Plugins are little pieces of software that extend the functionality
of WordPress in some way which is why it is such powerful software.
The plugins literally make it infinitely expandable. In this lesson
I'll show you some plugins that really make your life easier as a
blogger and make your blog much more functional.

Now before I get to the plugins I'll show you how to install them.
One of the videos that I mentioned in the last lesson shows you how
to install plugins and some of the ones mentioned in this lesson
are demonstrated in that video:

http://www.caroline-middlebrook.com/blog/developing-money-making-niche-sites-with-wordpress-26-video-6-setting-up-plugins/

If you want to watch the rest of the videos in the series or
download the PDF version of the ebook then visit the main download
page at:

http://www.caroline-middlebrook.com/blog/niche-sites-wp/

Absolutely Essential Plugins for All Wordpress Installations
============================================================

WordPress Automatic Upgrade
---------------------------

http://techie-buzz.com/wordpress-plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade-plugin.html

Many plugins have updates released periodically. With this plugin
you can update all other plugins with a simple click of a button -
a HUGE time saver! Not only that but it updates WordPress itself
which is so much easier than doing it manually! Never be without
this plugin for any WordPress installation!

WordPress Database Backup
-------------------------

http://www.ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup

Your WordPress database contains the entire content of your blog -
the posts, pages, comments etc. If something happened to corrupt it
your blog is gone forever! This plugin allows you to create a
backup on a regular basis. I have mine emailed to me daily. Another
essential!

Plugins For Blogs
=================

If you are creating an actual blog, as opposed to using WordPress
as a content management system then you might also want some of the
following plugins:

SRG Clean Archives
------------------

http://www.idunzo.com/projects/clean-archives/

I don't like the standard Archives page that is built with the
default WordPress software. This plugin creates an archive page
that looks like this:

http://www.caroline-middlebrook.com/blog/monthly-archives/

WP-Contact Form
---------------

http://www.marketingtechblog.com/projects/wp-contactform/

I am surprised at how many bloggers neglect to put a contact form
on their blog. Perhaps they aren't aware of plugins like this one
that make it so easy!

The installation of the above two plugins is the easy bit but they
are slightly complicated to setup so I have dedicated a lesson to
showing you exactly how to setup the contact form and archives page
on your blog. Look out for that after the next lesson.

Remove Max Width
----------------

http://dd32.id.au/wordpress-plugins/remove-max-width/

For some odd reason WordPress 2.6 works in a fixed width which is
rather narrow if you work on a widescreen monitor. This plugin
removes that restriction and allows the software to fill the width
of your screen. It's a personal preference whether you use it or not.

Plugins for Blogs With Comments
===============================

Now not all bloggers like to have comments as they can take time to
read and you invariably get some negative ones from time to time.
However, if you want to buid a popular blog, comments can really
help because they help to build a sense of community and when
people see that every blog post is getting lots of comments it
makes them want to subscribe and see what all the fuss is about.
I'll be talking more about comments in later lessons but for now,
install these plugins so that you're ready for them when people
start to come.

Akismet
-------

http://akismet.com/

This actually comes installed by default with WordPress. What it
does is detects comments that are spam and automatically filters
them into a special area where you can browse through them or do
what I do and simply click the 'delete all' button. It has caught
over 70,000 spam comments on my main blog!

Show Top Commentators
---------------------

http://www.pfadvice.com/wordpress-plugins/show-top-commentators/

This plugin allows you to add a widget to your blog that shows a
list of the top commentators on your blog within a given time
period. I show the top 10 within the last month. This is a nice
incentive to comment!

CommentLuv
----------

http://www.fiddyp.co.uk/commentluv-wordpress-plugin/

This plugin will modify the original comment left by your readers
and will scan their website address for a blog feed and if it finds
one it will extract the last post and will add a section that says
"John Doe's last blog post: ". This is another
wonderful way to encourage comments from other bloggers in
particular and it also adds a richness to the comment section.

Subscribe to Comments
---------------------

http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/

Sometimes readers leave a comment and then they forget all about
your post. This plugin allows them to choose to be notified via
email when new comments are added. This is great if they have asked
a question that you have answered or if there is simply a good
conversation going in the comments section. It's an excellent way
to keep people coming back to your blog!

Edit Comments XT
----------------

http://sw-guide.de/wordpress/plugins/edit-comments-xt/

By default after a reader has left a comment there is no way for
them to edit it which is annoying if they've left something out or
made a typo etc. This plugin allows them to edit their comment for
a limited time after posting it - just a little nicety for your
readers.

Start Blogging Today

I teach everyone free, how to Make Money with Free Blogs at my new website www.makemoneybanc.blogspot.com.