Even if you’re new to blogging, you don’t have to show it. Creating useful, solid content will get readers to your blog – but making your blog appealing and easy to use will make them stay there.
The best part is, you don’t need to spend a whole lot of time making your blog look attractive and professional.
There are thousands – yes, THOUSANDS – of WordPress plugins that do everything from enhancing SEO and adding photo galleries to integrating your Tweets and selling eBooks. Talk about major time suckage. But chances are you only need a few magic plugins to take your blog from boring to whoa — that’s so cool.
Not sure where to start? We made a list of 8 popular WordPress plugins that boost your blog without tons of effort (it’s the same stuff the pros use). You don’t need to be a technology whiz, and you don’t need to have a lot of time on your hands.
All plugins are rated according to our Lazy Factor:
- 0 – No thinking needed
- 1 – You’ll have to push some buttons
- 2 – Minimal effort
- 3 – General upkeep or attention ( like an oil change or haircut)
- 4 – Some … mental … effort (gasp!) required
- 5 – Marathon jogging, no way!
HeadSpace2 SEO: WordPress SEO Made Simple
This is an alternative to the All in One SEO Pack, a basic plugin for optimizing your posts for search engines. HeadSpace 2 picks up where the SEO Pack leaves off: allowing users to configure and define keywords, categories, and descriptions for all of your posts in one place. It’s the ultimate SEO plugin for new bloggers to supplement the more simple All in One SEO Pack.
Lazy Factor: 3 during setup; 1 after setup
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/headspace2/
Subscribe 2
Let’s face it: there are lots of blogs out there, and it’s easy for readers to forget to check in on a regular basis (oops!). So keep up with them via email with Subscribe 2. Once you download the plugin, an email subscription management box (sounds fancy, eh?) is added to your blog. Readers can sign up to get email notifications whenever you post a new blog (or, you can choose send HTML emails with multiple posts in it). Keeps ‘em coming back time and time again.
Lazy Factor: 2 if run automatically; 4 if you want to customize
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/subscribe2/
Thank Me Later
Show your appreciation to your readers – and keep in touch with this automatic email messaging system. Thank Me Later sends “thank you” notes via email to readers who comment on your blog. Bloggers can create multiple emails (and send them out at regular intervals, also customizable) to say thanks and remind them to stop by and keep up with the comments conversation! This plugin has one of the highest average user ratings on WordPress – 5 stars!
Lazy Factor: 3 with customization
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/thank-me-later/
Freebie Images
A blog is just a blog – unless it’s a blog with pictures. Maybe you’re not a design genius, maybe you don’t know a whole lot about image copyright, or maybe you just don’t have the right picture on your digital cam. No worries – get access to an entire gallery of stock photography for free. Freebie Images lets you search, drag, and drop professional photos into your blog post. This plugin cuts the hassle of finding photographs and avoids any potential angry emails from copyright freaks.
Lazy Factor: 2
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/freebie-images-free-stock-images-plugin/
Yet Another Related Posts
This is one slick way to keep users on your blog and get them to start clicking all over your page: Yet Another Related Posts. This plugin adds links to the bottom of your blog directing users to some of your previous posts that share similar themes. It’s all based on some crazy mathematical algorithm (much too smart for us), but all you really need to know is this: it’s dummy-proof. And it really makes you look pro.
Lazy Factor: 0
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/yet-another-related-posts-plugin/
Popular Posts
Toot your own horn and show readers your best work – this plugin lists your top blogs with the most comments in your blog’s sidebar. Install it and let it run on its own – no upkeep necessary means it’s easy for beginning bloggers to use. You can also customize the display if you really feel like getting down and dirty.
Lazy Factor: 0; 2 if you customize
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/
WPTouch (for iPhone users)
This little plugin instantly transforms your blog into an iPhone-friendly user experience (it works for other phones too, like Androids, Blackberries. Palm Pres – or any other phones designed for on-the-go types). WPTouch makes it easier and faster for readers to view your blog without having to modify your blog theme. Customize how your blog looks on mobile phones for a crowd-pleasing effect.
Lazy Factor: 2 with customization
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/
PollDaddy Polls and Ratings
Get interactive with an easy plugin that allows you to post polls for your readers to vote on: PollDaddy Polls and Ratings. It’s fully customizable so you can get the look and language you need to reach out to your readers. Polls can be created directly from your dashboard – and it’s unlimited: make as many polls, collect as many votes or comments as you want. Of course, it’s not automatic – you supply the poll, then PollDaddy collects data for you.
Lazy Factor: 3
Get it here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/polldaddy/
I appreciate the post. Thank you for the information.
hehe cool ! I like this blog
Great information about Freebies Image. Just knew about it. So with that plugin, inserting image in post more simple than before