The Best WordPress Plugins Tried and Tested

Wonderful World of Websites | Website Wonder Woman

A lot of people ask me what the best WordPress plugins are that I use on my websites and on the websites I build. I can understand why. There are so many plugins available; no wonder so many feel so overwhelmed! It can often be a minefield, especially if you are just starting out on your WordPress journey.

So, what is a plugin, and which ones do you need?

A plugin is an add-on to your website that provides extra functionality. WordPress is a very basic setup on which to build your website. To actually get your website to do things, you need plugins. Plugins are usually created by other companies or web developers and can be downloaded and installed on your WordPress site. For example, you may wish to assess the SEO on your website (this is actually a must). You need to add a plugin to do this.

As you can imagine, as a website designer, over the past few years, I have built my own little list of plugins that I use as standard on every site I build. Some were recommended to me, some I learned about through blogs and forums I read, and some were through trial and error. So, here are the best WordPress plugins that the Website Wonder Woman uses. I'll explain what they do and why I think they are the best WordPress plugins to use.

In alphabetical order, we have...

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Cookie Consent by Web Toffee

You must have cookie consent on your website to ensure you comply with EU law. You must inform your visitors that you use cookies on your website (you may not know what they are, but you are using them!) and why. All you need to do to comply with this law is install the Cookie Consent plugin by Web Toffee. The best WordPress plugins should be simple and straightforward, and this one is. It automatically adds the banner and creates a cookie policy for you. Now your website is compliant.

Forminator Forms

OK, so you want people to contact you via your website. You can advertise your email address, but most websites these days have a contact form, which is lovely and easy for your visitors to fill in. I also find it much easier than sending an email, because when a website uses a contact form, it is filled with prompts requesting the information they need to process your enquiry. So, for example, a cake maker may ask you for your contact details, but then they may also have boxes for you to fill in about what you want the cake for and when you need it by.

Therefore, for a contact form plugin, I highly recommend Forminator Forms. I have previously used Contact Form 7 and the Divi contact form module. However, I found that Forminator is easier to customise (so it fits perfectly with your branding). Likewise, it's easier to use than Contact Form 7 and offers more functionality than the Divi contact form. It's also really easy to set up and comes with a few different templates, or you can start from scratch.

Hustle

I use Hustle for pop-ups. The best WordPress plugins, in my humble opinion, should be straightforward to use, and this one most certainly is. If you want a pop-up form encouraging visitors to sign up for a freebie or just an informational pop-up, Hustle does it all!

A computer screen with positive graphs for website traffic for the best WordPress plugins blog

MonsterInsights

One of the best WordPress plugins for tracking your website traffic is MonsterInsights. It will tell you what pages on your website are visited and where your visitors are coming from.

All you need to do is sign up for a free Google Analytics account, install the plugin, and then there will be a 'Set up with Google Analytics' message. You click that and go through their setup, syncing it with your Google Analytics account, instead of copying and pasting the tracking code they ask you to use. You can now see essential Google Analytics data right on your dashboard, without having to visit Google Analytics, amazing!

Really Simple SSL

Out of the best WordPress plugins, this one is essential! An SSL security certificate is 100% essential for your website, otherwise, it's not secure (and many browsers will tell your visitors that). Google is always talking about de-listing websites that are not secure, but what you have to think about is whether or not you would trust a website nowadays that told you that it's not secure. Even if you have an SSL certificate, it may not be showing as active on your website, as it may not be redirecting to the secure version, or you may have insecure images. This plugin takes the hassle out of all that and forces the secure version to load.

Seed Prod Coming Soon

Not ready to launch your website to the world yet? Then, a coming soon page is a great solution, and one of the best WordPress plugins to do that is SeedProd. It's simple to switch on, add a logo or image and a coming soon message and your website is protected behind it - I always recommend not having a coming soon on for too long as visitors (and Google) get a bit complacent when they keep visiting - a bit like if you kept visiting a shop that was always shut. It tends to put people off.

