The right WordPress plugins can make a major difference in your digital marketing process.
There's a huge range of great plugins, which can provide assistance with content strategy, SEO, site security and even Facebook Messenger marketing.
But with more than 29,000 WordpPress plugins available, how do you identify those of most value for your needs?
I've done the work for you - for this post, I've rounded up ten of the best WordPress plugins to add to your website in 2019.
Here they are:
1. MobileMonkey’s WP-Chatbot
Want to connect your business with the 1.3 billion+ users on Facebook Messenger? Then power your site with MobileMonkey's WP-Chatbot.
It works just like a traditional website chat window, where users can chat with a support team member or get answers to questions - but with the added benefit of getting information on every single one of those users.
When a user chats with a MobileMonkey powered site chat, the conversation they're having is being facilitated through Facebook Messenger. That's means every chat bubble conversation will have a history.
More importantly, you can add forms where users can automatically add their information, making it simple for you to gather data on your customers and follow up with them.
2. Yoast SEO
This is one of the best on-page SEO plugins for WordPress sites. Yoast SEO shows how optimize your posts, and provides key recommendations on how you can improve your keyword focus and search ranking for each.
And it's not just your keyword usage - Yoast also analyzes your metadata, and the readability of your content. An essential add-on to improve your search performance.
3. Jetpack
It’s the all-in-one features package for every WordPress site - made by the WordPress team.
Jetpack is a must-have plugin, giving WordPress users numerous powerful features. It covers elements of website security, performance, traffic growth, image optimization, design, etc.
4. Akismet Anti-Spam
This plugin tends to be automatically installed along with WordPress - Akismet is your main safeguard against spam comments on your WordPress site.
It filters out comments that are spammy, with illicit links, inappropriate messages, and similar. You can also see a status history for each comment, so you can know where it's coming from.
If you need more powerful features, there’s also a premium option to consider.
5. WooCommerce
If you’re looking to build an online store, then this is the WordPress plugin you absolutely need.
WooCommerce is the No. 1 plugin for eCommerce in WordPress. You can install it and easily set it up to add product listings and a shopping cart in your website.
It also has features for providing multiple options in shipping, payment methods, etc. There is also an online community of WooCommerce users worldwide that you can interact with.
6. Wordfence Security
Website security is something most people take for granted - until they get hacked.
This WordPress plugin guards against hacking with real-time monitoring and protection. It also has firewall protection, malware scan, blocking, login security, and many other features.
Wordfence also logs real-time activities on your website, so you can always keep an eye on things.
7. Google XML Sitemaps
Setting up Google XML sitemaps and getting them just right can be tedious - this plugin create your XML sitemap for you and ensures your website will be indexed by all the major search engines.
Save time and effort in your website’s SEO initial setup with this plugin.
8. WPForms
If you need to add forms in posts and pages, nothing comes close to WPForms.
It’s the most beginner-friendly plugin for building forms in WordPress - WPForms has a drag-and-drop interface which enables you to create a contact form quickly and easily.
The plugin also has a lite version that you can try out, and keep using for free if it satisfies your needs.
If you want more features, you can upgrade to the pro version - the paid version lets you collect payments, conduct surveys, take job applications, and so on.
9. MonsterInsights
This plugin makes your Google Analytics visible through your WordPress dashboard.
It's quick and easy to connect Google Analytics, and once it's set up, it's so convenient to see your data within Wordpress.
There's a 100% free lite version, as well as a pro version with more robust metrics for publisher and eCommerce sites.
10. Redirection
There may be times where you have to change the permalinks of your posts or page - but every now and then, you'll likely forget to redirect them, since that process can get pretty tedious.
This aptly-named plugin lets you manage all the 301 redirects and 404 errors in your site. You can then redirect all those faulty URLs and have full logs of all the redirects.
This plugin is especially useful when you make big changes to your WordPress site.
These plugins will make your life easier when managing a WordPress site, and will enable you to boost your site performance in a range of key areas.
Hopefully they'll help you improve your site standing in 2019.
A version of this post was first published on the Inc.com.