The Plugins Every Travel Blogger Should Start With
• Originally broadcast November 12, 2024 via email •
In earlier newsletters, we covered the importance of setting up your website on WordPress.org
(Not to be confused with WordPress.com.. and certainly NOT Wix)
Side note: If you’re ready to get started, A2 Hosting is a solid choice for beginners; it’s budget-friendly, and their customer support can guide you if you encounter any hiccups.
>> Click here to set up your blog with A2
Once you’re live on WordPress.org, it’s time to add plugins.
What is a plugin?
Think of them as “apps” for your website; each one adds specific features and functionality to help your site run smoothly and grow.
Plugins Important Tip
Aim to keep your plugins to a minimum. While plugins are useful for adding functionality to your site, having too many can slow down your blog (think about when your phone has too many apps, photos, etc).
Stick to only the essentials to keep your site running smoothly.
Must-Have Plugins
If you’re looking to add helpful plugins without bogging your blog down, here are a few that you *might* need.
These plugins help make your site look better, load faster, and even earn a little extra.
1. Kadence Blocks
Kadence Blocks is a page builder that lets you easily customize and design your blog posts.
Think of it as a way to add special layouts, buttons, and images to your posts without needing to know any code. It’s built to help you create a good experience for your readers.
If you’re new to WordPress and find it a bit scary, Kadence Blocks can make things a lot easier. It’s simple to use and works faster than some other tools like Elementor (please don’t use Elementor 😩), so your site will load quicker.
Note: You don’t have to use the Kadence theme to use Kadence Blocks. No matter which theme you pick, you can still download and use Kadence Blocks.
2. WPCode Lite
This plugin comes in handy for adding certain external tools to your website like:
- Google Analytics (helps you understand how many readers are coming to your site)
- Microsoft Clarify (even better at tell you how many readers are coming to your site and your readers’ behaviors)
- Stay22 (a great tool to help you earn even more from hotel bookings)
No messing with code, just plug it in and let WPCode Lite handle the rest.
3. ShortPixel
The speed at which your website loads is a big deal. It’s something I’ve highlighted in this and other newsletters because it can have a real impact on your blog’s success.
A blog that loads quickly means:
- Visitors stay on your site longer (which can make you more money in ads)
- Search engines like Google and Bing are more likely to rank your site higher in research results, since speed is a factor in search rankings (this means more readers for your site)
- Your readers get a better experience and are more likely to come back
One of the main reasons blogs can load slowly? Photos with large file sizes.
While pictures are important for an engaging blog, they can really hurt your blog’s overall performance if they aren’t “optimized”.
ShortPixel is a plugin that compresses your images to keep them looking sharp without slowing down your site. It’s an easy win for faster load times and a better user experience.
4. PrettyLinks (Optional)
PrettyLinks is a plugin many bloggers use to make their affiliate links (or any other link) cleaner and more user-friendly.
For example, my affiliate link for Trusted Housesitters might look like this: https://trustedhousesitters.pxf.io/q4joRN
But with PrettyLinks, I can “cloak” it to appear like this: https://mikeandlauratravel.com/trustedhousesitters
Both links go to the same page, but the second one looks cleaner and is easier to remember.
Plus, if an affiliate program ever updates or changes a link, you only need to update it in PrettyLinks once; no more hunting through each blog post to update links individually.
It’s a great time-saver for managing affiliate links across your blog.
Other Plugins
There are countless plugins out there, and it’s tempting to add more (many people do!).
But remember…
…the goal is to keep plugins to a minimum while covering the essential functions you need. Less is more when it comes to keeping your blog fast, secure, and easy to manage.
💡 Quick Productivity Tip 💡
As a new mom juggling a full-time business, a 4-month-old baby, and the quest for any amount of sleep, time feels more limited than ever.
One thing I’ve always loved is learning about business (of course), whether that’s through podcasts, books, articles, YouTube videos, or courses.
But now, with even less time, I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to keep up with my interests more efficiently.
A recent hack I discovered is the “Listen to this page” feature in the Google Chrome app.
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This handy tool reads articles or webpages aloud, so you can listen on the go; perfect for busy moments when sitting down to read isn’t an option.
If you’re tight on time but still want to keep learning, this is a game-changer.
Coming Up Next…
🚨How to get paid to grow your email newsletter (these techniques make us $50k+/month)
🚨 The seasonal blogger’s guide: what you need to know all year long
Keep an eye on your inbox for this email update!
Have a great week!
Laura
P.S. Here are my top recommended blogging resources.
(Links in this email could be affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase through them, we will make a small percentage without ANY additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting our newsletter!)
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