Smush Image Compression

Our websites are full of images, and we want them to look good. But high-quality and large images often slow down our site speed. So Smush Image Compression helps us get that sorted by automatically compressing our images as we upload them, whilst still keeping them beautiful! A speedy website is great for SEO because it reduces your bounce rate.

A computer screen with a backup to clouds showing on it - for the best WordPress plugins blog

Solid WP

Solid WP is a paid-for security and backup plugin that is essential for those who are security-conscious and want to protect their website and data. 30,000 websites are hacked every day, and with this plugin, created by WordPress Security experts, you'll feel safer.

Updraft Plus

Another one of the best WordPress plugins I use is Updraft Plus! Backing up your website is no small matter. In literally seconds, that website you have spent time and money on can disappear, and you won't get it back! It's 100% essential! You know all those photos and files you have stored on your computer; you most likely have them backed up in the cloud or on a memory stick or a hard drive. After all, they are precious to you, and you wouldn't want them to be accidentally deleted or lost if your computer breaks down. It's the same with your website, but there are far more things that could go wrong. Something could break; it's unlikely, but it can. Someone could hack into your site and wipe it - far more common than you would have thought, and these things are random, so don't go sitting there thinking no one would ever find my site that no one visits, your hosting or domain name could expire, ANYTHING!

So basically what you need is Updraft Plus, you sync it with your Dropbox, Google Drive, or other cloud-based storage, set it to back up automatically every week, and hey presto, you're done. It will automatically back up your website to somewhere safe, so if the unthinkable does happen, you have all your files for your website nice and safe. If this list of best WordPress plugins was in order, this would be my number one!

Woocommerce

This plugin is for those of you who want an e-commerce store on your website. In other words, you want to sell things! Link it with PayPal, create a product, and you can be selling on your site within minutes. WooCommerce is a basic free plugin with a lot of add-ons. My advice is to start with the basic plugin, and if there is a feature that it doesn't have, do some research on the best WordPress plugins that will help you do that - or feel free to post in the Facebook Group, and we can help you.

Wordfence

I just spoke about your site getting hacked, and Wordfence is one of the best WordPress plugins that helps prevent that. It alerts you to any suspicious activity on your site, including malware, etc. It scans your site periodically and lets you know if there is a problem. If people are attempting to get in, then Wordfence lets you know.

WP Fastest Cache

We have mentioned site speed, and another variant on how fast your site is is caching. If you see in site speed tests that caching, gzip, minifying, etc., is slowing your site down, then you need WP Fastest Cache. You don't really need to know what they mean; all you need to know is that installing and setting up this plugin will help eliminate those problems and speed your site up.

Yoast SEO or RankMath

SEO - everyone's fascination with websites! Get the SEO right, and the traffic will just appear. Whilst that isn't quite true and a WHOLE different blog post, choosing keywords and using them on your pages is a good start. The best WordPress Plugins to help you with that are Yoast SEO or RankMath. For each page, post, product, you name it, you choose a keyword and enter a description. These plugins then generally guide you through your on-page SEO. Even if you don't fancy wandering into the world of keywords, I would at least set your meta description within Yoast or RankMath, as this is what appears in Google searches and also when you share your posts on Social Media. Also, don't forget to add a featured image on your page down the right-hand side of the page in page edit mode - whilst you are there!

Free Vs Paid in bold writing for the best WordPress plugins blog

The Best WordPress plugins, Free Vs Paid or Pro

Each of the best WordPress plugins mentioned above are free, although some of them do offer paid pro versions. I have never used the pro versions of any of them and am usually able to find a free plugin for just about anything. But sometimes you do have to pay for quality, and if something just isn't available anywhere else. Free plugins are usually basic and do what they say on the tin. If you want more than what they offer, then you will need to pay! But for a website just starting out, the free versions are the way to go.

How Many of The Best WordPress Plugins should I have?

You should generally have as few plugins as possible, because too many plugins, doing too many things on the website, often cause websites to load more slowly. Likewise, it can also cause conflicts.

