Plugins: Get Only What You Need!

So you got a WP blog. You plan to accessorize. You go to plugins directories and you get overwhelmed with all the plugins you see there.

Some make you place photos on your sidebar, put color on your posts, signatures, audios, videos…. you have to urge to download them all… STOP!!!

While blog accessorizing is fun, getting only the plugins you need is the best option because:

1. you need to declutter your blog every once in a while (like cleaning your room), and the gazillion plugins you uploaded will not make it easy.

2. when errors occur, you will need to pinpoint the plug in that’s causing the bug, deactivating and activating all of them just to test which one is the culprit is tedious.

3. some plugins you don’t really need

Here’s the basic plugin suggestion for new bloggers. You can work from here to more advanced needs later on:

1. video player - This is a very simple plugin that allows you to show youtube videos in your blog.

2. Google Adsense Widget for your sidebar - If you’re unsure about pasting scripts in your blog’s templates, this google adsense widget will make it easier for you to monetize your blog by simply typing your google ad components (colors, publisher’s id etc) in the widget. Very simple.

3. Audio Player - This player will make playing mp3 files in your blog posts simple. Just follow the instructions exactly and you get a hassle-free music experience for that post. Very ideal for sentimental people who want their readers to listen to a “background music” while reading their post.

4. Sidebar Picture - If you dislike placing many photos on your sidebar and would like to focus on only ONE photo, this is the best sidebar widget find for you.

5. Flicker plugin - Some use the flicker plugin, the sort of cloud-like plugin that displays a lot of photos from your flicker account. For photo enthusiasts and travel bloggers.

6. Countdown Timer - Not all people are as time-obsessed as I am, but for thosse who are, you can place this little countdown on your site so people (and you) can tell how many more times they have to sleep to get to a particular event.

7. Popularity Contest - is included in WP enthusiast Alexking’s list of working plugins. It will show which of your posts are generating the most traffic.