Elementor
Elementor is one of the most powerful plugins ever released and has completely changed the game in WordPress site building. It allows you to create stunning websites without writing a single line of code. As of the time of writing, this Israeli-made plugin has over 5 million downloads and supports around 57 languages. Elementor is a drag-and-drop Site Builder, letting you easily place widgets directly onto your page and design your layout live. While the free version has some limitations, the Pro version unlocks endless design possibilities. It includes hundreds of pre-built templates for product pages, blog posts, popups, content areas, and much more - making it a must-have plugin for any site.
Click here to purchase Elementor Pro.
Yoast SEO
Yoast is the leading SEO plugin on the market. It offers an accessible way to build a solid SEO foundation by creating sitemap.xml files, editing robots.txt, indexing your site, and analyzing content readability. If these terms are unfamiliar, it’s time to do a little homework - because they are crucial for anyone who wants their site to appear in Google search results.
Wordfence
WordPress websites are often targeted by hackers. Attackers might try to steal data or take down Israeli websites, as has happened to me personally. That’s why Wordfence exists - it monitors for unauthorized login attempts and suspicious activity. With over 4 million downloads, it’s one of the most trusted security plugins available. Best of all? It’s completely free.
WP-Rocket
WP Rocket is a critical plugin for boosting your site’s speed, which directly improves user experience. (You are welcome to read more in our article about "Website speed optimization"It mainly uses caching but also includes other performance-enhancing features. While there’s no free version, WP Rocket delivers some of the best results on the market. Yes, there are free cache plugins out there - but in my opinion, none match what WP Rocket delivers.
WooCommerce
Thinking about launching an online store? WooCommerce is the go-to plugin for WordPress eCommerce.
Right from installation, it helps you build essential pages like product listings, checkout, and payment pages. You can add products, define shipping methods, integrate payment gateways, and much more.
WooCommerce is completely free, though premium extensions are available (sometimes at steep prices, but free alternatives exist).
Compress JPEG PNG images
This plugin is perfect for optimizing image sizes and boosting page speed. It reduces server load by compressing your site’s images without compromising visual quality. (You are welcome to read more in our article about "Website speed optimization").
You can automate the process, compressing every image uploaded to your media library. The free version allows up to 500 image compressions per month - beyond that, a small fee applies. But you can always wait until the next month to resume for free.
UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus is a fantastic backup plugin for WordPress sites. Experts recommend frequent backups to prevent data loss due to hacks or critical errors. This plugin allows scheduled backups, deletion of old versions, and easy restoration. You can also save backups to cloud services like Google Drive. It’s free and absolutely essential.
