Well I figured since we’re using the amazing WordPress CMS system I would list our favorite 10 plugins! Any blogger/WP site should get these!

1. Akismet: “Akismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not and lets you review the spam it catches under your blogs “Comments” admin screen.” Does it work? YES! It has basically stopped our comment spam!

2. All in One SEO Pack: “Optimizes your WordPress blog for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).” Does it work? I think so. Our google ranking is slowly increasing. It works very nicely and integrates right into the post editor. This SEO pack will also automatically generate meta keywords right from your post.

3. PHP Code Widget: “The normal Text widget allows you to insert arbitrary Text and/or HTML code. This allows that too, but also parses any inserted PHP code and executes it. This makes it easier to migrate to a widget-based theme.” This plugin works great for any miscellaneous code you’re needing such as some advertising PHP code.

4. Google XML Sitemaps: “This plugin will create a Google site maps compliant XML-Sitemap of your WordPress blog. It supports all of the WordPress generated pages as well as custom ones. Every time you edit or create a post, your site map is updated and all major search engines that support the site map protocol, like ASK.com, Google, MSN Search and YAHOO, are notified about the update.”

5. Page Link Manager: “Page Link Manager is a WordPress plugin that adds an administration panel that allows you to pick which page links are included in your site’s navigation. Adding it to your WordPress installation is as easy as ever.” This plugin works great if you have a few back-end pages where you don’t want everyone to go to. You simply go to the admin and de-select that page.

6. Page Links To:  ”Page Links To is a plugin that allows you to make a WordPress page or post link to a URL of your choosing, instead of its WordPress page or post URL.” This plugin is much different to the Page Link Manager. Page Links To will link you page to categories of your posts, or any other URL.

7. Wickett Twitter Widget: “Display tweets from a Twitter account in the sidebar of your blog. As seen on WordPress.com.” If you’re a twitter fan, this is a plugin for you! You’ll notice we’ve got our twitter feed just to the right.

8. WordPress Download Manager: “Download Monitor is a plugin for uploading and managing downloads, tracking download hits, and displaying links.” This plugin works great if you have any download links. You can easily monitor the download stats and file sizes.

9. WP-Contact Form: “WP-Contact Form is a drop in form for users to contact you. It can be implemented on a page or a post.” This plugin works great! It’s simple yet works excellent!

10. WP Google Analytics: “Lets you use Google Analytics to track your WordPress site statistics.” Simple set up and the best feature is that it won’t log any administration activity.