Ecommerce marketers who use WordPress-based websites know how important Woocommerce plugin is. Plugin options are overwhelming and very tempting, but installing too many can bring opposite effects. Here is what you know about negative effects of excessive plugins, and how you can solve the problem.
Why Too Many Plugins are Bad
Excessive plugins can bring negative impact to your website’s performance. One obvious effect is slower website performance. This is because the plugins eat up space in your database. A crammed database can also cause slow page loading because there are too many HTTP requests for all the plugins.
Another potential problem is related to compatibility. Since plugins are created by different developers, there are chances that some of them are not compatible with each other. When this happens, your website cannot work properly.
Finally, there is a matter of security risk. Some plugins may have security holes, which increase the vulnerability of your website. The more unnecessary plugins you install, the more vulnerable your website becomes.
Tips to Install Plugins Effectively
In the world of plugin installation, less is more. The easy rule is around five plugins for websites with low-budget hosts, and twenty (at most) for websites with dedicated servers. However, this does not always apply, because it depends on factors such as the host quality, website’s operation system, and the budgets you have to boost the website’s performance.
Nevertheless, you must make sure that the number of installed plugins is reasonable. Here is what you can do to choose and install plugins properly:
Choose multifunction plugins
There are various plugins that have several functions. Review and choose between these plugins to fulfill your needs in your website, so you will not clog its database with too many plugins.
Review your previously installed plugins
Cleaning up your website is necessary to ensure high performance. Make sure to determine what you actually need on your website, and look at the list of installed plugins. Do not hesitate to delete plugins that contribute the least.
Back up your website regularly
When you encounter problems with incompatible plugins, your website may take a huge hit. Make sure you back up your website regularly, especially if you are still in the middle of reviewing the plugins. However, this step is also important to do anytime, not just when you have problems with plugins.
Do plugin testing
Whenever you are about to install a new plugin, you must test it outside of your website. This is to make sure that the plugin works properly as you expect, and will not bring extra troubles to your website.
Check the plugins before installing
Playing safe is always your best bet. Before choosing a plugin, make sure you know its reputation. See if the plugin is regularly maintained and updated by the developer. Read reviews from different sources about the plugin, and see the types of negative reviews it gets. If the plugin is regularly updated, there will be an extra guarantee for your website’s performance.
Plugins contribute greatly to the functions of your ecommerce website. However, make sure that the amounts of Woocommerce plugin you install are suitable for your needs, to keep your ecommerce performance in high level.