WordPress is one of the most widely used blogging platforms on the Internet. Its user-friendly structure and intuitive interface make it possible for someone with no background in computer science or web design to manage a dynamic blog. Many companies and non-profit organizations that are too small to employ a full-time IT person, use WordPress to host simple websites. It’s an easy and efficient way to bolster you or our company’s web presence.

One of the reasons WordPress has established such deep penetration in the blogging market is its seemingly endless customizability. Most DIY blogging platforms are intuitive, but limited in scope. WordPress blogs can be altered with custom templates and plugins, ensuring that no two WordPress blogs look alike.

If you use WordPress to host one or more blogs, consider adding some of these essential plugins to punch up your user experience.

WordPress SEO

This is the number one, most important plugin for any blog. WordPress SEO contains every tool you need to shoot your blog up to the top of Google’s search rankings. A handy toolbar provides you with tags, meta robots, XML sitemaps, breadcrumbs, Google Webmaster and the gold standard: Google Analytics. SEO is absolutely the essential marketing plugin for your blog. It’s even more important if you’re thinking of monetizing your site with ad sales.

Broken Link Checker

No one likes reading a blog with broken links. Even if the technical maintenance isn’t your responsibility, your readers will run for the hills if they keep hitting lost pages. This plugin will keep you up to date on which links are working and which ones are broken on your site. It’s an efficient problem spotter.

WPTouch

So many users are browsing sites on mobile devices like iPhones and iPads. You can quickly optimize your site for mobile viewing with this simple plugin.

WP Editorial Calendar

If you run multiple blogs, you know how difficult it can be to stay on top of an acceptable editorial calendar. Users expect new content on a regular basis. WP Editorial Calendar can help you keep up with the madness by setting up a simple drag-and-drop schedule for postings.

Social Analytics

Social media is the new wave of digital interaction. The social analytics plugin will help you determine who’s accessing your blog through popular networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Subscribe to Comments

This helpful little plugin provides your readers with an option to subscribe to the comments sections on your articles. Many readers want to come back and see if there’s been a reaction to their posts. Subscribe to Comments will alert these users every time someone posts a new comment on their thread.

vSlider

vSlider is a popular WordPress slider plugin that creates an iQuery based slide show script for displaying multiple images. This plugin is very small – just around 20kb – and you don’t need to know any computer coding to make it work for your blog. Use images from your library of posts or from around the web to add an exciting new element to your blog.