It’s been a while since I wrote about WordPress Plugins, so I thought it might be helpful as we’re winding up 2012 to provide you some recommendations for the coming year. All images link to the plugins.

Online WordPress Backup

I personally think this plugin should be installed on every site you create. While backing up a WordPress site isn’t hard – copy all files and export the database in a csv file – this makes it even easier. You click a button and it backs up the site, giving you a handy zip file to download and keep just in case.

The restoration of a site isn’t easy enough for non-programmers – you upload the files using FTP and then import the csv file in the database – but it’s makes regular backups a breeze.

NextGEN Gallery

The NextGen Gallery is a good slideshow that you can use multiple times on the same page. The user interface is a bit clunky, but it’s usable and semi-easy to use once you know it.

Another great thing about this plugin is that it provides a button on the “Pages” page. Click the button, choose the slideshow, and you choose how to display the slideshow out of three options.

The best thing about this slideshow is that you can add JJ Slideshow to it (see below).

JJ Slideshow

If you install this with the NextGen Gallery, it provides beautiful transitions to NextGen Gallery. There are also tons of options you can use with the shortcode to customize each slideshow you place on your website. Unfortunately, if you use the JJ Slideshow, you can’t use the NextGen Gallery button on the “Pages” page.

Prettify GC Syntax Highlighter

For those who want to show coding within their pages, Prettify GC Syntax Highlighter is the best I’ve seen. Once installed, you can easily change any section to coding by just added a few tags. Personally, I added a little shortcut for me (any “preformatted” is switched to the tags automatically when loaded) in the heading of my code, but it’s easy to edit the colors, size, etc.

TinyMCE advanced

Anyone who’s tried to make tables in a page in WordPress knows how frustrating it is. Not only that, but handing something like that over to the owner is even worse – they can’t edit it and will often unknowingly mess it up. TinyMCE Advanced solves all your problems.

After installing the plugin, go to Settings -> TinyMCE Advanced and customize what items you want to show up on the “kitchen sink” using a drag-and-drop interface. It’s so easy, anyone can do it! There are TONS of options, so you can do anything from fonts, colors, to tables and more!

Summary

These are my current favorites, but if you have suggestions that you use, leave a comment!