WordPress is great for a blog, or for use as a CMS for a professional Web-site. WordPress can be enhanced by adding plug-ins, below is a list of my 5 favorite ones.
All in one SEO (search engine optimization)-
This is a great plug-in for adding meta-data to your pages or posts. SEO is often overlooked when designing a web-site. If you are creating a blog for social purposes SEO probably isn’t too important. But for those creating a web-site for their business, SEO could be the most important aspect of your site. SEO is a science that can take years to understand or master. For most people it is best to hire an expert to handle search engine optimization, but some of us can’t afford the cost so it is important to arm yourself with the right tools. While this plug-in doesn’t handle everything that is SEO related it is a great place to start. Here is a link to a SEO company I have heard a lot of good things about: Actual SEO
TinyMCE Advanced-
This plug-in gives you more control over the visual editor in WordPress. If you’re experienced in HTML, then it probably isn’t as important and it’s probably best to turn off the visual editor so WordPress doesn’t change the look of your design. For those out there who don’t have an extensive knowledge of HTML this plug-in will add some cool features.
NextGEN Gallery-
This is the best plug-in available for WordPress. It has a ton of add-ons, or can be used with the features it has right out of the box. If you decide to add this one be careful to follow the installation procedure to a tee. Here are some add-ons I’ve used and recommend: NextGen Image Flow, NextGen FlashViewer, and NextGen Custom Fields.
Google XML Sitemaps-
This plug-in fits under the SEO category. Use this to help get your site indexed by Google and other search engines. Start a Google Webmaster Tools account and use Google XML Sitemaps to optimize the indexing of your site. Some advantages of this plug-in are: automatic sitemap generation, control which pages/posts get crawled, easy to set-up.
301 Re-direct:
This plug-in is a must have. Don’t lose traffic because they click a link only to find the page is missing. 301 Re-direct is perfect for those who change the name of a page or if you have moved your site from another platform. With 301 Re-direct it is easy to direct visitors from your old site/page to the new one. This is also an important SEO tool.
