makes it easy to showcase my content on Pinterest.
• Genesis Blocks: This is specific to my theme. I also use Genesis E-News Extended for my email opt-in, which has helped grow my email list significantly.
• MonsterInsights: While I don’t find this essential since Google Analytics works well, I like the layout it offers for data tracking.
• Grow: I think this is important. It adds social sharing icons to my site and is necessary if I want to apply for media opportunities.
• Insert Blocks Before and After Post Content: This is key for adding affiliate links and disclaimers without being too pushy. It helped me grow my email list from 4,000 to over 10,000 subscribers.
• Lasso Light: Great for Amazon Affiliates, this plugin uses Amazon’s API to display product links beautifully on my site. It shows updated prices and includes images, making everything look professional.
• Ninja Forms: I use this for a popular blog post that allows visitors to share their experiences with certain companies. It’s useful for getting feedback.
• WooCommerce: I had a tough time with WooCommerce. I recommend using Gumroad instead, as it performs better without many of the issues WooCommerce has.
• Pretty Links: This plugin helps me manage my affiliate links by making them look nicer. Instead of long, ugly links, I can create pretty ones that are easy to share.
• Redirection: This tool helps me manage broken links and redirects. I can easily fix any 404 errors that pop up.

These plugins have played a big role in streamlining my blogging process and making my site more user-friendly. If you’re just starting out, you might find these helpful too!

17th Avenue Integration

17th Avenue Post Slider

I use the 17th Avenue Post Slider plugin on my website. This handy tool creates a slider that showcases different blog posts, making it easy for viewers to navigate through my content. It fits perfectly with my theme and enhances the overall look of my site. If you’re looking to add a similar feature, I recommend giving it a try!

Amelia Theme by 17th Avenue

My website is built on the Amelia theme by 17th Avenue. This theme offers a beautiful design and a user-friendly experience. I really like how it brings a modern touch to my blog. If you’re interested in pretty themes, I’ll link to it below so you can check it out!

SEO Tools for Websites

All-in-One SEO for Pinterest Connection

I use the All-in-One SEO plugin mainly to link my website with Pinterest. It helps me showcase pins from my blog and allows readers to save my posts easily. Connecting my blog to Pinterest this way has streamlined my process. It’s a simple yet effective tool for anyone looking to integrate their blog with Pinterest.

Theme-Specific Plugins

Genesis Blocks

I use Genesis Blocks on my website to enhance my theme’s capabilities. This plugin helps me create custom layouts and add various blocks to my posts or pages easily. It’s very user-friendly, which is nice for someone like me who is still learning.

Genesis E News Extended

The Genesis E News Extended plugin is great for capturing emails. I set it up to work as an opt-in tool on my site, allowing visitors to join my email list. It integrates smoothly with my theme and makes it easy for readers to sign up without feeling overwhelmed.

Genesis Featured Page

I also have Genesis Featured Page installed. This one allows me to showcase specific content prominently on my site. It helps draw attention to certain blog posts or pages, making it easy for my visitors to find what I want to highlight. It’s a simple yet effective way to keep my important content front and centre.

Performance & Analytics

Monster Insights for Easy Analytics

I find Monster Insights handy for checking my website’s performance. Even though Google Analytics works well, I prefer the layout of Monster Insights. It is user-friendly and provides a clear view of my data. If it were to slow down my website, I might think about removing it, but for now, it’s useful.

This plugin is especially great for new bloggers. It helps me see how my site is doing without needing to dive deep into complicated stats. The dashboard shows important metrics right away, keeping things simple and straightforward.

Using Monster Insights has helped me stay on top of my website’s analytics. It’s always nice to keep track of my progress easily!

Grow Social Plugin for Audience Engagement

I use the Grow plugin because it really boosts engagement on my site. It shows social media icons at the bottom corner, making it easy for visitors to save content and connect with my social channels. This is a must-have for anyone looking to improve their audience interaction.

Another plugin that has helped me a lot is the Insert Blocks Before and After Post Content. This one is vital if you have affiliate links. It allows me to add disclaimers, such as stating that I earn a small commission if someone makes a purchase. I always include a link to my privacy policy to keep things transparent. Since I started using it, I’ve seen my email list grow from around 4,000 to over 10,000 subscribers!

