The beauty of WordPress is also the bane of many users. WordPress is an open source project so independent developers have contributed their talents to developing Plugins which can be added to a WordPress site to expand its functions.
Many smart phone users are familiar with apps. I use an iPhone and am continually amazed by the expanding number of apps and how there really is an app for just about everything. It seems that every time I look at WordPress Plugins that the number of Plugins grows as fast.
While a user may upload a new Plugin expecting a hieghtened web experience , alas, not all WordPress Plugins are safe nor sane. I hear from clients who have installed a new Plugin only to find they have shut down their website, resulting in just a white error screen. There are numerous independent developers of different talents, strengths and attention spans who are creating these Plugins. Some developers are quite diligent about updating, while others haven’t updated for years (usually stopping after a major WordPress update). Some Plugins are quirky and fail to work well with other Plugins right from the start. And some Plugins are new and working fabulously and stir up a lot of buzz online because they do their job and work successfully with other Plugins.
The safest way to select and install a Plugin is to first be aware of which version of the WordPress software you’re running on your site. Then when looking for a Plugin, read the right-hand column to see if the Plugin is compatible with the version of WordPress you use.
The bottom of the right-hand column will also reveal the current “chatter” about the Plugin. Under the words “See what others are saying…” are the latest questions and comments that have been posted to the WordPress users’ forum. Some Plugins with known glitches have very telling comments in this area that should ward off any user.
Doing this little bit of research when selecting WordPress Plugins will save you time, money, and aggravation for your small business website.
