One of the best reasons to use a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress is the ability to add to it as you go along, and as you build and grow your business.
WordPress plugins make the platform a big favourite and is one of the major factors in making WordPress a global choice for around 32% of businesses of all sizes and types.

Wait! What is a plugin?
A plugin is a piece of software containing a set of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites like SEO, ecommerce or security for example.

OK, carry on …

But with plugins come a few warnings – sorry to get all serious.
Plugins can bring problems as well as benefits. Plugins can help hackers, upset your visitors, and cost you money.

But let’s start with the positives.

Plugins save you a ton of time and money
One of the greatest benefits of WordPress plugins is the ability to make your site do and run whatever you like. From payments to downloads and cool sliders and pop-ups, plugins give you the power to customise your site from a simple off-the-shelf theme into a bespoke website that does exactly what you want it to do.

Unless you’re an experienced website developer you’re not going to be able to create the best user experience without some help and guidance. But if you want to update, amend, or add a new feature to your site then plugins are the simplest way to do it.

Plugins help you create a great website and empower you to go your own way without having to employ someone … If you choose the right ones and know how to use them among other variables that help maximise your online presence.

Go premium on your WordPress plugins to get support
Many of the plugins you’ll come across will be free. Now, here’s a warning about plugins. As in any business transaction, you get what you pay for and if you pay nothing, you’ll most likely get nothing. Or not very much.

Most of the time, free plugins might work reasonably well, and you’ll be alright. But what if one day your site goes down and you work out it’s a plugin issue? Do you think you’ll get the same level of support that the paid users get? Nope.

Premium plugins get more support for your buck and we always recommend that you go the extra mile here. Who wants to risk your site being down for days or weeks with nowhere for you to turn to?

Premium WordPress plugins come with added trust
Trust is vital. If you’re going to add a chunk of website code to your beloved website, you need to trust the person who built it, don’t you? When you add a plugin to your website you’re adding code, and that code can affect it negatively as well as positively.

Going premium can, (but not always), ensure that you get a better piece of web development rather than a have-a-go-hero-coder (they’re out there, you know!).

Although due diligence is still needed, plugins purchased from reputable sources can be trusted and are less likely to upset your site and cause you issues in the future. Also the guys and girls who get paid are more likely to build good plugins as they have paying customers to keep happy.

Premium WordPress plugins have cleaner code
Anyone can code. Well OK, not anyone, but on the open source market you’d think so.

Some of the free plugins are a little questionable and the code can be an issue for your site. Again, from a reliable source you can be happy the plugin code would comply with required practices and therefore help your site rather than hinder it. You don’t want it to slow your speed down so that users won’t stay around to look, do you?

A plugin needs to work with your site not against it. You’ll want your plugins to be updated to fix bugs and hacks. And it needs to work with the most up-to-date WordPress theme as you’ll be updating that each time it comes out. (You will, won’t you? Here’s why you should).

Premium plugins will most likely have people working to improve them and will issue new versions frequently. This is a huge benefit and a good way to keep your site safe. Clean and up-to-date code is imperative if you want a good, solid, fast, and reliable site.

Don’t be cheap – be premium!
We’re not saying that all free plugins are an issue or that you’ll experience problems, but we do believe that with premium themes and plugins you get what you pay for.

Support, trust, and clean code are really important to your website and we think your website is important enough to care about that. Right? Check the plugin’s reviews and number of downloads for some sensible due diligence.

If you do need help with choosing the right plugins for your website then feel free to get in touch.

 
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