The Lasso Light plugin is also fantastic for managing Amazon affiliate links. With this plugin, I can incorporate affiliate products seamlessly using Amazon’s API. This plugin makes it look professional, showing updated prices and images, along with a “buy now” button. It’s more visually appealing than just plain hyperlink text.

Lastly, I like using Pretty Links. This plugin helps me create neat links for my affiliate offers. Instead of sharing messy URLs, I can turn them into simple, memorable links. For example, I could change a long affiliate link for Pinterest into a tidy link, making it easier to share.

Content Management

Insert Blocks Before and After Post Content

I find the plugin that allows me to insert blocks before and after my post content to be very useful, especially for managing affiliate links. With this tool, I can easily add important disclaimers about affiliate links to my posts.

For example, I have a message that explains I earn a small commission without any extra cost to my readers. I also link to my privacy policy, which is important for transparency. This setup helps me inform my audience while being straightforward.

Additionally, I use this space to promote my lead magnet. Placing it at the top of each post allows visitors to opt in without intrusive popups. Since implementing this, I’ve seen significant growth in my email list, jumping from about 4,000 to over 10,000 subscribers. This passive approach really adds value without being too pushy.

Affiliate Marketing

Lasso Light for Amazon Affiliates

I find Lasso Light to be a fantastic tool for anyone looking to work with Amazon Affiliates. It connects easily to Amazon’s API, which makes adding affiliate links a breeze. I can just grab my affiliate link from Amazon using the SiteStripe tool and input it into Lasso. Once I do that, it automatically updates the price and displays the product nicely on my site.

With this plugin, instead of just plain text links, I can show an image of the product along with a “Buy Now” button. The display also includes important info like when the price was last updated. This setup is much more visually appealing and engaging for visitors.

Pretty Links for Clean Affiliate URLs

Pretty Links is another plugin that I’ve talked about several times because it’s so useful. It allows me to create neat and tidy URLs for my affiliate links. Instead of long and complicated links, I can make my affiliate links look more presentable.

For example, instead of a messy link to my affiliate for Pinterest, I can create a short link like “save Pinterest.” It makes my posts look cleaner and more professional. I really recommend using Pretty Links for anyone managing affiliate marketing, as it significantly improves the appearance of links on my site.

User Interaction Improvement

Ninja Forms for User Submissions

I use the Ninja Forms plugin for a specific blog post that attracts a lot of visitors. This post is about remote companies that may not be legitimate. The form allows readers to share their experiences and add names of companies they’ve encountered. It helps me update the information in real-time, making my content more interactive.

I like how Ninja Forms makes it easy to gather feedback and suggestions directly from my audience. Even though I worry it might slow down my site, keeping this feature is important for engaging with my readers. It’s a simple way for people to connect and contribute to the conversation.

E-Commerce and Product Sales

Gumroad as a WooCommerce Alternative

When it comes to selling products online, I found that Gumroad is a much better choice than WooCommerce. I had tried WooCommerce when I first started my blog, and I ran into many issues. It slowed down my website and created errors that were hard to fix.

Gumroad, on the other hand, is simple to use. There are no listing fees; they just take a small percentage when I make a sale. This makes it a great option for new bloggers who want to sell products without the hassle.

If you’re considering e-commerce options for your blog, I highly recommend trying Gumroad instead of WooCommerce. It’s user-friendly and has made selling my products much easier and more efficient.

URL and Redirect Management

Redirects for Tracking and Managing Links

I find using a good plugin for managing redirects really helpful for my website. One that I really like is the Redirection plugin.

It helps me keep track of 404 errors. I discovered it was easy to manage redirects when I had to remove a category from my site. Instead of worrying about broken links, I just set up redirections to direct visitors to the right pages.

To set it up, I go to the tools section and click on “Redirection.” From there, I can add new redirects by entering the old URL and the new one.

It’s simple and saves me a lot of hassle when organizing my site.

This way, I can ensure that my visitors always find the content they’re looking for, even if I make changes to my site. It really improves user experience, and I recommend it for anyone managing a WordPress site.