There may be a feature or experience you want to add to your website, but you don\u2019t have the coding chops to build it yourself. A website plugin can help.<\/p>\n
So what are website plug-ins? Plugins are extensions that expand the functionality of your website. All you have to do is hit “install.”<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n In this post, you\u2019ll learn the benefits of using website plugins. You\u2019ll also see 17 website plugins that you can add to your site.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The beauty of website plugins is in their simplicity. All you have to do is download and install \u2014 or plug in the plugin!<\/p>\n When you don\u2019t know how to choose, here are some general rules to find the best plugin for your needs.<\/p>\n Plugins are developed for specific content management systems. When picking between plugins, make sure your options are compatible with your website.<\/p>\n For example. if you\u2019re running your website on Shopify, then a <\/a>WordPress plugin<\/a> isn\u2019t going to work. In that case, you\u2019d want to look into <\/a>Shopify apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Wix, you\u2019ll need <\/a>Wix apps<\/a>, while Webflow will require <\/a>Webflow plugins and integrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n What are you trying to achieve?<\/p>\n Get specific and outline the issues people are facing on your site. Find out what actions you can take to fix the problem.<\/p>\n For example, “The messaging on the site is too general. If we personalize the messaging, we should see conversions increase by X% within [timeframe].”<\/em><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve narrowed down your goal, conduct research to find a solution best that\u2019s for your specific problem. For example, you may decide a permanent plugin isn\u2019t what you need at all.<\/p>\n A good starting point is to assess your website\u2019s current performance. <\/a>Website Grader<\/a>, a free tool by HubSpot, can help with this audit. Website Grader will show you exactly what your domain\u2019s strengths and weaknesses are. Once you\u2019ve eliminated what\u2019s not<\/em> a problem, you can start shopping for a solution that solves your actual challenges.<\/p>\n Ideally, you\u2019ll want a plugin that has good reviews, is compatible with your site\u2019s platform, and offers the actual features that can help you achieve your goal.<\/p>\n Additionally, check how often the plugin is updated. Old or outdated plugins may pose a security risk for your website. Active plugins that are frequently updated by their developers are always a safer choice.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve found a good option, it\u2019s time to get it onto your site for your first test.<\/p>\n Having trouble finding the best plugins? We\u2019ve conducted some of the research for you. Keep reading to learn about our 17 favorite website plugins for the year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n HubSpot\u2019s WordPress plugin is an all-in-one marketing and lead generation tool. This plugin can help you <\/a>collect leads<\/a>, create <\/a>pop-up forms<\/a>, and <\/a>live chat<\/a> with visitors. All that data you gather will then be sent to a <\/a>free CRM<\/a> to use for campaigns.<\/p>\n The HubSpot platform offers many other growth tools. Many of these tools are free. Premium options can help you accelerate your marketing, sales, and service operations.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Lead generation and customer relationship management.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Social proof is the idea that consumers will adapt their behavior based on what other people are doing. Testimonials or data about how many people use your product are all social proof.<\/p>\n For example, if a customer sees a million people on your website, they\u2019ll understand that your service is popular and helpful. This increases the likelihood that they will remain a visitor.<\/p>\n Good social proof elements can be the difference between a user committing to buy or exiting your site.<\/p>\n Proof allows you to add social proof in different forms across your site, including current live visitor numbers, notifications of current purchases, and reports of how many people have recently signed up.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Social proof to boost conversion on landing pages.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Proof Factor is another plugin geared toward social proof elements. This plugin can show who recently bought a product and live visitor counts. This allows new visitors to quickly visualize the popularity of your products or services.<\/p>\n Best of all, Proof Factor also offers gamified pop-ups to add another lead generation element to your site and further engage new prospects.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Display social proof for increased conversion.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is a WordPress plugin for managing your website\u2019s SEO. It\u2019s perfect for website owners looking to quickly analyze their site\u2019s organic performance.<\/p>\n With this plugin, there\u2019s a smart website wizard that lets you quickly optimize your settings based on your site\u2019s profile. There\u2019s also added functionality for local SEO and WooCommerce SEO.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Improving website traffic with SEO.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n If you care about traffic, user experience, and conversions, you shouldn\u2019t overlook your website speed.<\/p>\n WP Rocket is one of the most powerful caching plugins for WordPress. This plugin helps you make your site faster in just a few clicks. Right upon activation, the plugin applies 80% of web performance best practices \u2014 simple as that.<\/p>\n Enable the advanced performance features to give your site an added boost. You can easily <\/a>remove JS and CSS render-blocking resources<\/a>, minify CSS and JS files, lazy load your images, and more. You\u2019ll save time and optimize your loading time, Core Web Vitals, and PageSpeed Insights score.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Make your website load fast.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Nothing slows a site down like large image files. Optimole processes your images and reduces their weight without sacrificing quality. This plugin will automatically take your images and process them in real time with lazy loading.<\/p>\n With Optimole, your images automatically get adjusted to the right image size for your visitor\u2019s browser and device. If they\u2019re on a low-quality internet connection, Optimole will downgrade the image quality accordingly so your user experience won\u2019t be affected.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Reduce image weight without sacrificing quality.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n RightMessage helps you serve your customers through personalized content.<\/p>\n You\u2019re able to segment users based on slide-in questionnaires, acquisition sources, or tags from your email service provider or CRM. Then, based on those segments, you can dynamically change messaging and CTAs to better appeal to that segment and increase conversion rates.