What plugins do you use?

One of the greatest things about WordPress is that it can be extended almost infinitely using plugins. But that can get you in trouble. When I first started learning WordPress, I installed a bunch of plugins to do all sorts of things.

The plugins were there and many of them are free, so I went crazy at first.

But now I try to NOT use plugins…

Why?

They can slow down your site. The more plugins you have, the more of a load you put on your server and RAM. So once I got rid off and deactivated several plugins, my site started loading faster.

Not to mention the security issues that can arise with a free plugin since it may not be updated often or have conflicts with your theme.

*The links below are affiliate links so I get a commission if you use them — thanks for the support!

Here are a few plugins that I use:

• Jetpack from Automattic – Suite of features.
• Akismet – Comment Spam
• Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin – Comment Spam
• Lockdown WP Admin – You can change the login page so your site won’t get so many brute force attacks.
• Manage WP – It’s really a service, but you need to have the plugin on your site. Off Site Backups and migrating/cloning sites. It’s a cheap solution for backing up your site.
• Yoast SEO – It has some nice feature and tools. Funny enough, I don’t use this plugin for SEO. It’s made for general use — I’m doing deep, advanced keyword research with the Keyword Golden Ratio so Yoast SEO is way off with it’s recommend keyword density.

Here are some plugins that I like and use, but not on every site:

• AAWP – It’s called “Best WordPress Plugin for Amazon Affiliates” and I have to admit it’s very slick. You can do text links, product feature boxes, best seller lists, insert data fields like prices where ever you want, or put products in widget areas. It has geotargeting and templates.
• Azon Tables – Create tables and have access to the Amazon API. It’s the “The Best Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugin Build Product Comparison Tables fast.” You can build Amazon compliant product comparison tables with auto-updating prices and compliant images.
• EasyAzon – This tool has been around for a while and has seen many updates. You can insert images, text links, and feature boxes. The look of the feature boxes is a little bit dated in my opinion, but it still works well.

Click here to join the email list: get all my templates & systems for niche sites.

Other Site Design and Hosting

• What’s the best WP theme?
• Do you recommend any of the themes specifically built for Amazon affiliate sites?
• Should I use a page builder?
• What do you think of Thrive?
• Which hosting provider should I use for my Amazon Affiliate Site?
• Do you use a table plugin? Which one?
• See real examples of Amazon Affiliate websites.
• What are typical Amazon Affiliate earnings?