for new plugins coming into the ecosystem, often your safest bet is to use well established plugins. Active New attacks enter the digital world every week. For this reason you should choose a plugin that is updated on the regular to help keep pace. Transparent Pay attention to developer patch notes. A good plugin developer should be transparent when it comes to the changes for a new release.
and do they have a history of positive client references? 2. If their plugin is in the WordPress plugin directory, check their reviews and download count. 3. Search the top WordPress news sites and see if there has been regular and recent coverage of the developer and the plugin. Being Secure
they have regular blog post updates and news releases about their plugin? 2. If their plugin is in the WordPress plugin directory, do they have a history of updating every 4-8 weeks? 3. Does their plugin work with the most current version of WordPress? Being Secure
specific changes with their new releases and/or provide a link to their github? 2. If their plugin is in the WordPress plugin directory, check their reviews, download count. 3. Search the top WordPress news sites and see if there has been regular and recent coverage of the developer and the plugin. Being Secure
too many plugins or unused plugins installed. Get rid of those plugins that are not used or barely used. Choose The Best Do your research to ensure you are using industry leading plugins. They aren’t always perfect, but generally are very good. Test Your Site You don’t have to be a developer to do your own basic site checks. Using tools like the P3 plugin can help you identify issues with your installed plugins.
needed. You can always download and reinstall them at a later date if needed. 2. Ask yourself if you REALLY need all of your plugins. If the answer is yes, that’s fine, but ask yourself this on a regular basis. Be ruthless. Being Performant
often, but not always could be better off going with a plugin that has been around for a while, from an established respected developer. 2. A plugin doesn’t have to be old to be a top tier plugin. Without a long version history you just need to do a bit more digging to get an idea of its quality. Has the developer created any other plugins? Being Performant
it often and get a feel for its perceived performance. Do this particularly before and after you install a new plugin. 2. Use tools to help get a better understanding of your site performance. Tools like the Google PageSpeed Insights and the P3 (Performance Profiler) plugin. Being Performant
plugin from 3 years ago, there is a good chance that a new plugin is out there doing the same function (May Be better than your current plugin) Site Needs Change New attacks enter the digital world every week. For this reason you should choose a plugin that is updated on the regular to help keep pace.
keeping your finger on the pulse of the world of plugins doesn’t have to be hard. 2. News sites like http://torquemag.io/ and https://poststatus.com/ (and many, many others) provide excellent news about the world of WordPress and plugins. 3. Podcasts like, WordPress Plugins A-Z and many others are another great way of staying on top of what is new. Being Functional
of your site changes, changing plugins to make sure you only have those targeted for your needed function is important. 2. Sometimes despite wanting to use a plugin, if it has a history of security or performance issues, you are better off not using it. Being Functional
of just installing the first plugin that we find, but you put hard work into building your site. Take the time to do some due diligence by at least completing our steps above: ∎ Check Security ∎ Check Performance ∎ Stay current on what is available