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10 Essential WordPress Plugins for new Blogs

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It is a widely accepted fact WordPress offers a myriad of out-of-the-box functionalities for website builders. However, if you want to stay ahead of your fellow bloggers, then you have to research a bit on the various plugins. It is simply a mind-boggling perception to think about the sheer number of plugins are available for WordPress.

Today, WordPress powers an array of sites. But, it began as a blogging platform and still retains its first position for running a blog. The CMS allows bloggers to extend their website’s functionality with the usage of several plugins. It is important here to note that you shouldn’t download plugins just for the sake of using them. You should be aware of their functionalities.  

Usually, there exists a plethora of plugins which every website owner should use. But, it is always important to use only those which are applicable to your interests. With so many individuals out there trying to start a blog and to build a more sustainable site with WordPress, a large number of people are on the lookout to handle their website traffic. Here are the top ten plugins you should have to ensure your blog is the best.

Essential WordPress Plugins To Get Started!

  1. Akismet

Akismet is that type of a WordPress plugin which analyses your comments and contact form submissions against its global database of spam. In other words, it prevents your site to publish malicious content. One of the major highlights of Akismet lies in the fact that it checks all comments and filters out the ones which resemble spam. Moreover, you can easily find the URLs in the comment box to find hidden links. However, you will need an API key to use this WordPress plugin.  

  1. Ithemes security

IThemes security was also known as WP Security and renders more than 30 ways to protect your WordPress site. As per a recent survey, around 30,000 new sites are being hacked each day. WordPress sites are an easy target for various attacks due to the vulnerabilities present from plugin and weak passwords. This plugin renders the two-factor authentication and schedules malware scans. 

  1. WPSmush

You can automatically resize and compress huge photos up to 32MB. You can also use the pro version of this plugin to ensure high-quality images from 50 locations around the world. You can also bulk optimize every image you have ever added to your site with one-click. You can also fix your Google page speed with the help of this plugin. You can automatically resize and scale. 

  1. WP Rocket

If you want a powerful caching plugin, the WP Rocket is your best bet. With the help of this plugin, even with minimal configurations, you can avail immediate results. It essentially helps in page caching which creates an ultra-fast load time which in turn improves the prospect of SEO in your website.  

  1. WPforms 

Wpforms is the best WordPress contact form plugin. With the help of Wpforms, you can easily create an amazing form in your WordPress site in just a few minutes without writing any code. You can also select from an array of form templates which are available within this plugin. WPFORMS is 100% responsive which implies that it works on mobiles and laptops.

  1. Rank Math

This plugin features a step-by-step installation and configuration wizard which sets up SEO for WordPress in a perfect manner. After you install Rank Math, it analyzes the settings of your site and suggests the best settings to improve SEO. It comprises of a clean and intuitive user interface which highlights important information about your posts alongside the post itself. It also features advanced snippet previews. 

  1. Thrive Leads

With Thrive Leads, you can build your mailing list faster than ever before. It is usually a lead generation plugin for your WordPress site. When you use Thrive Leads, it is like having your very own list-building tool. It also helps you with advanced targeting of audiences. You can also build hyper-targeted and profitable lists. 

  1. UpdraftPlus

It is one of those plugins which simplifies restoration and backups. Backup your files and database into the cloud with this plugin. The paid version also backs up to One Drive and Google Cloud Storage.  

  1. Pretty Link Lite

If you are dependent heavily on affiliate marketing, Pretty Link will be quite useful for you. It is usually referred to as a link cloaking plugin. This lets you transform and conceal ugly affiliate links into something better to look at. The free version of this plugin would work well for most bloggers. But if you need added features such as automated tweets and link shortening, the free version is quite appropriate. 

  1. Google Analytics

The Google Analytics platform is a great statistical tool to get valuable insights on your website traffic. It is a commonly accepted fact that comprehending the habits of your audience and catering to them is an ideal way to improve your user traffic. This plugin allows you to monitor a myriad of real-time stats related to your website. You can also use the Universal tracking which lets you view insights from multiple platforms and devices. With the help of this plugin, you can connect your Google Analytics account to your WordPress site. It helps you avail better statistics about user behavior.   

The option of easy installation as well as fraud prevention makes them a great choice for many. There are times when you have to alter the permalinks of your pages and posts but you forget to redirect them. In these cases, redirection is the right plugin to select. 

It is mainly useful in case when you are migrating pages from an old website. Interestingly, there is a plugin for everything and a blogger has to be aware of them. You would be spoil for choice to witness the sheer number of WordPress plugins that are available. But you should only install them which you find practical to use on a daily basis. With the help of these plugins, you can take the popularity of your blogs to great heights.    

Rhokblr Hackathon Tech

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a Twice a Year Hackathon for Social Good in Bangalore Organized by the Community where Hackers come together to solve social problems through technology

Get Your Ticket to RHOK Here Registration for the Hackathon – http://simpletechhlife.in/contact/

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What Happened at TechCamp Mumbai Feb 2013

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What is a TechCamp ?  you may be asking .. A Techcamp is a forum where technologists come together with representatives/SME’s [subject matter experts] from Non Government organizations from around the world to participate in  2 days of interactive sessions, participatory workshops on how technology can be an enabler , catalyze social change and more specifically help these NGO’s to do their job better through expanding their reach.
 
The Program is part of a global effort called civil society 2.0 launched by Hillary Clinton and is guided by the US state department . After similar programs in Honduras , Kiev among other cities it was finally the time for Mumbai to host such event for the whole of south asia with attendance from Maldives , Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and so on . it was fascinating to see such diversity among the participants united in their efforts to advance the discourse on technology for social action. 
 
The trainers come from various organizations/ Foundations behind technology for social change like Frontlinesms , Ushahidi , OpenStreetMap and so on .  
 

Speed Geeking :

The day started with an awesome session of Speed Geeking where over 100 participants spent 5 minutes at every table hosted by a Tech Trainer and they rotate. in a period of 60 minutes the participants get to learn about 12 different technologies by spending 5 minutes in each table getting a taste of each . As a speaker with a table I get to meet a different group every 5 min and have to share /pitch the impact of Ushahidi. This exercise can be quite exhausting considering the fact that the environment will be highly chaotic , lots of sound thus important to keep the energy levels up. It was the first time I did this so was different but fun !!

Deep Dive Sessions :

This session was followed a 90 minute deep dive session of each of the technology and I had the opportunity to showcase Ushahidi and talk about it impact as a platform for social change in election monitoring , disaster risk and environmental mapping.The After noon sessions included facilitation of workshops around Problems that can be solved with Ushahidi . Its been an awesome experience interacting with so many participants , sharing and listening to stories from all over South Asia on social change through technology . Trying to find opportunities to where Ushahidi Could make maximum impact through understanding various needs on the ground was the highlight of the day .
 

Brainstorming Sessions :

The second day included brainstorming sessions with interested participants about the problems that they think could be solved with the Ushahidi platform , the session involved gaining a better understanding of the workings of the non profit orgs in their field of action , there was a lot of listening to be done here to understand context , impact and the ground level reality under which they operate. I had the honor of facilitating this discussion with Mikel Maron of the Ground Truth initiative . This exercise generated so much learning that would be hard to describe here , it did have a profound impact on my belief on the impact of technology on social action and sustainable development .
 
The two days went pretty fast , personally for me the biggest takeaway was the learning that was generated by the meeting of  so many awesome people from so many countries doing great work , I should add that when such meeting of minds do happen there is a release of an energy that manifests in sustainable action , this energy and learning when harnessed and exploited with coherence results in development of community/nation/world which is the ultimate goal of technology.
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