How to Install the Best WordPress Plugins in a Snap

WordPress is the world’s #2 content management system (CMS), probably even the #1 when it comes to self-hosted platforms, and it’s been around for ages. Over the years, it’s evolved from being a simple blogging platform to a complete publishing solution with thousands of themes and plugins available for it. This makes it a great choice for any type of website – even if you’re new to web design or blogging.

WordPress is also very popular because it’s extremely simple to use. Even people who have zero tech experience can figure out how to use it and start publishing in no time at all.

This ease of use and the number of features available for it make it the perfect choice for beginners who are looking to install a WordPress website but don’t have the time to figure out all the settings on their own. This definitely makes WordPress the best choice for SEO as well because of all the nifty little tools that can be used to make your content rank higher in the search engines.

The Simplicity of WordPress Themes and Plugins

WordPress themes and plugins are pretty self-explanatory. A theme is what provides the layout for your site and its appearance, while a plugin is what allows you to add additional functionality to your site. You can find thousands of free and premium WordPress themes and plugins available for download from the official WordPress theme and plugin galleries.

The great thing about themes and plugins for WordPress is that they’re incredibly easy to use and configure. When you install a new WordPress website, you’re usually given the option to choose a theme or a plugin to implement onto your site. Once you make your selection, you can click the Install button to start the process.

By default, WordPress will try to install the theme and plugin it thinks you’ll find most useful. If you have a specific need or want a certain theme or plugin to be installed, you can click the Change button to select another option. This is a great way to ensure you get the exact theme and plugin you want without any hassles. You can also click the Install button to install a theme or plugin that wasn’t selected yet.

WordPress themes and plugins are much more complicated to install in comparison to basic CMS templates. This is because of all the options available and the number of pre-requisites needed. When you’re selecting a theme or a plugin to install, make sure you have all the necessary pre-requisites before clicking the Install button. Some of the things you might need are:

  • A working knowledge of HTML and CSS
  • A reasonably fast web server (e.g., WordPress runs perfectly on Apache but can also be used with the LAMP stack)
  • Some form of database (e.g., you could use WordPress with mySQL, but it also works with MongoDB very well)
  • A plugin to use with your CMS (e.g., for WordPress, the best plugin is called All in One SEO Pack)
  • A theme that supports the plugins you’re using (e.g., for WordPress, you want to use the Themeforest theme)

Once you have all of that taken care of, you can click the Install button and watch the magic happen. From there on out, you can simply follow the on-screen instructions to get started using the new WordPress site you’ve just created.

Why Should You Use WordPress for Your New Site?

The short answer is: because WordPress is the best!

It really is amazing how far WordPress has come from just being a blogging platform to something that can easily be used to launch an entire website. When you compare it to other content management systems such as Joomla! or Drupal, you’ll immediately see the dramatic difference in functionality and ease of use. Even when you factor in the cost of a license (which is usually somewhere around $20/year), it’s still a pretty affordable option.

If you decide that you’d like to install WordPress on your new website, the first thing you should do is try to choose a theme that suits your needs. When it comes to choosing a theme for your site, you have a few major options:

  • Free themes (e.g., Bootstrap, Lekos)
  • Premium themes (e.g., Studio, Pied Piper)
  • Responsive themes (e.g., Remarketing, Rockettheme)
  • Hybrid themes (e.g., Gutenberg, Elementor)
  • Custom themes (e.g., FancyTheme, Xtra)

As you can see, there are literally hundreds of WordPress themes to choose from. This makes it easier to find the one that suits your needs. Even if you have a clear idea of what you want, it’s still hard to find that perfect theme that does just what you want it to do. Trying to find a theme that can do everything you want is like asking for a Unicorn.

Luckily, you don’t have to. There are hundreds of plugins that can be used with WordPress to further enhance its already incredible functionality. Some of the most popular plugins for WordPress are: