5 tips on how to recognize a good WordPress plugin
The selection of WordPress plugins could hardly be larger and new applications are still being added regularly. Often enough you have to decide between numerous plugins for just one feature. But which one is the right one? Before you blindly install one, we’ve put together five tips for separating the wheat from the chaff.
WordPress is based on the building block principle. The basic version of WordPress can be expanded with plugins and widgets so that the CMS can meet your needs without being cluttered with unnecessary applications. Plugins are small programs compatible with WordPress that perform specific tasks. No matter what needs to be done, there is usually at least one suitable plugin in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Or even 200. There are numerous ways to create a WordPress backup with a plugin. Of course, that doesn’t make the choice easy. Five criteria also help IT laypersons to identify a good WordPress plugin in the crowd:
- Plugin Compatibility: If you don’t have it in your head, make sure which WordPress version you are currently using. Compare this version with two entries in the right sidebar of the plugin overview on WordPress. “Requires” tells you which version you need as a minimum, while “Compatible up to” shows you which is the latest supported version. Ideally, this should always be the latest version of WordPress, otherwise there is a high probability that the plugin will no longer be maintained by the developers.
- Plugin Rating: WordPress users have the opportunity to rate the plugins used – not only with asterisks, but also through a comment function. So you can see at a glance whether other users are satisfied with the WordPress plugin, whether there are problems and what they are.
- Plugin Downloads: Word gets around about a good plugin. Therefore, the number of downloads is a good indication of the popularity and functionality of a WordPress plugin. If several hundred thousand or even over a million have actively installed the plugin, it should at least be solid software.
- Plugin updates: Only if a plugin is constantly being further developed will it run reliably at all times and be compatible with the current WordPress update. Not only that, but also in terms of content, it is constantly being improved on the basis of user feedback and innovations from the IT area. So keep an eye out for clues about regular updates, this will help you spot a good WordPress plugin.
- Plugin support: In the Support section you will find an overview of the challenges that other users have had to deal with so far. Here you can use the entries to see at a glance whether the plugin itself works and there are very specific questions, or whether the same error messages appear again and again. With free plugins, users can help each other in the support area and suggest solutions. Many paid premium WordPress plugins, on the other hand, offer customer service. Here you can contact the developers directly and receive professional help within a short time.
With these five tricks you can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff. Of course, it can still be the case that one or the other black sheep sneaks in, but on the whole you should be able to recognize a good WordPress plugin in this way. If you are unsure and want to be guaranteed to make the best possible choice, contact the elancer team! Our WordPress experts will put together the right plugins for you and also take care of the professional installation of the modules or even the development of customized plugins specifically for your needs.
