WPMU DEV: Extraordinary WordPress plugins

We’re all sold on WordPress, it’s a great solution for anybody who needs to easily manage their site’s content in a user interface that even the least tech-savvy staff members are comfortable with.

But WordPress comes with a price: customizing a WordPress site to do what you need it to, simply isn’t as easy as customizing a plain old HTML file. Sure, you can poke around in the CSS a bit, but what happens if you need to modify the functionality?

Margins on the web are getting tighter and tighter. How can a small business ever hope to compete with the big corporate players?

Here’s a great idea: join WPMU Dev, a premium membership service for owners of WordPress based sites. The first thing you’ll get is access to 140+ plugins featuring almost every kind of functionality you can imagine. Next you’ll get 160+ themes plus full support to ensure you’re up and running without a hitch. Next and most importantly you’ll get unlimited support for any WordPress, Multisite or BuddyPress issue.

WPMU Dev plugins aren’t just pretty add-ons, these are tools that will quickly become and integral part of your day-to-day business. Take Appointments+ for example, it allows you to manage all of your client appointments right from WordPress; you can allow clients to book their own appointments, collect payments via PayPal, even send out reminder emails so your appointment actually turns up — incredibly useful for realtors, salon owners, doctors and just about anyone who allocates time slots for their customers.

Don’t need to book appointments? Well here’s something you definitely do need: WPMU Dev’s Snapshot plugin backs up your database — not just your posts, but all tables, including plugin settings – and should the worst come to the worst, restores it all for you. Backups can be automated and you can even save multiple ‘time machine’ style snapshots to give you multiple recovery points.

Why not put together a robust and easy to configure question and answer system on your site using WPMU Dev’s Q&A plugin? Visitors can search through previously asked questions, giving them fast answers to questions about your business and taking the strain off your support staff.

Do you need to schedule events, like gigs, parties, get togethers or classes? Then check out Events+, a great plugin that comes as part of your WPMU Dev membership. You can accept reservations, take payments, set dates and times, all from the familiar surroundings of your WordPress dashboard.

WPMU Dev’s Google Maps plugin introduces powerful mapping features to your WordPress site. If you’re running a bricks and mortar business then you need customers to find your location and this plugin is the ideal solution. What’s more, you can add as many maps as you like; pinpoint every stop on that roadtrip or show guests where to go on your special day.

You’ll find hundreds more plugins listed on WPMU’s site ranging from branding and SEO tools to full blown market place plugins. Fundraise, collect donations or kickstart a project; set up e-newsletters; launch a chat service; manage an affiliates service to spread your message; there are hundreds of opportunities waiting to be installed with just a few clicks.

What’s more, with the WPMU Dev Dashboard plugin, you can manage everything from the security of your WordPress dashboard; that’s updates, plugin or theme downloads and all the support you’ll ever want or need.

Whilst the most impressive feature of WPMU is the unlimited support, what you’ll really appreciate is the WPMU community. There’s no better way to stay fresh and focussed than to be engaged with like-minded developers across the web, and WPMU’s community makes that fun.

WPMU state on their website that using their service is like having your own personal WordPress development team, but you know what? That’s an understatement; it’s actually like WordPress was built just for you.

If you’re running a serious business, and you can’t afford a fulltime staff of WordPress gurus, then we highly recommend WPMU Dev.

WDD Staff

WDD staff are proud to be able to bring you this daily blog about web design and development. If there's something you think we should be talking about let us know @DesignerDepot.