This article was originally published on Tuxbee Digital.
My favorite free and low-cost word press plugins and tools for running a beautiful and profitable website
I wanted to showcase some of my favorite free and low-cost tools and Word Press plugins. Starting your website doesn’t have to be confusing or expensive. If you are serious about starting your website then you are going to have to invest in your domain name and hosting. That’s one of the only things on this list that is paid (but you do get a discount if you use my link). Everything else mentioned you can start using for free.
1. Best Hosting Company: WordPress with Lyrical Host
Choosing my website host took me years of comparison and research. I hated how deceptive the other hosts made their marketing, offering to host as low as $3 but only if you paid for 3 or more years. And on top of that, nothing was really included in that price. Want your website to be safe? Well, duh. Cool, you gotta pay for that. Like what? Shouldn’t the websites just be…. secure? I wanted something that was reasonably priced and actually cared about me and my website.
Then I stumbled into Lyrical Host in the comments section somewhere on Facebook. Clear and honest pricing that actually included everything needed to host my website. Free training and resources to help me not just set up my website, but set up a website that can actually be found by my ideal customers.
Did I mention the free stuff? Like the stock photos that we get every month? Or the community of passionate and friendly bloggers and business owners that you get access to as a Lyrical Host client. I could go on for days. I haven’t even mentioned the amazingness of the customer support team. Although they only offer customer service by email, I always get a quick response. And not to mention actually helpful!
If you are on the fence about starting your website or aren’t totally in love with your current host, I highly recommend you check out Lyrical Host LINK HERE
2. Make web design easy with Elementor Free word press plugins
One of the biggest hurdles in starting your own website is actually designing it to look beautiful. Lots of my clients had chosen lower-quality website hosts due to the drag-and-drop design functionality.
Let’s face it, when you first open up WordPress, the pages look so… boring. And not to mention how difficult it can be to make it look like you want it to from WordPress editor. And trying to choose a theme and then changing it can mean losing your hard work.
All of those issues disappeared when I discovered Elementor. They offer free themes that you can customize, as well as free blocks that you can use to build out a page if you don’t like the pages they have available. And if you decide to go Pro, there are even more options.
3. Use free templates from Astra theme to take your designs to the next level
When you use Elementor, you will still need to select a base theme to work from. I tried several different ones, but one that I found to be very easy to customize is Astra Themes. Not only that, but Astra Themes also offers even more free page templates for you to choose from. Once you build out the design with Elementor and Astra themes, you can add different functionality with a variety of free word press plugins.
4. Get even more free design elements with Envato Elements Plugin
Adding the Envato Elements to your Elementor plugin gives you even more options for designing sections and pages. You can even mix and match different sections from different providers. With all of these free elements, you are sure to find something to help you quickly design a beautiful and functional website.
5. Add another layer of security to your website with Wordfence plugin
Even if your host provides security, as Lyrical Host does at no extra charge, it’s a good idea to add another layer of security to your website. Wordfence sends a notification whenever there is an admin login, or a plugin needs to be updated. Not only that, it also protects against brute attacks and robots trying to guess your passwords.
Of all the word press plugins that are available, this is one that I make sure is added to every site that I create.
6. Use Yoast Plugin to help with Search Engine Optimizing your website
There are several word press plugins options for SEO plugins, but I still recommend sticking with Yoast. It’s the only one that has a relationship with Google, Is it perfect? No. After all, it’s a robot that is judging your writing based on its rules and algorithms. Remember to write for humans before the robots. But Yoast provides great feedback and allows you to establish the focus keyphrase and easily set up your meta description.
7. Protect your site from spam with Askimet Plugin
This plugin is essential. There is so much spam out there! Robots are constantly looking for sites to leave their spammy comments on. Askimet blocks comments from appearing on your website until you approve them.
8. Create a free account with Ubersuggest to find and track your keywords
Ubersuggest is an SEO tool that allows you to do keyword research. You can set up a free account to keep track of keywords and your website data, too. With the free account, you can complete up to 3 keyword searches per day. Take advantage of this and create a habit of checking the website once a day to search for new words.
Take notes of terms that have high searches and low competition, and make sure to check the related tabs for more ideas. You can also take note of related searches that fit the criteria and then go back and use that as your search term to see if any other gems pop out.
9. Use Calendly to book power hours, podcast guests or webinars
If you are running or want to run a service-based business, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to automate your scheduling process. Using a free tool like Calendly helps you set up your schedule so there’s no more back and forth about “what time do you want to meet?” Send them the link. Note, the free version of Calendly doesn’t allow you to take payments at the time of booking, the pro version does. However, if you want to charge for your appointments you can set something up on your website with WooCommerce, Paypal, and or Stripe, and then have the scheduling link sent out with the payment confirmation.
You can also use Calendly to book free calls or consultations, and even for podcast guests.
