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Have you ever just wished your website had that one feature that could make your life that much easier? Whether you’re a massage therapist looking for payment recording features, or wanting to keep track of contact information for sales on products in case of item recalls. No matter what you’re looking for, chances are there’s a plugin for that!

WordPress is a world-wide, online, open source website creation tool. Because it is open source, it means anyone can create themes and plugins for it. Plugins are these amazing add-ons that plug in to your existing WordPress site. These plugins can be anything from SEO tools, to specialized image galleries, to product management systems, even sales conversions tools.

If you need it, chances are someone else did too and there should be a plugin for that!

Free vs. Premium Plugins

In the world of plugins, like most everything else, there are free and paid versions. The free versions typically include the basics of the plugin, minus some nice features like customization and branding. The premium versions are typically everything you could want right out of the box for a cost.

Plugins range in price depending on their complexity, available support and required features. Most have the option to buy outright, or pay monthly.

Some of the BEST WordPress Plugins

There are some really amazing plugins out there right now. The ones I’m currently loving are:

Akismet
Jetpack
WP Smush
Wordfence
YOAST SEO

These are my essential bundles that I install on every website I develop. Then I leave room for customizing options specific to the client’s wants & needs.

Some premium plugins that I enjoy are:

NextGen Pro Image Gallery
Wordfence Pro
Events Calendar Pro
WooCommerce Premium Extensions (PayPal, etc.)
Give Premium

The Downside to so Many Plugins?

The only downside to there being so many plugins, is that there are so many to filter through when you’re looking for your dream one. That’s why I am constantly reviewing plugins in a wide range of functionalities so I can find THE BEST ONES.

What’s that one feature that would make your life easier and more efficient?

I invite you to get in touch by telephone or email, or connect through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You can also sign up for our exclusive monthly newsletter for more great tips on social media marketing, SEO and websites!

Deanna

If you’re asking this question, than I applaud you for trying to understand the difference between the two online marketing tools. Each online strategy serves a different purpose in your online marketing campaign.

Pros and Cons of a Website

Pros:

A website contains all the facts of your business. The main menu provides easy and quick access.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Each page of a website has keywords which, when formatted properly, increase your SEO and your ranking on major search engines like Google and Bing, making it easier for people to find you online.

Cons:

A website is cold. As much as it may look nice, it doesn’t really have a personality; just the cold hard facts.
While it’s good to keep it updated, you simply can’t change the basic facts that often.

Pros and Cons of Social Media

Pros:

Let your personality shine! A proper social media presence builds a rapport with fans and followers, and lets shows the warmth of the business.
You can post as much as your heart desires! You can send out a range of posts from Community involvement, to inspirational/humorous quotes, and pictures of the daily goings-on at your business.

Cons:

Events and Information gets lost in the chronologically ordered timeline. Potential customers won’t spend hours, even minutes, scrolling through to try to find out if you’re open on the Holiday Monday. A website has that information more readily accessible.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) doesn’t really apply to social media streams. Having these accounts active minimally impacts your SEO. The only real way to increase SEO organically is through a properly formatted website and blogging.

What is better?

Having both an active social media presence and an up-to-date website representing your business is the best online marketing strategy. The two work hand in hand to help you get found online, interact with fans and followers and provide the information necessary for those potential customers to reach you.

As a social media marketing specialist, I highly recommend you keep both your website and social media as updated as possible. There are many ways to streamline content from one to the other. I would love to discuss the options that will have the best return on investment for your business.

If you are looking for help building your online presence and awareness through social media marketing, I invite you to contact me by telephone or email, or through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. I look forward to helping you help our community!

Until next time,

Deanna