I made the switch over to WordPress a couple of years ago now and it was the BEST decision ever. I feel like I have so much more control over my site, its features and the user experience on the backend is flawless. After two new site designs since the migration, I learned a few favorite plugins that not only make my site prettier, but also help me stay organized and on top of everything. Today I’m sharing 7 of my all time favorite plugins for WordPress. I think many of these are definitely specific to fashion bloggers, but some are great generic ones that will work for everyone.
7 BEST PLUGINS FOR LIFESTYLE BLOGGERS
WordPress Editorial Calendar
I downloaded this plugin about 2 months ago and can’t believe I waited this long to start using it. For me, I try to plan out my content as far out as possible. The goal, 1 month. This plugin allows you to see where your posts are scheduled for in a calendar view. You can also easily drag and drop them to move things around versus quick editing in your standard post list to new dates. This also eliminated any mistakes with dates which I was guilty of.
This plugin allows me to see the big picture, which is crucial. I can also see where I am missing a post for the week and can easily add in a post with title, schedule post time and any notes so that it shows up in my post list when I begin creating content. It’s basically a game changer and I’m in love with it.
WP Open Comments In New Windows
There’s nothing that annoys me more than going to a blog and when I click on a commenters link and I’m no longer on the original blog anymore. Besides the annoyance, first and foremost, this reduces your average time on site, increases bounce rate, and also can decrease your pageviews. ALL bad things. By installing this plugin, any link someone leaves in your comments will open in a brand new window. This way your readers still have your site open when they close out of that commenters opened webpage and can return to visiting your site. It’s a win, win folks.
Public Preview
Many times when working with brands they’ll ask to see a preview of my posts. I tend to send Word documents with all the copy so edits may be made, and a separate file of photos, but sometimes a simple preview link will suffice. This allows you to generate a link to view a draft or scheduled post that you can share with brands/clients.
NoFollow For External Link
For SEO purposes, many brands will request that you put a nofollow link on any of their links. It’s also ideal for any affiliate links. You see, in a nutshell, Google may penalize you for using too many outbound links, affiliate links OR linking to low ranking sites. This tells Google NOT to notice that you’re linking to this. There’s a ton more to it, but for us lifestyle bloggers, this plugin is highly recommended by just about everyone I’ve spoken to. It’s so much easier than manually doing it.
Wp Recipe Maker
If you do any recipe posts, this is your plugin! It’s super simple to customize to match your design and it’s a great way to showcase a recipe. I used to write my recipes out and it looked awful in posts. This makes a very clean, simple recipe card that pops into your post. Readers can easily print the recipes or save it for later. Plus if you already have a plugin and want to switch over, this has a great import option that will help cut down on time.
Yoast SEO
An absolute must for any one with a site. This plugin walks you through all the steps to make your post SEO friendly. It’s also a super plugin since it will be the source behind your Twitter cards, the preview that shows up when someone searches for your blog and more. It’s crucial your site has this installed and that you utilize it daily. I finally upgraded to the Premium version and am loving the new options to help boost my SEO even more. I highly recommend it.
Scroll Triggered Box
This is one that Lindsay Humes added to my site for my newsletter popup. I personally did not set it up and don’t know if I’d be able to. However, once she created it, I’ve been able to edit, add new photos and change things easily on my own. I like that it isn’t super invasive and can set it so it doesn’t bother readers daily. And on that note, if you aren’t signed up you should do so! You can sign up for either daily posts sent straight to your inbox, and or newsletters only. I send newsletters out about once or twice a month with sneak peeks of what’s to come, updates from the My Style Vita desk and more. Sign up right here.
For more blog tips, be sure to check out all my Blogger Q&A posts! Have a blog question I haven’t covered yet? Leave me your ideas below!
Featured photo by JNelly
