After getting your WordPress set up with a template and getting the child theme set up, the next step is to consider what plugins you’ll want to use with your site. Plugins are different types of software that you can add to your website that will perform different functions. For example adding a form or having your twitter feed streaming on your website require plugins. The great thing about WordPress is that it makes it very easy to add plugins to your site. There are literally tons of plugins for WordPress, most of which can be perused by visiting http://wordpress.org/plugins/ . Once you find a plugin you want to add, simply hit the “Install Now” button and then under the “Installed Plugins” page click “Activate” under the plugin name.

With all of the different plugins available, I thought I’d share a few that I’ve learned about and plan to use on my site.

Ninja Forms is a very easy to use form builder that is free.

Yoast SEO optimizes your WordPress site for search.

Akismet protects your site from spam.

Jetpack is a plugin with many different functions that helps customize your site as well as increase security and performance.

In conclusion, if there is a function you think you need to add to your WP site, there is a plugin for that.