So over the past few years we have been playing with WordPress as a blog, as an e-commerce solution, as a media outlet, and as business-managed sites. Through our time we’ve seen many things change with WordPress: the ability to install apps automatically hasn’t been there for long, changing from 1.6 to 2.2 was like dancing in heaven with theme abilities, and then the switch to 3.0.1 has made everything beautiful in the backend. We also have seen many plugins come and go as their support dwindled, or their user base diminished, but here is a list of some of the plugins that either stand our test of time, our are ground-breaking and stable enough for us to consider them mandatory.
Exec-Php
So many sites still use custom code, and many of ours do too. Exec-PHP lets us run that code without having to compromise any of the great features of WordPress (except for opening some security issues with weak user passwords…but thats another blog post).
Contact Form 7
Easy to use, admin-managed emailing plugin. Easily create and manage multiple kinds of contact forms for all parts of your site. Integrates seamlessly with Really Simple CAPTCHA (see below).
My Category Order
Drag and drop ordering of categories has never been easier. Theme dependent on whether or not it will work out of the box, but we can get it to work on any theme.
My Page Order
Same as above but drag and drop ordering of pages. Theme dependent on whether or not it will work out of the box, but we can get it to work on any theme. Stop manually adjust the page metrics and get on with posting content! This plugin will help you.
Nextgen Gallery
One of the staple plugins of our toolkit. Provides slide shows, pop out images, image galleries and customizable permissions.
Really Simple Captcha
The name really says it all: really simple. It adds CAPTCHA image validation to your Contact Form 7 forms easily and works as desired.
Calendar
A simple, but clean calendar integrated fully into WordPress. Allows for recurring events and link outs, and multiple calendars. Perfect for almost any use.
HL Twitter
Have you ever wanted a feed of your tweets listed on your site while at the same time having the ability to filter and pull multiple Twitter feeds into this one location? HL Twitter for the rescue. Also some great tools for tweet databasing, and easy account sync with Twitter.
Ozh’ Admin Drop Down Menu
This plugin is a must for anyone who admins their sites via tablets or netbooks. I love those devices, but there is a less than ideal amount of screen space to work with. Admin Drop Down moves the left-hand WordPress menus to the top in a presentable javascript drop down menu.
Fluency Admin
Fluency Andmin is just about the most beautifying thing you can do to your WordPress backend. It cleans up the menus, and provides a smooth interface for all your administrative needs.
Theme My Login
Tired of the normal login page? Did you spend time and money on your theme only to have to look at something else when you log in? Well, Theme My Login fixes that, providing a basic page to log in by. Still needs custom code to hide it from the page list of some themes, but that’s not the plugins fault!
W3 Total Cache
WordPress is amazing! But at the same time, the same things that make it awesome make it slow. W3 Total Cache improves performance within minutes after install. Highly configurable, and tweak-able beyond our desires. We saw 300% speed increases in our sites by running this plugin, but the creator claims 1000% – either way, I’m happy.
WP DB Backup
Simple and straightforward database management program. Choices galore, automatic backups, multiple delivery methods.
Google Analyticator
The ultimate in Google Analytics tracking and integration. Monitor basic traffic data directly from your dashboard. Easily syncs to Google Accounts.