Everybody knows one of the coolest things about WordPress is the plugins.  Really it’s the “candy” that keeps me plucking my eyes out over this crazy WP learning curve.  :)

Okay.  It’s really not THAT bad.  Maybe.  It’s just different, and sometimes different ends up hard and making you feel quite the moron.

But wait, hold on.  Don’t stop reading yet if you are on blogger! 

If you have ever considered making the often dreaded switch from Blogger to WordPress, then read on for a list of REALLY great reasons to take the plunge.

Some of these plugins are seriously awesome!  Thanks to Allison, Amy, and Brittany for their great inspiration!

One of the first things people always tell you about plugins is that while they are AMAZING, you have to be careful not to use TOO many that will slow your site down, AND they can be buggy too which is never what you wanna hear about something on your computer.

{So bear that in mind!}

Amy has great tutorials on all things WordPress including How to install a Plugin, so check there if you’re looking for helpful tips.

Here is MY List of Top WordPress Plugins!

Akismet.  This Spam Super Hero is recommended by almost everyone, and amazingly snatches all those annoying spam comments and drops them nicely in your spam folder!   Once in a while a REAL comment will slip through, but usually it’s because they included a link or two in their comment. 

You can see in just the few weeks I’ve been using it, it has filtered 235 spam comments.  Woot!

W3 Total Cache.  This isn’t all that glamorous, and really… I’m not sure what cache exactly means, but this one supposedly makes everything get a super boost in speed.  And when it comes to the world wide web, I think everyone can agree… the faster the better!

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WordPress Database Backup.  Now that I have left the giant clutches of Google behind, I’ve also left the giant and sort of reliable servers saving my blog.  My host saves a copy regularly, but you don’t want to rely ONLY on them.  I chose to have mine emailed to me daily.  At the very least, I’ll lose a day’s worth of posts and comments if a bloggy disaster should strike.

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Comment Reply Notification. Now for the FUN stuff!  Blogger’s comment system has forever been SORELY lacking especially compared to the function of WordPress. They did finally just get threaded commenting which was a H-U-GE improvement! 

Responding to comments is one of those hugely important parts of being a successful blogger, I think, and really… it’s just plain nice, you know?  I understand how it’s not possible for the big bloggers due to their volume of comments, but until you get there… respond to comments. 

One blogger who does a great job of this is Rachel.  She is a guru at building relationships and connections with her readers! 

Anyway, this plugin is awesome because it allows you to answer right on your blog via another comment, and that response is ALSO emailed to the questioner. 

That way, the original commenter gets their answer AND all future commenters who stop by your post with the same question ALSO get the info. 

Plus, answering in the comments occasionally also lets potential commenters see that you DO engage with your readers which they CAN’T see when you simply reply by email.

Thank you to Christina for sharing this one with me!

Comment Luv.  Woot! This was another one that I had to try not to be jealous of when I was on blogger.  Comment Luv automatically enters your commenter’s last blog post as a link underneath their comment when they enter their site info!  I think it encourages comments since people know they are being given a chance to also share THEIR latest post at the same time… WITHOUT being spammy.

Digg Digg.  The world of blogging is pretty much DEPENDENT on social media these days, don’t you think?  If you want people to share, tweet, or pin, you gotta make it EASY, because people are all about EASY!  Having share options with each post is almost essential.  I chose Digg Digg, and I love that it has the flexibility to pick what forms of social media I want included and WHERE I want the share bar to be. 

It is also EXTREMELY rad that they include a counter showing how many times something has been shared or pinned.  When a post goes viral, you want the thrill of seeing and knowing about those numbers, don’t you?  :)

nRelate.  I had Link Within on Blogger which is really the same thing.  This is SUCH an easy way to get people digging around on your site, so whether you are on Blogger or WordPress, if you don’t have this one, you SHOULD. 

If you have new readers, it is a super easy way to recycle old but good content right where they can see it and teases them with a pic to click on too.  :)

See don’t you want to click on those pics down there?

RSS Footer.  I have to give props to Allison at HOH for this one.  This is SUCH a fantastic option to have!  I still can’t get over it.  With this plugin, you can add whatever you want to be included at the end of your FEED… and only your feed.  It won’t show up on your post at your site, but WILL show up when someone subscribes to your feed through a reader OR email!

This way you can add a special message to your subscribers asking them to join you on facebook or twitter or even include sponsor ads since your feed subscribers don’t get to see these things on your sidebar!

I just added this one earlier this week, and I’m still tweaking it, so bear with me if it’s looking wonky!

Mobile Press.  I had a REALLY hard time finding a good mobile plugin!  I thought I had a great one, but it turned out it was great, but it wasn’t free.  So that’s not so great for me.  :)  I had no idea this was even something I would need to worry with since it’s one of those freebies automatically done for you on blogger that you just get to choose yes or no. 

This one is not fancy pants, but it’s functional and FREE!

I also like that with this one, you can scroll to the bottom and click “view full version” to see it in the normal web layout. 

And one more that I haven’t downloaded but plan to…

Broken Link Checker.  I know I need this since a few of you have mentioned some of my links not working, but I am very, very skeered to download it.  After moving several hundred posts over from blogger, I really don’t want to see a number in the hundreds and then have to cry.   Or something more adult and mature like frown slightly.

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WordPressers, what are YOUR favorite plugins you can’t live without???

Blogger peeps, see anything that gives you a bit of an inkling to wanna join the WordPress posse? 

I am definitely enjoying all these WordPress goodies!  When feel a bit disloyal to my Blogger roots, but then I remember… they turned on me FIRST!  

*Sometimes I link up at these parties… Weekend Bloggy Link up, Tatertots & Jello, House of Hepworths,Bowl Full of Lemons,Organize & Decorate Everything, Not Just a Housewife, Funky Junk Interiors, Somewhat Simple, Shabby Creek Cottage, No Minimalist Here, Skip to my Lou,Today’s Creative Blog, the 36th Avenue, Thrifty Décor Chick, Home Stories A-Z, Five Days Five Ways, How to Nest for Less, and Someday Crafts. You should check ‘em out!!