WordPress Plugins

Pick up the FREE Checklist to go along with this guide. It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to set up your teaching website (and you’ll get some bonus advice too!)

People can sometimes get a little obsessed with plugins. Some are great (I’m going to share my favorites here), while others just aren’t necessary. If you feel you need a plugin, then go for it. But, if you feel that you are just adding plugins for the sake of it, then take a step back and ask yourself if you’ll really need it.

Here are some plugins that I always use and highly recommend. Go to “Plugins” -> :Add New” and you’ll see the following: (enter the following plugins in the search).

Add New Plugin

1. WordPress SEO Plugin (this creates a Sitemap of your website to keep the search engines updated).
2. Disqus Comment System (a great comment system for you blog that most websites use).
3. Form Manager (great for creating a unique contact form on your website).
4. Login LockDown (limits the number of logins to prevent others from logging into your website).

Once you have found the plugin, click “install” and then “activate” on the next screen.

There are thousands upon thousands of plugins out there. Think about something that you need and search for the best option.

Other widgets and updates

As well as using widgets in the sidebar you can use them in all other sections of your website. The Form Manager plugin listed above can be used to create a form in your main content area. This is a great way to have students contact you to arrange a lesson.

Always remember to update your plugins as older versions can be used to hack into your website. If you see that a plugin needs updating then do this right away and you shouldn’t have any problems.