Must Have WordPress Plugins for Small Business Websites

For your virtual storefront to be successful, you should consider incorporating some must-have WordPress plugins for small business. Which will you choose?

Plugins are pieces of software installed on your website to add functionality. With over 55,000 plugins to choose from, selecting the right ones for your site to help achieve your business goals can seem daunting.

Too many plugins, or installing ones that compete with each other, can do the opposite of what you set out to do. Yes, too much of a good thing applies to WordPress plugins as well. Don’t fear. Press Hero is here to help.

Wordfence

Protect your site from malware and hackers

With online attacks on the rise, having a fully protected WordPress site is essential. Hackers around the globe take pride in breaking into websites and wreaking havoc on their unsuspecting victims. From destroying your website to installing malicious malware, these attacks can leave you feeling hopeless.

However, by taking a proactive approach you can ensure your site is safe from external threats. Install the free version of Wordfence to provide a front line of defence against hackers and malware.

With the growing concern of online security, Wordfence has become the most popular WordPress security plugin on the market. Currently, there are over 4 million active downloads. All the while, having over 3,600 reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars makes this plugin one of the must-have WordPress plugins for small business.

Features & Benefits

• Alerts if your site is compromised
• Security Scanning
• Login Security
• Real-Time Blocking
• Monitoring of real-time traffic
• Strong Password Enforcement

Has your website been compromised? Contact PressHero to discuss options for restoring your site back to full health!

BackupBuddy

Back up and save your data

Install this tool to save you frustration and heartache. If you are dedicating hours of your life to build a quality website that brings your customers in, you want that information saved!

While other plugins can backup your WordPress database, BackupBuddy will backup your entire WordPress installation. As a result, you have an exact copy of all your WordPress files. BackupBuddy has no monthly fee and is cloud-based, meaning that all backups are simple!

Most backup plugins offer a few of the necessary tools to provide complete backup support. But this one is our favourite which is why we consider it one of our must-have WordPress plugins for small business.

BackupBuddy provides 4 key components:

• Complete WordPress website backups
• Scheduled and automated backups
• Storage of WordPress backups off-site
• Complete restoration of your WordPress site

However, having a backup plugin is not a replacement for Unlimited WordPress Support. It is simply a proactive measure to ensure you’re storing your valuable data assets in a secure way. If you are interested in assistance with managing backups and other security features, contact Press Hero today!

Akismet

Reduce unnecessary spam

Most SEO and digital marketing strategies include blog posts. But with blogs come comments which increase vulnerability for spam.

However, with Akismet, you can eliminate spam comments. As a result, you only see the genuine engagements your readers are having with the content you post.

Akismet filters the comments and removes spam instantly. This provides peace of mind knowing offensive comments that aren’t relatable to your content will not be visible to your audience.

Impressed with their track record, Press Hero believes Akismet is one of the must-have WordPress plugins for small business.

• Currently, over 500 billion spam comments blocked by Askimet
• Average of 4.7 stars from over 900 reviews
• A great option

WP Smush

Automatically reduces image size, to increase website speed

A highly optimized website that ranks well in search engines needs to load quickly. Installing this plugin compresses your images which increases your load time. As a result, your customers will appreciate a seamless visit, without having to wait for pages to load.

WP Smush plugin works by compressing your files without affecting the image quality. You can even opt to compress your uploaded images individually or in bulk!

To excel with SEO and satisfy your end-user, a responsive WordPress website is paramount. Currently, there are over 1 million active downloads and 4,000 5  star reviews. That is evidence this is one of the must-have WordPress plugins for small business!

Features & Benefits

• Lossless compression
• Automated optimization
• No limitations
• Image resizing
• Lazy load
• Incorrect size, image detection

You have a few versions to choose from depending on your needs including a free alternative or a Pro version for additional features. Still on the fence? Reach out to our team of Unlimited WordPress Support heroes to ask questions to help with your decisions.

Lite Speed Cache

All-in-one acceleration plugin

Beyond image compression, continue to optimize your website’s speed with LiteSpeed Cache. This great tool is compatible with WooCommerce, Yoast SEO and many other popular plugins.

If a webpage doesn’t load in 5 – 10 seconds, not many will wait around. If you have an exceptional product or service, you want to ensure people are seeing it.

