My Top 5 Wordpress Plugins

Even though I’ve only been apart of the WP community for a short time now, I have absolutely fallen in love with the plugins. So far I have installed 10 and counting. For those of you who are still using Blogger, this post won’t be of much use, but if you ever do decide to make the switch, these 5 plugins are a must-have (at least for me that is).

1. Contact Form 7 – a free and easy way for fellow bloggers, pr reps, clients or anyone else trying to get in touch with you, to do so.  This plugin allows you to create (and edit) a simple form that can be installed on any page of your blog.  Not only do you gain privacy by not having to share your email publicly, but you can easily edit the form to require (or make optional), any specific field.  For me, ( as a designer), it adds a hint of professionalism.This is what it looks like in my dashboard:And this is what it looks like on my blog:
2. TweetMeme Retweet Button – Adds a retweet button to your posts so that your visitors can retweet your posts to their twitter friends.

   This is what it looks like on my blog:

   

   Wow, someone actually retweeted my post.  I’m so excited, this is my first retweet, (can you tell)?  Woohoo!

3. Comment Luv – Give your viewers an extra incentive to leave comments on your blog.  With this plugin they have the option of sharing the link to their latest post at the end of their comment.  Which creates a win win situation for both parties (you get more comments and in return, they get more exposure).

   Here’s what it looks like:

   

4. WP iPhone Theme – If you’ve ever wondered if people visit your blog on their cellphones, trust me they do (or at least I do).  So when I discovered this plugin, I couldn’t resist.  Not only does it make it easier for my site to load on my phone, but it’s also easier to navigate, leave comments, and share with others.  This is by far my favorite plugin.  I just wish everyone had it, then I could read all my favorite blogs on the go.

   Here’s what it looks like:

   

5. WP Greet Box -  Interacting with your readers is an important part of building relationships in the blogging community.  This plugin allows you to add a personal message to your blog/posts welcoming them to your site and offering them an opportunity to subscribe to your feed.  You also have the option of greeting visitors from specific sites like twitter, digg, facebook and so on.  Here is what it looks like:

Now these are just my top 5 WP plugins, but with thousands to choose from, the possibilities are endless.  Right now, I feel like a kid in a candy store, I just can’t get enough.  And for those of you who are WP fanatics, I would love to know what your favorite plugins are.