WordPress doesn't create plugins itself; plugins are created and developed by other companies and individuals. There are millions, if not billions, of plugins out there, and it would be impossible to test them all against each other. Therefore, as a precaution, always back up your website before you install a new plugin or before you update a plugin. Even the best WordPress plugins can cause an error.

If, after installing or updating plugins, you get an Internal 500 error and you can't load your website, it is likely that a conflict occurred. If you remembered to back up your website, you can reload the backed-up version. If, however, you did not, you will need to go through the hosting to turn off all plugins.

So, which plugins should you choose? As a minimum requirement, the best WordPress plugins you should add to your website should be the ones that help you with SSL, cookies, cache, image optimiser, and security. Then add as you need to. However, don't forget to delete any plugins you don't need, and also keep an eye out for ones that do the same things, as this can often cause glitches and slow your site down.

If you need further help, please click the link!

Help ChatGPT find your website a laptop with a megaphone coming out of the screen

I know that sounds ridiculous, but spend a few minutes browsing small-business websites, and you will see why it matters.

For example: A homepage might say: "Helping you achieve your goals." That's great, but what goals? Who are you helping?

A web visitor might work it out from the logo, photographs and navigation. Machines have less tolerance for ambiguity.

Compare that with: " We provide commercial cleaning services to offices, schools and healthcare businesses across South Wales."

Suddenly, there's much less to decipher. Who are you? A commercial cleaning company. What do you do? Clean commercial premises. Who for? Offices, schools, and healthcare businesses. Where? South Wales.

Clear website copy isn't unsophisticated copy. If you want to help ChatGPT find your website, clarity can be a big advantage.

3. Create Proper Pages for Your Main Services

One mistake I regularly see is businesses trying to squeeze everything they offer onto one service page. Imagine a building company offering extensions, loft conversions, kitchen renovations, and garage conversions. Giving each important service its own useful page creates far more context than mentioning all four in a short bullet list.

A strong page can explain:

what the service involves;
who it is suitable for;
common questions customers ask;
the process;
relevant experience;
examples of completed work;
geographical areas covered.

This is not only useful information for potential customers, but also useful for conventional SEO and will help ChatGPT find your website and understand exactly what your business provides.

However, a word of caution. The important word here is useful. Creating 30 near-identical pages simply to target 30 slightly different phrases isn't the answer. Websites are ultimately for people, so create pages because you have something worthwhile to tell them.

4. Answer the Questions Your Customers Really Ask

3d speech bubbles with Q & A in them for Help ChatGPT find your website blog

This is where good blog content becomes particularly valuable and can help ChatGPT find your website.

People often interact with ChatGPT and other AI bots in a conversational way. Rather than searching for something like: "loft conversion Cardiff", they might ask "Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Cardiff?" or "Is my house suitable for a loft conversion?". You get my drift.

Think about the questions customers ask you on the phone, in emails, during quotations, or at meetings. Those questions can become extremely useful website content. And don't limit yourself to just obvious FAQs. Some of the best content comes from the questions that require actual expertise to answer: comparisons, costs, pitfalls, misconceptions, alternatives, and situations where one option is better than another. That is where your knowledge becomes valuable. Put that into blogs, and it will help ChatGPT find your website.

5. Don't Just Say You're an Expert - Demonstrate It

Almost every business website claims some variation of: "We pride ourselves on providing a professional, high-quality service." The problem is that anybody can write it. Evidence is much more persuasive.

If you want to help ChatGPT find your website and understand why your business might be a credible source, then you need to give your website substance.

That could include detailed case studies, named authors with relevant experience, customer reviews, original photographs, accreditations, qualifications, awards, research or data you've produced, and genuinely knowledgeable articles/blogs.

A case study saying: We recently completed this project for a client in Newport", isn't particularly informative. Explain the problem. What did the customer need? What did you recommend? Why? What difficulties arose? How did you solve them? What was the outcome?

That is useful information for humans, and it gives search and AI systems considerably more context about your real-world expertise.

6. Make Your Location Clear

Naturally, this is particularly important for local businesses.