Features & Benefits

• Database cleaner and optimizer
• PageSpeed score optimization
• Responsive image place holders
• Easy to understand interface

Having a tool like this will help your site run efficiently. This will give you lightning fast load times that won’t go unnoticed by Google or your website visitors.

NextScripts

Social media auto-poster

NextScripts WordPress plugin links to all of your social media accounts. All you have to do is focus on building your blog posts. Once your blog post is published, you can choose for the entire post or a backlink to be posted on all of your configured social channels.

NextScripts gives you the ability to reach a huge audience by telling your friends, followers and readers about your new blog post.

NextScripts works with Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, Flickr and LinkedIn just to name a few. It works with profiles, business pages, community pages and groups. All the messages are completely customizable and used for each individual network requirement.

Features & Benefits

• Re-poster for existing blog posts
• Auto-import comments from socials to your site
• Customizable filters for categories, tags and post type
• Tags and categories can be used as hashtags

Using NextScripts will give you the ability to streamline your social posting process. Instead of having to build multiple posts, for multiple channels, NextScripts can do it for you. That sounds like a must-have WordPress plugin for small business to us.

WordPress Business Reviews

Automatically posts your reviews to your website

Reviews build trust with your audience and give your clients confidence. WordPress Business Reviews plugin allows you to sync your business pages with reviews to your website. It combines Facebook, Yelp and Google reviews from multiple locations and combines them in a single feed.

A nice feature of the plugin is being able to customize the layout. Choose from a slider, reviews list, fixed and embedded trust badges. Or create a review grid, giving you rows with 2, 3 or 4 columns.

People want information readily available without having to go hunt for it. Reviews are an important part of a consumer’s research process. Displaying your reviews directly on your website saves your potential clients time. That’s a great start for your client relationship. You will build trust in the beginning and ideally maintain it, having your customer or client coming back for more.

Features & Benefits

• Single or multiple businesses
• Builds user confidence
• All google reviews
• Rating filter

Display those great reviews you worked so hard to earn like a trophy or badge of honour. But if you want help getting started, contact our Unlimited WordPress Support heroes to get you set up today with one of the must-have WordPress plugins for small buisness.

WooCommerce

Customized, open-source eCommerce

A secure method to collect payment is an essential component to running a successful online business. And WooCommerce provides more than just that:

• Build a storefront
• Offer flexible and secure payments
• Manage orders

All this is possible right from your WordPress site. This is truly an all-in-one solution for eCommerce. And it’s completely customizable so you can configure your store just the way you want. With over 100 payment gateways to choose from, you have the flexibility to choose the payment system that best suits your needs.

Additionally, WooCommerce doesn’t charge a setup fee and there is no initial upfront cost. Sound like a must-have WordPress plugin for small business that sells goods and services online?

While it’s a relief to have the option of a basic eCommerce solution without setup fees, the only caution we have with WooCommerce is the free themes they provide look very generic. As a result, you may wish to engage a developer like Press Hero to assist in building your store. What are the benefits of an upgrade?

• Unique themes help your site stand out
• Purchased themes include customer support
• Your themes are regularly updated
• Generic themes have limited functions

Reach out for more information about who we can help build your virtual storefront or provide some extra support with an existing one.

Hustle Pro

Grow your mailing list and build targeted pop-ups on your site

Email marketing is an effective tool to bring potential clients to your WordPress website. You can promote services, promotions, sales or any other information you feel your target market will respond to. With Hustle Pro, you can build targeted ad pop-ups prompting users to buy as they navigate from page to page.

With all of the noise that occupies our day-to-day lives, genuinely connecting with your target market is essential. To improve engagement, Hustle Pro can simplify important elements including:

• Customizable styling
• Highly targeted display settings
• Small triggers for pop-ups and slide-ins
• Automated schedules for emails

Automating customer email communication saves you time and money making Hustle Pro a must-have WordPress plugin for small business.

Must-have WordPress plugins for small business!

Remember – plugins are great.  Too many plugins, not so much. If you are feeling overwhelmed or need help deciding which plugins are best for achieving your goals for security, speed and SEO, customer connections, eCommerce, leads and more, reach out. We can help every step of the way. From basic setup to complex website solutions. We are here to partner for success.