Accountant Websites’ Blogs- How To Select and Install WordPress Plugins
WordPress blogs give users fantastic options in terms of the design layout they can use as well as additional functionality to their blog in the form of plugins. Plugins are created, managed, and distributed by WordPress users and have the ability to add varied layers of functionality and style to a blog.
What is a WordPress Plugin?
Anyone with WordPress blogs for their accountant business websites can add plugins, and there are a multitude of uses and benefits to installing them; both for yourself and for your readers. Some plugins are simple and can add things like social media buttons to your blog. Others are more complicated, such as a plugin that integrates a full image gallery with dozens of viewing options. In general, they are used to add additional functionality to your blog and save you the hassle of having to build and code it yourself.
How do I find plugins?
There are several places you can go to find plugins. You have access to hundreds of them right in your WordPress admin panel. Your admin panel has a menu item called Plugins. To install one, simply click install! There is also a WordPress page that is devoted to listing plugin options. You can search for all different types to narrow down what you’re looking for, and you can also view the most popular plugins. (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/) The only downside to this is that you have to download the plugin to your computer first, unzip it, and then upload it to your accountant website’s WordPress blog. Both options are fairly easy and the only potential difference would lie with the security settings of the server that is hosting your blog.
Now how do I get my plugin to work?
Once you have found the plugin you would like to use, and if you installed it via the WordPress interface, you will need to activate it under the Plugin menu item.
If you downloaded the plugin to your computer, you will have to unzip it and then upload it to the wp-content/plugins folder. Then just go to the plugin menu and click activate. WordPress has made the user interface very user friendly.
Most plugin authors try to create them so they will work immediately, without any additional work, however, some do require that you add some code to your blog template. Some will appear in your widgets menu, and others will have further settings adjustments before the plugin works properly for you. The authors typically provide you with installation instructions on their site, so look for a link in your plugins menu if you need assistance.
What’s next?
Don’t forget to confirm that your plugin is working properly. You can sometimes test your plugin right from the plugin settings menu. Otherwise, simply go to your blog page and test it from there.
Voila! If your plugin is working, feel free to move on to your next task or to even look into more plugins!
If the plugin isn’t working, there’s a good chance that you may have missed a step or the plugin may not be compatible with your version of WordPress. You should also review the instructions on the plugin authors’ site.
Are there highly suggested plugins?
Everyone will have different preferences and needs for their accountant website’s blog. You should install what you feel is right for your blog.
In general I will always install Google XML Sitemaps, All in One SEO Pack, myEASYbackup, WP-reCAPTCHA, and Akismet. These serve a specific purpose for all of my blogs that I hope to make highly relevant, easily searchable and search engine friendly, and I’ve had the best luck with this “basic” package.
I also don’t want to be left ‘high and dry’ if anything happens to my blog, so I run myEASYbackup to have a backup of my WordPress install emailed to me with another copy automatically saved to my server. I’m not alone in hoping that a lot of my readers will comment on my blogs, so I also choose to use tools that help prevent and block spam comments.
What if I don’t want to bother with plugins?
The universal conclusion is a resounding, “Whatever you prefer.” If you are pleased with the functionality of your blog’s searchability and incur little comment spammers, then there is no reason for you to feel like you should be installing piles of plugins. Plugins are meant for WordPress blog users who would like the extra functionality, but who are unable to create the tools themselves.