What Beginners Need To Know About Website Plugins
When picking website plugins, it can be challenging where to start. There are so many options out there, and they all promise different things. In this guide, we will cover some of the critical things you should keep in mind when deciding which plugin to use for your business needs.
Website Plug-Ins: What They Are
Let's start with the basics. What are plugins? They're just bits of a website that provide additional functionality or options. Some can be straightforward, like an analytics plugin that tracks traffic to your site and tells you how popular it is. They can also refer to more advanced ones where people buy products on your site without you having to be there.
There are thousands of plugins available, and the plugin you choose must be suitable for your needs. For example, suppose someone wants a calendar on their website. In that case, they might want one with event management functionality or integration with Google Calendar. That's because not all calendars have those features built-in – they need to be added on.
How To Choose The Right Plug-Ins For Your Website
Here are some tips to help you choose the right plugins for your website:
1. Know Your Business
When choosing a plugin, you always need to start looking at the nature of your business. For example, suppose you are a law firm that works with immigration cases and is looking for a website plugin to help make your work easier. In that case, something like “Immigration Website Plugin” might be what you're looking for.
2. Identify Your Website's Role In Your Business' Overall Marketing Strategies
What is the role of your website? Is it going to be integrated with your social media account? Is it going to be linked to a Youtube Channel? Will it be a way to generate leads?
Knowing the answers to these questions can help you decide on the plugin you need for your website. Therefore, you may consider a plugin that includes features like contact forms, e-commerce functionality, or social media integration to resolve these questions.
3. Know Your Platform
Which platform are you using for your website? Is it WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal?
Knowing this information can also help you identify the plugin that is compatible with it. For example, if you are using WordPress, your plugin options will be different from running Joomla. This step is effortless, but it’s usually an overlooked aspect, particularly if you’re a beginner!
4. Paid Vs. Free Plug-Ins
Do you need a free or premium plugin?
The free version of a plugin may not offer everything you need. Thus, some may suggest that investing in a plugin can save you time and money by speeding up the process of future updates to your website. However, it can be hard to know whether the paid version will work better or worse for your company's needs.
Therefore, the best way to find out if a particular plugin is worth investing in is by reading reviews from other users. It is also important to note that choosing website plugins is an ongoing process that never ends.
5. Research If Support Is Available
Sometimes, even the best plug-ins experience bugs or confuse you on how they work. Thus, having a developer support community can be a great way to know that you won't always be alone in figuring out how to use or troubleshoot them.
Before taking a step further, asking yourself these questions can help you decide if a plug-in is worth relying on or not.
- How frequently are the features and functionality of this plugin updated? Does it support future versions of your website?
- Is there a developer community or forum that you can rely on when something goes wrong with your site?
Last Tip
Don't forget that plugins are not a one-size-fits-all solution! You may need to use more than one plugin for your business needs.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to narrow down your plugin options, it is time to dive into the plugins themselves. Hopefully, this information can make it easier for you to choose which are best for your needs.
