Web Engineering – A WordPress Insight
Update your Plugins regularly:
The security and functionality of your blog is highly dependent on how frequently you update your plugins. Plugins that are out of date can be the prime targets for spammers looking for security loopholes. These can be broken upon the release of newer Versions of WordPress or Plugins.
Either update the deactivated plugins or cut them loose:
This is a follow up advice from my previous point and I use it quite often. The fact that a deactivated Plugin exists on your site gives way for security weaknesses. You can update your deactivated Plugins or get them out of the picture. Either way, the security of your site stands to be the prime focus.
Backend Plugins that aren’t being used can be deactivated:
A lot of Plugins cause strain to your website. It might be a minor strain but is still a matter of concern. I would highly recommend to activate these Plugins when they are needed. You can take WordPress Database Reset Plugin; this only needs to be activated when you are running the reset. In other words, make use of the Plugins that are active and if they aren’t of immediate use, deactivate them.
Number of Plugins makes no difference:
How many Plugins you have is not an issue but how well coded they are and whether there’s any conflict between multiple plug-ins within your website architecture. Its better to have immaculately coded and lightweight Plugins than the bloated, vulnerable and resource intensive ones. This helps you secure your website.
Quality over Quantity, any day:
Not only me, but anyone who is accustomed to WordPress Plugins will ask you to go with quality and not quantity. Choose the Plugins wisely as every Plugin you’ve picked up has left a footprint which is hard to remove. The urge to use, test and install every Plugin is a threat to your own site. Be wise while choosing a Plugin as poorly coded Plugins can do more harm than profit.
Premium isn’t the best:
It is a tried and trusted idea that people perceive expensive to be better. But is it? If it is offered at a lower price margin, you might question the quality. Just because you are paying for a Plugin doesn’t change its value. The earlier you realize that, the better it is.
The Plugins you install are highly dependent on the kind of website you are developing. But these pointers that have been put forward for your understanding stand to be the same for any kind of website. These are the basic pointers you need to know in order to use the Plugins effectively.
