WordPress Plugins for Bloggers: Essential Tools That Will Help You Make Money Online

A List of My Favourite Plug-Ins to Get Your Site Running Smoothly… and Make You Money!

Scroll to the bottom for a printable list of all the plugins I have used and love, or keep scrolling to see how and why I use them!

When I first started my blog four months ago, I thought writing was going to be the hard part. I could pour my heart out into words, share stories from motherhood and homemaking, and feel good about hitting “publish.” But I quickly learned there’s a whole other side of blogging.

If you are a new blogger or have thought about starting your own blog, make sure to read my posts about how to start a blog and mistakes you should avoid here.

Plugins.

It sounds so technical, doesn’t it? Like something only coders and actual website builders should care about. But in reality, plugins are just little add-ons for your site that unlock tools, protect your work, and help you make money. They integrate right into your back end seamlessly.

Without them, you can write all day long and still not see your blog grow into the intentional, income-producing home on the internet you’re dreaming about.

And if you’re anything like me, you’re juggling motherhood, homemaking, maybe homeschooling, and the constant pull of wellness rhythms.

That’s why I want to share the plugins that have been so helpful for me as a mom blogger who wants her work to count. To read about what I learned after four months of blogging and how I finally doubled my traffic and started earning money, read here!

Why Plugins Matter for Mom Bloggers

I think of plugins like the rhythms I use at home. A good laundry system, a solid meal plan, or even something as simple as a tidy toy basket can make the chaos feel manageable. (we can try, right?)

Plugins do that for your blog. They’re not magic, but they give you systems. They help you collect emails, make it easy for readers share your posts with more people, set up a store, and keep everything safe.

Monetization Plugins

When I finally opened my online shop, I used WooCommerce. It runs the whole storefront. To get paid, I added WooPayments and a PayPal extension so moms could choose what worked for them.

Another favourite is the rewardStyle widget, which lets me display affiliate products from Like To Know It (LTK) right in my blog. Instead of readers clicking off to shop somewhere else, they can browse and buy directly on my page.

(If you’re curious about more ways I’m building income through my blog, you might love the story I shared in my post on turning postpartum depression into peace, purpose, and passive income.)

Marketing & Sharing Plugins

One of the hardest parts about blogging is staying consistent with sharing. As a mom, I don’t want to spend all day glued to my phone. That’s where plugins like PopUp Maker and ClickSocial step in.

PopUp Maker helps you capture emails with little pop-ups to connect with readers even when they’re off social media (I have tried a few plug ins for that and this one is my favourite — plus it integrates with MailChimp perfectly!). ClickSocial helps automate posting on Instagram that links back to my blog.

I also use Genesis eNews Extended connected to Mailchimp. That little sign-up box in my sidebar? It’s two plugins working together to build my email list.

I also use plugins like Simple Social Sharing to make it easy for readers to find your social media pages, as well as plugins to make it easy for them to share to their own socials or share the link via email or messages.

If you’ve read my post on breaking the scroll, you know how much I believe in creating rhythms that let us step away from screens while still building something meaningful. These plugins help give me that balance.

SEO & Security Plugins

Blogging is vulnerable. You put your words out there on the big scary internet, you hope people find them. But the more people can find them, the more bots and scammers can find them as well. And you want your posts to be safe. That’s why I use plugins like All in One SEO (to make sure Google actually knows my posts exist — plus this is hands down the best SEO plug in I have tried!), Broken Link Checker (to fix links in the background), and CleanTalk Anti-Spam for extra security. I also purchased a storage backup protection plan from Jetpack to make sure all my hard work is stored somewhere safe.

Are You A New Blogger?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the tech side of blogging, take a deep breath. You don’t have to install everything at once. Choose one area, maybe start with email signups or a security plugin, and grow from there. This is a journey, and every little step adds up.

Remember, the Glow isn’t about perfection. It’s about moving from chaos to intentional living, even online. And I promise, you’re more capable than you think.

Stay up to date on my blogging journey by subscribing to Let’s Glow, or you can check out all my blogging posts and income reports here!

If this post helped you, I’d love if you’d share it with another mom who’s dreaming of building something online. And if you’ve discovered a plugin you love, comment below and let me know — I’m always learning too!

TLDR; The Full List of Plug-Ins

If reading is too much and you just want to know what kind of plug-ins you need, look no further. I have summarized the above and added a few more great plug-ins that I love in this list. (Thank you ChatGTP for summarizing this for me so beautifully!)

Want to save this list in a screen-shot friendly PDF? Check it out here!

Bryana Venos is a Canadian writer, blogger, and content creator – but most of all, a stay at home mom of two boys and the main voice behind Let’s Glow. She writes about motherhood, wellness, and simple, nourishing recipes, sharing her real journey with faith, mental health and post-partum struggles. Her focus is on gut health, daily rhythms and intentional living. Her goal is to support other women and mothers in creating lives and homes that they “glow” in — from the inside out. This blog reflects her personal experiences and is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice. The content on this site was created by Bryana Venos and was not written, reviewed or approved by any third party sellers or brands featured on this site.