Make Money Online at Natespost.com

   What should a wordpress plugin do for you? Any plugin you think about installing should serve one of three functions for you, otherwise it will simply clutter up your blog and risk making it look like a 2nd grader is in charge. And I don’t mean a normal 2nd grader. I mean that kid in the back that eats crayons and writes with the fat pencils. So before you install that fancy new gadget, ask yourself if it will do one of the following for you-

1. Will it help you gain/retain traffic?
2. Will it help you analyze traffic?
3. Will it ease your admin duties?

   Here are the 5 plugins I use, where to get them, and why I use them. Best part? They’re free.

1. Akismet - Automatically blocks spam comments, making my admin duties easier and faster.
2. Google Analytics - Gives  an in-depth view of where my traffic comes from, what readers like, why they return, etc.
3. Top Commentators - Livens up my site by encouraging readers to comment every day. Nothing will kill your readership faster than a blog with no comments. works great with contests. Did I mention my contest?
4. Feedburner - Simple to set up, this is your single best friend in getting readers to come back to your blog.
5. Social Bookmarkers- Gives my readers the option to submit each post to various outlets such as digg, stumble, etc is an excellent way of getting a little extra traffic here and there even if I don’t hit a homerun.

   Now I want your input. What is your favorite plugin not listed above, and what does it do for you?   p.s. - Don’t forget, one week to go on my contest!