Why I use WordPress?
The main reason for implementing WordPress is to give freedom to clients!
In addition, itâs very easy to customize it in order to match GOnnected customerâs needs. Last but not least, it doesn’t require no technical skills to write a post, update your content including added images.
How to launch your website with WordPress?
First of all, you need a product, service, a business or at least a theme, a subject you would love to talk about (podcast/video), write about.
Then, define your project name by buying a domain name (see list of domain name website) and a server in order to implement your WordPress.
Last part, go to WordPress.org to download the latest version of WordPress and install it on your server. Here is a great video explaining how you can install WordPress in 10 min.
Which WordPress plugin?
GOnnected can help you out for free in this step to implement WordPress so donât hesitate to contact us.
There are thousands and thousands of plugin available on the World Wide Web and itâs sometimes difficult to know which one to start with. Hereafter is a list of the first 10 WordPress plugin I always install when I start to develop a project.
1. Under-Construction
Under-Construction
That’s always the first plugin I install because, from the first minute, we start doing something. You have your domain name, your server and it’s time to showcase a decent page to your future users, customers or prospect. You have different templates free or paid but I can’t help thinking that the free template is enough for a decent launch.
Don’t forget to set-up your social media account/links/content and add an email form to start collecting information about your up-coming target.
2. Smush
Smush!
It’s an easy extension that helps you resize, optimize and compress all of the images manually with the free version (by the bulk of 50) or automatically if you pay for the pro-version. The aim is to provide a speed page loading for your visitors! Here is the link or you can look directly on GOnnected.
3. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO!
Must-have plugin with the free version is good enough for beginners and advanced SEO-expert. This extension adds on all your pages and posts a space to enter and customize your meta-title, meta-description, meta-keywords and also adding your right snippets to be properly rank on search engines such as google, bing network, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Qwant and much more… In addition, it provides a score using tricolor traffic light to orientate you to improve not only your « metas » but also your create your XML-sitemaps (to be implemented in google search console)
More information about Yoast SEO on their website or directly on GOnnected.
4. Cookiebot
CookieBot!
Another free WordPress plugin to be compliant with European law to protect people and data called GDPR. It’s a 2-steps installation because you need to add the plugin on your website (WordPress) and then you have to go to Cookiebot website to create an account, redeem an account number and copy/past it inside the plugin. After, you can customize your appearance if you wish to put the banner on the top, left or bottom of your HomePage. Also, you can define the text to be shown/followed within the guideline of the GDPR.
More information about CookieBot on their website or directly on GOnnected.
5. Insert Headers and footers
Insert Headers and Footers!
Maybe you are surprised why I rank this plugin so high on my list? It’s because it is much needed to implement third-party tools to track your visitors, users on your website. For example, you might need to add Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager tags in your header before the <body>. Very useful WordPress plugin.
More information about Insert Headers and Footers on their website or directly on GOnnected.
6. Google Analytics Dashboard
Google Analytics Dashboard
From Day One, you need to track your visitor’s behaviors to improve your website or your mobile version. For example, you can track the following info :
1. Bounce rate page; take your highest rate and start working on it. If the page is above 50%, then you must re-work it from scratch
2. Tablet, Mobile or Desktop; optimize your website for the right format!
3. Page depth; how many pages and times your visitors are seeing.
More information about Google Analytics Dashboard on their website or directly on GOnnected.
7. Collect.chat
Collect.chat
Amaziiiiiiing a FREE chatbot! I strongly recommend that you add a chat in 2020 because it’s cool, trendy and visitors love it! They don’t want to pick up the phone and call your happiness center, they want to chat with you on the go, on their mobile phone.
The installation is straight forward:
1. You download the plugin
2. You provide your account number
3. Your customize your chat on the website: https://collect.chat
4. Your define in your WordPress plugin which page should display the chat: only homepage, blog pages, and many other options.
More information about Collect.chat on their website or directly on GOnnected.
8. Elementor Page Builder
Elementor
If you are reading this post on WordPress, I assume that you might need an editor in order to customize your pages based on your taste. Elementor might need basic HTML/CSS knowledge but it’s easily understandable. Create a page and on the left side, you have all the options you can add to your page. It’s very handy if you wish to personalize a lot your website.
Also, you have an alternative that doesn’t require CSS/HTML knowledge which is WP Builder. It is based on bloc so you should image each webpage like small blocks that are linked together from top to bottom and left to right. Worth a shot but pick between one of the 2 solutions.
More information about Elementor on their website or directly on GOnnected.
9. Hummingbird
Hummingbird
Your website and mobile must go fast for your users, customers, and visitors. Most of them will access at some point your mobile site with shared wifi or simply 3G or 4G or more (depending on where you are in the world!). Therefore, you must use a plugin to simplify your code (minify CSS and Javascript, pre-load pre-request, etc.). I have tested for some time 2 different plugins; HummingBird and Autoptimize. I recommend this plugin because I find it easier for non-technical people to handle it because they have interrogation marks to explain every single step.
More information about Hummingbird on their website or directly on GOnnected.
10. MailChimp for WordPress
MailChimp for WordPress
Little by little, you will be driven more and more visits to your website and get more contact. As you might be willing to engage in some conversation with your customers, it could be great not only to create a database with all your contact but also to send emails to them. The excellent free version of MailChimp will enable you to add a pop-up to your website, manage your mailing list and above all send emails with their pre-formatted templates.
More information about MailChimp for WordPress on their website or directly on GOnnected.
11. Broken Link Checker
Broken Link Checker
Even though the plugin hasn’t been updated for a couple of months, it still remains on my top WordPress list because it is very efficient to track all your links, send you reports and enable you to update very fast your broken links.
More information about MailChimp for Broken Link Ch on their website or directly on GOnnected.
More WordPress pluging
Please leave a comment below if you have other free plugin you implement when you launch a WordPress project.
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