The title says it all
Stop installing so many WordPress plugins (just had to say it twice). So you have your new blog and you are ALL excited to start writing awesome blog posts and getting a bunch of traffic but your mentor and friends have all given you a huge list of must-have plugins to install and activate. You are still very new to this so it takes you a couple of weeks to find all of these plugins, install them, activate them, set them up, then learn to use them. Most people leave out the last – most important – part. Now, you start to notice weird things happening on your blog. Site loads slow, errors appearing in the dashboard or on your blog, multiple Facebook Share buttons and Tweet buttons. What is going on?! AHH!
You have too many plugins installed!
I can almost guarantee I am right about the above statement. It’s probably one of the most common errors I see in blogging. Installing plugins isn’t just a simple “I am going to install and activate the plugin and my blogosphere is going to be perfect” solution. You have to closely maintain your plugins and monitor their effectiveness. Is anyone actually using that Sexy Bookmarks plugin? I’ve never once used it. Ever. Have you click that icon on someone’s blog? In my opinion (I am stressing that this is only my opinion), I also see the Sexy Bookmarks button as juvenile. If I am browsing through a Professional Internet Marketer’s blog and wanting to take the blog’s content serious, it would be a hard thing to do when there is a big Sexy Bookmarks button below every post. Just seems juvenile…and rather lame.
Choose your plugins wisely
Find out which plugins are going to meet your needs. Do some research on a plugin before installing it and find out what it does exactly. Read reviews on WordPress.org. Talk to other blogger about the plugin. Don’t just ask them if that have it installed, ask them if they truly find value in it. Have they every clicked and used the Sexy Bookmarks button?
Do you already have a plugin that does the same thing? I can’t count how many times I have come across a blog to find an array of Facebook Share and Tweet buttons jumbled in the corner of every blog post. Looks like they have two different plugins activated that do the same thing, both are adding the Facebook Share and Tweet buttons.
Read the manual
Okay, so not all plugins, especially free ones, come with a users guide or much on support. But try using Google to find more information on how to use every single plugin you have installed. Look for video tutorials on YouTube or questions that have been asked on WordPress.org. What is the point of installing a plugin, activating it, then never setting up it or tweaking its options? Make sure you are utilizing it in the right way. Aren’t internet savvy? Do NOT be scared to learn how to use a plugin! Just because it’s on a computer doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to figure out. 99% of the time it will be so much easier than you expect after you do a little research or read the author’s help notes.
Final Thought
This article was written to encourage bloggers to take action within their cluster of plugins running on their blog. I threw in some personal opinions and may have been a little assertive at times but this is a growing issue I see among new and old bloggers. Do not fall victim to this horrible failure. Take an hour of your evening and go through your plugins and analyze which ones are honestly making your blog better for yourself and more importantly for your readers.
Learn how to find answers about your blog.
Hey Clifton, a lot of good suggestions on a more reasoned approach.
A few weeks ago, I saw you make the comment to another blogger – don’t have too many plug ins. So based on that and your post here, I am curious, how many is too many? I know well enough that the answer must be “It depends.” But, in general, what does “too many” mean? Might I be bold enough to ask – how many do you have?
Thanks in advance – Richard
.-= Richard´s last blog ..The Facebook Ads Controversy Collaboration – An Alternate View =-.
Great question Richard. You are right, it depends. In general, too many plugin are reached when the blogger loses track of what each one does specifically and finds that plugi functions begin to overlap. For example, two Facebook Share plugins with different names but perform the same function.
I have 7 plugins activated. Each very specific in its function. Makes it much easier to maintain and update as well.
Thanks Richard
I am always finding useful solutions to my blog, Clifton! Your articles are great. This one particularly has gotten me to review the 52 plugins that I have installed on my blog. Half of these I don’t even use. A few more aren’t even activated. Thanks for showing me that I need to “de-clutter” the WP plugins. I know better…
Yours,
Jae Smith :)
.-= Jae Smith´s last blog ..MLM-Personal Best Sponsoring =-.
Whoa 52! I really hope you got around to thinning out the herd of plugins. :)
Hi Clifton! Listening to your expertise, I have definitely straightened up the error of my ways and now I am flying right! Lol! I am down to a cool and sensible amount of plug-ins now –14 sum total. Thank you for setting me straight. :)
.-= Jae Smith´s last blog ..MLM-Personal Best Sponsoring =-.
Excellent Jae! I am so glad I could help. Plugins are such a HUGE issue with many blogs and the way they operate. You never know ‘who’ wrote the plugin and and how efficient it runs.
Woah! 52 is a lot lol. Yes, def go and see what you are using and what you are not.
.-= Matt´s last blog ..Don’t Quit Network Marketing- Yet =-.
I have seen more than 52 from other bloggers that just get caught up in the plugin frenzy and don’t do proper maintenance on their current plugins.
Hi Matt!
I’m already on it and done it! I appreciate the corroboration there. Best of luck to you!
Jae Smith :)
.-= Jae Smith´s last blog ..MLM-Personal Best Sponsoring =-.
Great Job Jae. I am sure Matt will agree. :)
Well, you have a point. I do tend to install plugins based on recommendations. Here’s my own opinion about Sex Bookmarks:
I want to make it easy for anyone who chooses to promote a post of mine. Facebook and Twitter do seem to grab a lot of attention, but not everyone uses those services. Sexy Bookmarks has a huge collection and I think it’s cool that it allows me to pick and choose the ones I wish to display.
As for the issue of too many plugins, I always feel that I have too many, even though I only have 19. Usually, I find out – after the fact – that plugins like Akismet can cause more harm than good. So I wind up uninstalling them. Another plugin that gives me fits is WP-SuperCache. It is a problem for me because, like you said, I need to learn how it works.
I guess I should treat my blog like I treat my hard drive and eye every plugin as suspiciously as I view downloads from game sites. :)
Cheers,
Mitch
.-= Mitchell Allen´s last blog ..Who Do You Know =-.
Thanks again Mitchell. You have great feedback. I love that. Sexy Bookmarks does offer more syndication options, I just think that there is a better way to go about it. (Maybe I should build one…) I have never had any problems with Akismet but WP Super Cache I am not very confident in. I definitely encourage you to read up about each of your plugins or visit the developers website. You will probably find better ways to use their plugin. :)
I really hope to hear more from you!
Thanks for that good information, it helps to have a long timer to keep coming back to for good, sound information and content that’s worth checking back for. I hope to learn more. Today I am uploading your plug-in “Lightbox”.
Kim, this is one most people either don’t think about or don’t realize the effects it has on their blog. Thanks for sharing your feedback :)