INTRO TO WORDPRESS:

Extending Functionality With Plugins

Instructors: Gordon Seirup & Jess Quig

http://slides.com/gordonium/wp-intro-lesson-3

Plugin Basics

• Plugins: Software pieces that can be uploaded to your site to expand its functionality.

  • A single plugin should generally have a fairly specific purpose (similar to themes, you don't want bloat).

  • A few examples of plugin uses:

    • Control user permissions

    • Popups

    • Sliders

    • Forms

    • Filter spam comments on your blog

    • Improve your site's SEO (Search Engine Optimization) performance

Free vs Premium Plugins

• One-time payment vs subscription
• Why ever pay?
• Where to find premium?
  • Sometimes  free version in repo has link to 'pro' version (opens more features)
  • Run a search for 'premium wordpress plugins'  - you'll get most heavy hitters on page one
    • Ex) CodeCanyon

How to find a 'Good' plugin?

• User ratings
• How many installs?
• Compatible with current WordPress version?
• When last updated?
• Dig in! Details, screenshots, live demos, reviews

 

• Browse free plugins here: WordPress plugin library

Our Favorite FREE Plugins

• Akismet - Filters spam comments for review (be sure to license)
• Ninja Forms - Forms
• Shortcodes Ultimate - Create tabs, accordions, maps, etc
• BlackStudio TinyMCE Visual Editor - Widget with visual editor
• Easy FancyBox - Lightbox images on click
• Menu Social Icons - Add social icons to menu
• Superior FAQ - Displays FAQs as accordions (click question to see answer)
• Simple Share Button Adder - Add social sharing to blog posts, etc
• Simple Social Icons - Widget with social icons (link to your profiles)
• TablePress - Create/import tables
• WP Google Fonts - Lets you apply Google fonts
• WP Google Maps - Insert a Google map with marker (and apply free color themes)
• WP Responsive Menu - Display a responsive menu on mobile sizes
• Yoast SEO - Improve site's search engine readability

Our Favorite Premium Plugins

• Gravity Forms
• GravityView
• RoyalSlider
• Testimonials WordPress Plugin
• Shortcodes Ultimate: Extra Shortcodes (add-on to free version)

Plugin Demo

Watch or follow along on your own site!

• Take a backup of your site (you must learn how to do this!)
• Install & activate BlackStudio TinyMCE Visual Editor
• Go to Appearance > Widgets and add a widget with content
• Deactivate plugin (what happens?)
• Reactivate plugin (what happens?)

 

 lcsdemo.wpengine.com/wp-admin

user:   demo

pw:   loveland.creator.space

Troubleshooting Basics

If something breaks on your site, there are 3 main things every developer will tell you to start with:

1. Make sure you have a  recent file + database backup
2. Switch to a 'default' theme (ex = 'Twenty Sixteen')
   1. If that fixes your problem, your theme could be broken or could be conflicting with a plugin
3. Deactivate plugins
   1. We usually deactivate all at once to see if that fixes it (and if it does, reactivate them one by one until it breaks again)

 

Note: Sometimes your hosting provider will do all of this for you! Contact them and ask!

Homework

• Define what functionality you need in your website and find plugins that could help
  • Install and activate, try them out (and get in the habit of backing up before installing)
  • Deactivate and delete any plugins you have no intention of using!