How Using the Right Plugins Can Make All the Difference
It’s 100% true: WordPress has plugins. Lots of them. Depending on who you talk to or how you look at it, that’s either the greatest weakness or one of its biggest strengths of WordPress. At Full Scope Creative, we’re for sure rooted in the latter camp. We’re big fans of the plugins and functionality WordPress has, but with one important caveat: as with any tool, plugins are powerful when used correctly and thoughtfully.
Plugins Aren’t the Problem – Poor Plugin Choices Are
One criticism we hear about WordPress is that “plugins slow down the websites” or “plugins can interfere with each other.” Yes, that can happen, but it’s usually the result of installing far too many plugins, outdated plugins, or ones from unknown developers.
Here’s a simple comparison: just because there are millions of apps available for your iPhone or Android, you likely haven’t installed all of them. You pick the ones that are the best reviewed, updated regularly, and serve a clear need. The same applies to WordPress plugins.
A Plugin for (Almost) Everything
What makes WordPress such an easy choice for a CRM is that it’s so flexible and extendable. Need to add eCommerce? Need membership access? How about an Event calendar? Great SEO tools to boost traffic? Custom contact forms? There are several great plugins that can do each of those and even more. All without requiring you to rebuild your entire website from the digital ground up. This makes WordPress not just extremely flexible and functional, but also one of the most cost-effective and customizable content management systems on the web.
We’ve built countless websites using carefully selected plugins that save our clients time and money while delivering rock-solid performance.
Compatibility Comes Down to Curation
The idea that plugins always “come into collision and stop working together” is outdated. Well-coded plugins are built to follow WordPress’s standards and work nicely with others. If you’re installing random or outdated plugins from obscure sources, sure—you’re rolling the dice. But when you choose plugins that:
- Have thousands of active installs
- Are frequently updated
- Have strong user reviews
- Come from trusted developers
…you drastically reduce your chances of conflict or slowdowns. In fact, many of the plugins we use are recommended across the industry because of their reliability and clean code.
Why We Vet Every Plugin
At Full Scope Creative, we don’t just grab the first plugin that pops up in search results. Every plugin we use is vetted for security, support, and performance. And whenever possible, we configure and customize them to match the unique needs of your website—without unnecessary bloat.
Need custom functionality? No problem. Plugins can be extended and styled to your brand. That’s the beauty of WordPress—it’s flexible and customizable in a way many platforms simply aren’t.
Functionality Shouldn’t Be Feared
The takeaway here? Don’t be scared of WordPress functionality. Embrace it—with the right approach. When plugins are used thoughtfully and maintained properly, they’re a huge asset to your site, not a liability.
Instead of reinventing the wheel with custom code for every function, plugins can offer a reliable, efficient path forward—without sacrificing performance.
