Starting with the Right WordPress Plugins

Here is a list of various plugins that we have come across and we think would help you get the better out of WordPress, our themes and life in general.

Images related

• EWWW Image Optimizer to automatically optimize your images: http://wordpress.org/plugins/ewww-image-optimizer/
• WP-Smush.it — it will automatically optimize your images using Yahoo’s online service smush.it: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit/
• Force Regenerate Thumbnails will process all your existing image attachments and will recreate all of the needed thumbnails sizes by the current theme, while deleting the old ones so you don’t waste hosting space; very helpful when switching themes: http://wordpress.org/plugins/force-regenerate-thumbnails/

Moving WordPress sites

• Duplicator — this is one of the easiest and most helpful WP transfer plugins out there; you simply backup your entire WordPress installation, database included, download/upload the resulting files, and run a simple php installer that will recreate the previous installation on your new hosting, domain, or whatever: http://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/
• WP Clone — another site moving tool: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-clone-by-wp-academy/

Backup solutions

• BackUpWordPress is one of the easiest to use backup plugins out there: http://wordpress.org/plugins/backupwordpress/
• BackWPup Free is one the most used backup plugins (it also has a Pro version): http://wordpress.org/plugins/backwpup/
• VaultPress is the ultimate backup solution from the makers of WordPress, Automattic, but it is a subscription based solution so not free: http://vaultpress.com/

Sidebars and Widgets

• WooSidebars is a very useful sidebar management plugin that will help you get custom sidebars for any post or page, with added advance conditions: http://www.woothemes.com/woosidebars/