If you are a business owner and intend setting up a blog, then you should use WordPress. Its main attraction is its simplicity and it has very few dramas associated with it at all. However, let's talk about one feature that can impact heavily on the performance of your site, and that is the installation of too many plug-ins.
You see there are literally thousands of plug-ins available for WordPress, so it is very easy to get caught up in the act of mindlessly activating one plug-in after another until the inevitable happens...plug-in overload! This can lead to a number of problems, the worst of which is the potential to cause fatal errors on your site.
Fortunately plug-in overload is indeed avoidable and totally curable. You just need to consider the following:
Self Analysis -
Is this a plug-in that you just have to have? Do you actually need it? Don't get me wrong as plug-ins can add great features to your site, but you need to be selective and keep them to a minimum. Closely examine the Plug-ins installed on your WordPress site and try to determine if they are really needed. What is the purpose of each plug-in? Does it improve the workings and appearance of your site? Will it help to get targeted traffic? Will it keep visitors to your site for a greater period of time? If your answer to these questions is no, then you should consider deleting such plug-ins. Too many plug-ins can slow down your site and could work against each other, not to mention the fact that your WordPress theme may not support them.
Same Functionality -
While you are examining your installed plug-ins, you may discover a number that do the same thing. You don't need more than one good SEO plug-in; pick the best one and delete any others. Likewise, you only need one XML sitemap generator. You don't need a multitude of social bookmarking plug-ins that enables your visitors to submit your site to Facebook, Twitter and the like. Every redundant plug-in activated on your site can cause your site problems and should therefore be removed.
Update -
Each time you login to your WordPress dashboard you will notice if there are updates available.
These updates include the WordPress version itself, as well as installed plug-ins. You can carry out this task very simply indeed, and you should ensure that you perform this duty without delay. In particular, plug-in updates will usually correct security issues and any discovered functionality defects. You look after the rest of your site, so get into the habit of updating plug-ins to keep your site running smoothly and efficiently.
If you carry out these three simple steps, you will be on your way to eliminating plugin overload. Be super selective in choosing which plugins are to stay, so that your site stays in perfect working order. Remember, it is very easy to fall into the trap of installing the next big thing in plugins. There are thousands of plugin creators out there pushing their latest creations and listing the features you just can't be without. As mentioned before, too many plugins can slow down your site or at worst cause fatal errors. They can also work against each other and also your theme, so be selective.
Finally, if one day you experience serious problems with your WordPress site, then deactivate all of your installed plugins to determine if that resolves the issue. If the problems are solved by doing this, then reactivate your plugins one at a time until you successfully locate the culprit that caused the problem. Remove it immediately. More than likely you will experience this sooner or later with your WordPress site, but you may prevent this from happening if you take on board this advice.
Good luck, and I hope you are now on your way to achieving "Plugin Bliss!"
You see there are literally thousands of plug-ins available for WordPress, so it is very easy to get caught up in the act of mindlessly activating one plug-in after another until the inevitable happens...plug-in overload! This can lead to a number of problems, the worst of which is the potential to cause fatal errors on your site.
Fortunately plug-in overload is indeed avoidable and totally curable. You just need to consider the following:
Self Analysis -
Is this a plug-in that you just have to have? Do you actually need it? Don't get me wrong as plug-ins can add great features to your site, but you need to be selective and keep them to a minimum. Closely examine the Plug-ins installed on your WordPress site and try to determine if they are really needed. What is the purpose of each plug-in? Does it improve the workings and appearance of your site? Will it help to get targeted traffic? Will it keep visitors to your site for a greater period of time? If your answer to these questions is no, then you should consider deleting such plug-ins. Too many plug-ins can slow down your site and could work against each other, not to mention the fact that your WordPress theme may not support them.
Same Functionality -
While you are examining your installed plug-ins, you may discover a number that do the same thing. You don't need more than one good SEO plug-in; pick the best one and delete any others. Likewise, you only need one XML sitemap generator. You don't need a multitude of social bookmarking plug-ins that enables your visitors to submit your site to Facebook, Twitter and the like. Every redundant plug-in activated on your site can cause your site problems and should therefore be removed.
Update -
Each time you login to your WordPress dashboard you will notice if there are updates available.
These updates include the WordPress version itself, as well as installed plug-ins. You can carry out this task very simply indeed, and you should ensure that you perform this duty without delay. In particular, plug-in updates will usually correct security issues and any discovered functionality defects. You look after the rest of your site, so get into the habit of updating plug-ins to keep your site running smoothly and efficiently.
If you carry out these three simple steps, you will be on your way to eliminating plugin overload. Be super selective in choosing which plugins are to stay, so that your site stays in perfect working order. Remember, it is very easy to fall into the trap of installing the next big thing in plugins. There are thousands of plugin creators out there pushing their latest creations and listing the features you just can't be without. As mentioned before, too many plugins can slow down your site or at worst cause fatal errors. They can also work against each other and also your theme, so be selective.
Finally, if one day you experience serious problems with your WordPress site, then deactivate all of your installed plugins to determine if that resolves the issue. If the problems are solved by doing this, then reactivate your plugins one at a time until you successfully locate the culprit that caused the problem. Remove it immediately. More than likely you will experience this sooner or later with your WordPress site, but you may prevent this from happening if you take on board this advice.
Good luck, and I hope you are now on your way to achieving "Plugin Bliss!"
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