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When it comes to WordPress plugins, the sheer number of plugins available can be overwhelming. How do you know which ones are worth it? After years of building high-performance websites, I’ve narrowed down my go-to list of essential plugins that I use on every site I build. Whether you’re new to WordPress or a seasoned developer, these plugins are must-haves for 2024.
1. Advanced Custom Fields Pro (ACF Pro)
If you’re looking to make your WordPress content dynamic and flexible, Advanced Custom Fields Pro (ACF Pro) is a game-changer. This plugin allows you to add custom fields to your WordPress edit screens without writing extensive code. For example, if you’re building a website for a dog grooming business, ACF Pro makes it easy to create a custom post type for services. Here’s how it works:
You simply create a new post type, give it a name (like “services”), and voila! You now have a custom post type that’s distinct from regular blog posts. With ACF Pro, you can also create custom fields for price, descriptions, or any other details you need. This makes managing dynamic content a breeze and ensures your site is structured properly for SEO.
2. Automatic CSS (ACSS)
Keeping your site’s design consistent and responsive across all pages can be a hassle, but Automatic CSS (ACSS) eliminates that headache. ACSS is a CSS framework that makes styling your site incredibly simple. You can change entire color schemes, typography, and spacing in just a few clicks, without having to fiddle with individual settings for each element.
Whether you’re building a small business website or a large-scale eCommerce site, Automatic CSS will save you time while keeping your design polished and professional. Plus, no more worrying about responsiveness—ACSS takes care of it for you.
3. Bricks Ultimate
Bricks Ultimate is an add-on plugin for Bricks Builder that I use specifically to style Gravity Forms, my go-to form builder. While Bricks has its own built-in form builder, Gravity Forms offers much better management and flexibility, especially if you’re handling multiple forms across different pages.
What Bricks Ultimate does is allow you to easily style your Gravity Forms so they look cohesive with your site’s overall design. Whether it’s a simple contact form or a complex multi-step form, Bricks Ultimate makes it look clean and professional.
4. Code Snippets
If you’re a developer or a website designer looking to add custom functionality to your WordPress site, Code Snippets is a must-have. Instead of manually editing your functions.php file, Code Snippets allows you to quickly and easily add custom code snippets directly from your WordPress dashboard. You can turn them on or off with a click, making it easy to test new functionality without affecting your live site.
Once your site is ready for launch, you can move your snippets into your theme files for optimal performance. It’s a time-saving tool that keeps your workflow efficient during development.
5. Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is hands down the best form builder for WordPress. Whether you’re building simple contact forms or complex registration forms with conditional logic, Gravity Forms has you covered. The integration with Google reCAPTCHA V3 and honeypot fields ensures that your forms remain spam-free, making it an essential tool for every site I build.
One of the key features of Gravity Forms is that it keeps all your forms in one easy-to-manage place. You can reuse forms across multiple pages and make changes in one location, which saves you time and effort compared to other form builders.
6. RankMath SEO
When it comes to SEO, RankMath is the plugin of choice. While Yoast SEO has been around for years, I switched to RankMath Pro and have seen better results with less effort. RankMath helps optimize your site for search engines by handling things like meta tags, sitemaps, and Google Analytics integration—all from within the WordPress dashboard.
One of the standout features is its ability to improve rich snippets for WooCommerce stores. It helps Google display star ratings for your products right in the search results, which can drive more traffic to your site.
7. Reviews Feed Pro
Reviews Feed Pro is perfect for integrating Google My Business reviews into your site. This plugin pulls in reviews from Google, automatically updating them on your site to build trust and engagement with visitors. It’s especially useful for eCommerce and service-based businesses that rely on customer feedback.
The plugin also supports a “social wall” feature, which allows you to combine feeds from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube into one cohesive display. This keeps your site dynamic and engaging, with all your latest social media activity in one place.
8. WP Grid Builder
If you’re managing a WooCommerce store or any site with a lot of content, WP Grid Builder is a lifesaver. It allows visitors to filter content on your site, such as shop products or custom post types. Unlike Bricks Builder’s built-in filtering options, WP Grid Builder adds query variables to the URL, making it easy to share filtered results with clients or customers.
WP Grid Builder works exceptionally well for larger stores with thousands of SKUs, as it uses an index to keep things fast and efficient. If your store has a lot of products, this plugin will ensure that your site remains fast and responsive.
Final Tip: Create a Consistent Style Guide for Your Website
Before we wrap up, here’s a pro tip: creating a style guide can help ensure consistency across all your website’s pages. I use Advanced Custom Fields to create a configuration page where clients can upload their logo and colors. This allows me to quickly preview what their site will look like with their branding applied, and share a link with them to get feedback before the site is live.
By having a consistent design from the start, you’ll save time down the road and deliver a cohesive user experience. Plus, your clients will appreciate being involved in the design process.