If you are an electrician serving customers across South Wales, make that clear on your website. Your address, service areas, and contact details shouldn't require detective work to find.

Your About and Contact pages can reinforce where you are based, while individual service pages can naturally explain areas you cover. However, avoid creating dozens of thin location pages where the only difference is swapping one town name for another, like "Electrician Newport", "Electrician Cardiff", and "Electrician Cwmbran."

That's not useful content. If a location genuinely warrants its own page, give the reader something specific and worthwhile.

7. Build Your Reputation Beyond Your Own Website

Your website doesn't exist in isolation.

If you claim to be a leading expert in your field but nobody else on the internet appears to know you exist, that's not a particularly convincing signal. Therefore, I want you to think about your wider digital footprint.

Are you listed accurately on relevant professional or industry websites? Have local publications mentioned your business? Do reputable websites link to you? Are there genuine customer reviews? Have you contributed expert comments or guest articles elsewhere?

You see, digital PR, quality guest blogging, and traditional link building still have a place. However, the aim shouldn't be to scatter links across hundreds of low-quality websites to help ChatGPT find your website. On the contrary, it's to build a recognisable business with a credible online presence.

8. Write Content Worth Citing

Graphic woman sat at a computer with pages of content coming out of it

This may be one of the biggest opportunities created by AI search.

If everybody writes a generic article called "10 benefits of X", then there is very little reason for any search or AI system to favour yours above the others. To help ChatGPT find your website, you need to give it something better:

Share your experience.

Explain what customers commonly get wrong.
Compare two approaches and say when you'd choose each one.
Publish original examples.
Answer awkward questions.
Discuss pricing honestly where possible.
Challenge a commonly repeated piece of industry advice if you disagree with it – and explain why.

The internet doesn't desperately need another 800-word blog saying the same thing as the previous 100 ones. What it does need are people who actually know their subject sharing information that isn't available everywhere else. Tricky, yes. Impossible, no.

9. Don't Forget Traditional SEO

As I mentioned right at the beginning of this article, trying to help ChatGPT find your website doesn't mean forgetting Google and other search engines. In fact, as I'm sure you've realised by now, many of the fundamentals overlap.

You still need a technically sound, crawlable website with logical navigation, descriptive page titles, useful headings, strong internal links and well-written pages focused on genuine customer needs. Ultimately, your content should make sense to a person first; I always stress this to my clients. There is little to be gained by contorting every single paragraph into something you imagine AI or search engines want to read.

Cater for your customer. Ensure your website clearly explains who you are, what you do, where you operate, and why you know what you're talking about. That's what they need to know, and by doing that you are already building a much stronger foundation for both traditional and AI-driven searches.

Help ChatGPT Find Your Website - But Write For People

Help ChatGPT find your website a 3d graphic of a person in front of a laptop with books and text

AI is changing how people discover information online, but that doesn't mean websites suddenly need to be written for robots. Quite the opposite. After all, humans, your potential customers, are asking ChatGPT the questions. So, if you want to help ChatGPT find your website, you must make it clear, informative, and more authoritative for the people you're trying to reach.

Follow the guidance listed above. None of it is particularly technical (save point 1); it is simply about making sure you have good website content. The difference is that today, a well-written website isn't only helping a potential customer decide whether to contact you; it may also help ChatGPT find your website and decide whether or not to list it in response to a query, ultimately driving fresh traffic your way.

If you would like help reviewing your website content, or creating quality blogs that appeal to both humans and bots, please do not hesitate to get in touch. My name is Heather, and I'm The Content Creator.

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A bit about the author

Heather founded The Content Creator nearly three years ago, combining her love of writing with a genuine passion for helping small businesses and solopreneurs get seen online. She supports her clients with everything from website copy and SEO to AI search visibility, newsletters and social media, taking the stress out of creating content that not only sounds like them, but helps their business grow.

If you need a helping hand with any of these areas, Heather is your go-to girl! We can speak from experience, too, because she works on our own website, helping us keep up with the ever-changing world of SEO and AI search and making sure our content continues to work hard for our business.

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