<\/p>\n Additionally, the plugin integrates with a ton of site platforms including HubSpot, WordPress, and Squarespace.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Personalize calls to action to boost conversion.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n LimeSpot is an e-commerce-specific plugin that\u2019s available through the Shopify app directory.<\/p>\n It runs on powerful AI that analyzes user behavior as both an individual, and as part of a cohort to build out their user profile.<\/p>\n Once the AI\u2019s analysis is complete, it makes dynamic product recommendations that are specific to each user. This massively increases relevancy and conversions.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Conversion optimization for e-commerce.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Knowing how your users are interacting with your site is key to identifying UX issues and design problems.<\/p>\n Hotjar\u2019s heat maps provide you with an overview of user engagement. It can help highlight which CTAs and links are too vague, as well as where you\u2019re losing people in long-form content. Hotjar even allows session recordings for real-time analysis.<\/p>\n As a bonus, Hotjar offers feedback polls for more explicit data collection.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Behavior monitoring to improve user experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Qualaroo takes the feedback element of Hotjar to the next level.<\/p>\n With Qualaroo you\u2019re given a suite of features that automatically collect user data through more advanced targeting. You also have the option of including elements, like decision trees, to dig deeper into your questions.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Collect user feedback to improve products and experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Jumper.ai is best known as a social commerce tool, allowing brands to sell directly through their social media channels. However, Jumper.ai also offers a plugin that can help you make sales on your website.<\/p>\n This plugin takes Jumper.ai\u2019s checkout bot and allows you to run it directly on your site. With Jumper, you can add this conversational checkout bot directly to your product or service <\/a>landing pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n For instance, here\u2019s how it would look on a blog post.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Chatbot to help you increase conversions and improve your site\u2019s user experience.<\/p>\n Intercom allows you to install a small widget in the bottom right corner of your site to engage users with a live chat.<\/p>\n With Intercom, you can set up an automated chatbot and connect customers with live operators. Additionally, you can use the tool to offer in-app support if you\u2019re running a SaaS solution.<\/p>\n Best of all, Intercom also comes with an email marketing solution to further meet your business needs.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Set up automated chatbots and live chats to walk users through challenges.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n OptinMonster is a lead generation service that gives you the ability to target offers to specific user segments.<\/p>\n With OptinMonster, you can set offers to appear only after a visitor has been on your site for a set period, displays exit intent, or has visited certain pages. Ideally, this will help you guarantee your offers are reaching people once they\u2019re eager to learn more.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>Capture leads with exit intent pop-ups and other time-sensitive methods.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n SEO is a complex discipline to master. Yoast can help your team follow best practices.<\/p>\n Yoast\u2019s SEO plugin isn\u2019t a perfect solution. However, this plugin works well for SEO beginners who need a good overview of their actions. Yoast\u2019s plugin can help keep your website on track and ensure you’re truly optimizing your site for search.<\/p>\n For instance, the tool can amend meta descriptions for you. This ensures you\u2019re only showing key information in search results and social shares. When you\u2019re busy or don\u2019t have the resources to dedicate to SEO, Yoast can help you level up.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Beginner-friendly tool to add meta tags without code.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n WooCommerce is one of the bigger e-commerce solutions out there. It extends WordPress sites into online stores.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a perfect addition for WordPress users who want to start selling their own products.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Sell products on your WordPress site.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Drift has taken the concept of conversational marketing to the next level, and is a great addition to other marketing tools in your arsenal.<\/p>\n Drift offers chatbot services that can help make product suggestions or answer common questions. This plugin also allows you to segment messages based on your users\u2019 accounts, creating a more personalized user experience.<\/p>\n Use case:<\/strong> Personalize marketing to boost conversions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Testing different elements of your site, from headlines and images to CTAs and messaging, is key to improving your marketing results. However, running individual A\/B tests can be time-consuming and difficult.<\/p>\n Fortunately, the VWO A\/B testing tool is an all-in-one solution that automatically runs A\/B tests on your pages. The results can help you improve the overall optimization of your website.<\/p>\n Use case: <\/strong>A\/B testing to diagnose issues and increase conversions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nHow to Assess if a Plugin Is the Right Solution for You<\/h2>\n
1. Understand your website platform.<\/h3>\n
2. Identify your website\u2019s goal.<\/h3>\n
3. Conduct research.<\/h3>\n
1. HubSpot: Lead Generation WordPress Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
2. Proof: Social Proof Plugin for Websites<\/a><\/h3>\n
3. Proof Factor: Social Proof Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
4. All in One SEO: Search Engine Optimization Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
5. WP Rocket: Caching Plugin for WordPress<\/a><\/h3>\n
6. Optimole: Image Optimization Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
7. RightMessage: Conversion Rate Optimization Plugin for Websites<\/a><\/h3>\n
8. LimeSpot: E-commerce Personalization<\/a><\/h3>\n
9. Hotjar: Website Plugin for Behavior Monitoring<\/a><\/h3>\n
10. Qualaroo: User Feedback Collection Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
11. Jumper.ai: Conversation Checkout Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
12. Intercom: Live Website Chat Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
13. OptinMonster: Lead Generation Website Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n
14. Yoast SEO: Website Plugin for SEO<\/a><\/h3>\n
15. WooCommerce: Ecommerce Plugin for WordPress<\/a><\/h3>\n
16. Drift: Conversational Marketing Platform<\/a><\/h3>\n
17. VWO: A\/B Testing Plugin<\/a><\/h3>\n