As I refined the Aloha Fit website, I focused on keeping plugins that improved performance, added meaningful features, and made site management easier. These are the tools I brought back—and the reasons they earned a permanent spot.

Security, Speed & Backups

✔️ UpdraftPlus – Reliable backup plugin that makes restoring the site easy if anything breaks.
✔️ W3 Total Cache – Speeds up the site by caching content and improving overall load times.
✔️ Really Simple Security – Simple tweaks to improve site security without overwhelming settings.
✔️ Login Lockdown – Limits login attempts to help block brute-force attacks.

Design & Page Building

✔️ Elementor – Still useful on select pages for visual design and fast layout building.  I used this mainly to design the post and products pages.
✔️ Otter Page Builder – Lightweight block tools that extend Elementor’s flexibility.
✔️ Smart Slider 3 – Great for content with easy-to-use sliders.
✔️ Slider Revolution – Used for high-impact, animated hero sections and advanced visual features.
✔️ Duplicate Page – Speeds up workflow by allowing me to quickly clone layouts and pages.

Functionality & Visitor Experience

✔️ Accessibility by UserWay – Improves inclusivity and ensures the site is more accessible for all users.
✔️ Akismet Anti-Spam – Filters out spam in comments and contact forms automatically.
✔️ Image Optimizer – Compresses images for faster load times without sacrificing quality.
✔️ Jetpack – I use select features like image CDN and basic stats—just enough without overloading.
✔️ Google Analytics – Provides key insights into how users interact with the site.

Podcast Tools

✔️ Blubrry PowerPress – Robust podcast hosting and feed management.
✔️ Seriously Simple Podcasting – Easy-to-use podcast plugin that makes publishing quick and seamless.

Ecommerce & Site Access

✔️ WooCommerce – Essential for running the Aloha Fit online store and managing products.
✔️ Single Sign-On – Makes login easier and more secure for managing the backend.

Final Thoughts

Each of these plugins serves a clear purpose. Rather than adding features just because they’re trendy, I focused on tools that improve site performance, content delivery, and my experience as a site owner. If you’re building your own WordPress site, start simple—and build smart.