10. Another scheduling option with Acuity Scheduling
Acuity provides basically the same service as Calendly. The difference between the two is the options that are available with the free accounts, such as embedding calendars in your website. Check them both out and see which one you like the best.
11. Use Stripe to actually collect money
Stripe is what I use to collect money for my courses and memberships. Paypal can also be used, although I have heard horror stories of Paypal freezing or recalling funds so if you do decide to use it, just make sure its not your only option. Its always good to have several payment processors so all of your eggs aren’t in one basket as they say.
When I was starting out one of the biggest benefits of using Paypal was that the funds were immediately available. Stripe deposits the money directly into your chosen account so it can take a few days to actually use that money. Having money immediately makes a big difference when you are trying to figure out if you can afford dinner tonight, so keep these details in mind when setting up your store or service.
12. Create stunning graphics for your website and social media with Canva
Graphics are a must with online businesses. However, if you are like me, you are not a graphic designer. That’s where Canva comes in! There are hundreds if not thousands of templates that you can use to decorate your website, blog, social media, whatever. I have used Canva to create PDF books, Journals, Social Media Posts, and Cover Images, Animated graphics, website backgrounds, everything. There are also lots of templates that you can buy very inexpensively if you want something unique. There are so many options, though, that its easy to personalize your graphics and make them unique to you.
13. Easily set up your newsletter with Mailerlite (ditch the chimp!)
Mailerlite made it so that I could finally actually set up an email newsletter! The pricing is easier to scale with and the interface is easier to use than the other email systems I had tried. Don’t forget to offer something in exchange for their email instead of just asking them to give you something for nothing. Use Canva to create an awesome e-book or PDF with tips. or even a coupon for your product or service. You can also use Zoom to record a free training, meditation, or mastermind call. It all depends on your
14. Take advantage of Google’s free tools like Google Analytics with Headers and Footers word press Plugin
Having your tags and pixels on your website is so important! This will allow you to know who your audience is, what they are doing on your website, and where they are dropping off so you know what to optimize. Just set up your Google Tag and Facebook Pixels and then add them to the Heading box on this plugin.
When checking Google Analytics, don’t get overwhelmed! Check the “Overview” tab under “Audience, Acquisition, Behavior”. This starts to give you an idea of who is on your website (audience), where did they come from (acquisition), and what they are doing on your site (behavior).
15. Don’t forget other free tools from Google like Google Search Console
Don’t forget to set up other free tools that are available from Google, such as Google Search Console and Google Trends. These tools will help you with content ideas and understanding your audience. This will allow you to create more content, products, or services that can fill these needs.
16. Be sure to add your Facebook Pixel to your website
As I mentioned above, it’s important to make sure that your website has all appropriate tags and pixels to better understand your audience. This will also help you if you decide to run ads in the future for your products or services. Even if you aren’t quite sure how to interpret the data yet, it’s still important that you set it up so you can have some historical data to review once you decide to hire someone to help you or invest some time in figuring it out.
17. Free privacy policy generator
So technically this isn’t a plugin, but it’s still really important for websites to have a privacy policy and that you keep your visitor’s information safe. When you are starting out you can use something like LINK HERE but it’s a good idea to review this with an attorney based on your location and business type. It’s really important that you don’t collect information for people under the age of 13. DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY AND THIS ISN’T LEGAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR AREA TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS OF WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR WEBSITE, BUSINESS AND LOCATION.
18. Cookie Policy Checkbox word press plugins
If you are setting up all of the tags and pixels for your website, it’s also important that you give your visitors the option of opting out of cookies. You can use a plugin for this. Please research what the legal requirements are in your area so you can choose the best Cookie Policy Plugin for your website, business and location. DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY AND THIS ISN’T LEGAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR AREA TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS OF WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR WEBSITE, BUSINESS, AND LOCATION.
19. Don’t forget to include a shipping and or refund policy to your site
Having shipping and returns policy is a requirement for your merchant processor. Even if you don’t offer refunds, you have to make that clear.
Again, this is something that can vary by location and business. For example, it may be a requirement in your state to allow a certain number of days for returns. Make sure that you follow all local rules. Your merchant processor can shut down your account- which means that you can’t access your money- until a refund and or shipping policy is made available on your site. You can use a template and adjust it to your specifications, just make sure its on there. This will also help if a client files a dispute to get their money back after they bought something from you. It happens, unfortunately, so make sure your business is protected from people who try to take advantage of the system. My company has won plenty of disputes, even with Paypal.
20. Keep your media library organized with Folders Plugin
Your media library can get really full, really fast. Sometimes themes automatically download pictures when you install them. Sometimes you just need to add lots of photos, like when I uploaded the graphics for this blog post. I discovered Folders Plugin and was finally able to keep my media library under control. The free version allows a certain number of folders so use them wisely.
