As a WordPress developer I’m constantly amazed and impressed by not only WordPress itself, but by the amount of plugins. As of this writing, there are over 37,000 and growing literally daily. I’ll start with a few plugins I think every WordPress site should run, and then list one specifically for streamers. This post assumes you have a WordPress site, and if you don’t, you should and it’s all sorts of greatness! It also assumes you’re using a responsive theme. If you aren’t sure, Google offers a mobile testing tool at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly.

Mister GoogleBot hates sites that aren’t mobile-friendly, and he also hates blog posts full of links like this one will be without a “read more” tag, so please click it to continue. 🙂

Thanks for clicking! So here are some general plugins every WordPress site should run and why. This list is in no particular order.

• Jetpack – This connects to your wordpress.com account and offers features from it. Trust me you’ll need it.
• bbPress – This is WordPress’s own forum software which integrates nicely into any theme.
• Akismet – This protects your post comments from spambots.
• Wordfence – Although WordPress itself is highly secure, this scans your site for other vulnerabilities it may have.
• UpdraftPlus – This automatically backs up your site to your Dropbox, Email, OneDrive, etc. They have premium add-ons that extend the functionality which are worth it depending on your needs, but the backup functionality is free.
• Google Analytics Dashboard – This is great not only because it shows you real-time stats in your dashboard, it will embed your proper tracking code. Even if your WordPress Theme configuration has an option for your Analytics code, use this instead.
• WordPress SEO by Yoast – Although WordPress is highly optimized, Yoast developed an additional plugin to help it in many ways. Don’t get fooled by spam you get from “SEO experts” (Search Engine Optimization) claiming they can get your ranking on “the front page”. It’s a scam. The best way for your site to have good SEO is by good content. /rant 🙂

And now for some plugins directly related to streamers and why. Again, no particular order.

• Twitch Status – This can be included in your menu system, and also includes a widget that includes the game name, title, and thumbnail.
• Live Stream Badger – This lists the online/offline status of not only you but other streamers you specify.
• WordPress Social Login – This allows people to login via Twitch or most other (optional) social networks. Whether it’s a comment to a post, or a post/reply in your forums, it will help deter trolls. I personally prefer Oneall’s Social Login, but the add-ons are commercial.
• Ultimate Social Media and Share Icons brings sharing your content to the next level.
• Markething.Me offers a Free Social Media Auto Submitter. I personally have not used their service, but the point is automation. I.E., you create a “post” like many streamers do on Twitter alone announcing they’re live. If you do it within WordPress it could then be automatically posted to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, and so on.
• WordPress YouTube plugin is the only commercial plugin that I’m going to mention here. It’s $22 USD but it automatically creates posts on your site based on your uploads to YouTube. It can also create posts based on your past uploads. Their demo gives a good overview.
• Steam Group Viewer – If you have a Stream Group, this makes it easy for your web site visitors to join it.
• Advanced Steam Widget – This will list your Steam profile, most-played games, and lots more. Not recommended for larger streamers, for obvious reasons. 🙂

Every web site is different and will need other plugins to suit them, but in my opinion this is a good starting point to consider. For example, if you’re an Amazon Affiliate, if you use Google Adsense, or if you accept PayPal donations, there are plugins that will make your life easier. If nothing else I hope this got your brain grinding about the possibilities of having a great web site that every streamer should have. As always, comments are welcomed!

Going to have a Hawaiian pizza, my Italian grandfather is already rolling in his grave,
DJ