13. How to Install a WordPress Plugin

Watch my video below to see how I install plugins in WordPress.

What is a WordPress plugin?

Well, imagine plugins as apps for your phone.  They each serve a function, whatever it may be. There are thousands of WordPress plugins available on the market. If you want to have a analytics, a Twitter feed, a Facebook like button, a gallery widget, SEO functionality, or a mail opt in form, you are covered. All these plugins are developed by third parties. Just like any software developed by others, make sure you read the reviews before installing.

Jetpack, is a single plugin developed by the makers of WordPress that has a ton of features such as stats, social sharing, security and backup. You will need to sign up with a WordPress.com account to link them.

There are 2 ways to install plugins to your WordPress website:

1. WordPress
2. FTP

WordPress

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins.
3. Search for your desired plugin.
4. Install the plugin.
5. Activate the plugin.
6. Go to the plugin settings to view/change features and functions.

FTP

1. View my video on how to access your FTP here.
2. Download the zip file of your plugin.
3. Unzip the zipped file on your computer.
4. Open up your FTP and upload the unzipped file to public_html/wp-content/plugins
5. Go to your WordPress Dashboard Plugins page.
6. Activate the Plugin that you just installed.
7. Go to the plugin settings to view/change features and functions.

DELETE A PLUGIN

1. Remove any code snippets you may have inserted from pages or widgets to enable the function of the widget.
2. Go to your WordPress Dashboard Plugins page.
3. Deactivate the plugin.
4. Delete the plugin.

The easiest way to install plugins is obviously directly from the WordPress Dashboard.

Here are my 4 must have essential plugins that you should install on any WordPress website.

1. CGC Maintenance
   What cgc maintenance does is it puts your website in maintenance mode, which allows you to work on your website in the background. Users will not be able to view your website unless you have specifically entered in their IP Address which grants them access to view. Watch my video on how to create a splash page with CGC Maintenance here.
2. WP Statistics
   WP Stats is like Google Analytics, it tracks user data. This plugin will show up on your WordPress Dashboard as quick stats and you can click into it to view more graphs and reports.
3. Contact Form 7
   If your theme doesn’t come with a contact form, this is the best one out there. It can also create complicated forms such as order forms etc. Watch my video on how to use the Contact Form 7 Plugin here.
4. WP Google Fonts
   If your theme doesn’t come with built in font options, Google Fonts is your best bet. Watch my video on how to use the WP Google Fonts Plugin here.