As mentioned in my earlier post, WordPress plugins provided a number of features that make them attractive additions to any site. Because of the nature of Hawaii Beach Guide, I felt it important to add additional plugins that would provide features and functionality to benefit any travel site. I researched various plugins that would be applicable to my needs and wants for the site and ultimately, choose three new plugins that had not been installed or used previously.
- WPForms Lite – although there are built-in widgets available that can be used as forms, I thought it was important to find a plugin that provided a higher level of customization and features that could be used for Hawaii Beach Guide that would be easy to use and be available for free. An example of its use can be found on the Contact Us page. The plugin was easy to use and navigate and setting up a useful and attractive form was accomplished quite easily.
- Event Manager for WooCommerce – I had decided early on that the “products” I wanted to show on my store page would be experiences like activities or events. I felt that was more appropriate for a site like ours, rather than selling physical products. There were many event planning plugins, but ultimately I choose the one from WooCommerce. Not only was I familiar with WooCommerce already, the plugin was highly rated in the WordPress directory and was highly rated. The plugin allows you to create events, set up the reservations, and even accept payments. Ultimately I decided against using the events created as part of the store – but I found this a very useful and beneficial plugin and would use it again.
- Travelers Map – another plugin “must-have” that I wanted for the site was a way to map out some of the locations that would be discussed in the posts. There were many to choose from as well, but ultimately I went with Travelers’ Map because it was 1.) free, 2.) highly rated, and 3.) I was very pleased with the result. It was easy to set up and use, and I like the ability to not just show on a map where these locations are located but also to show a image of the location as well. An example can be found at the bottom of the Kauai post.
- Hatlas Vision Travel Pictures Monetization – I found mentions of this plugin while doing research on best plugins for travel sites. Although, I didn’t necessarily want to incorporate ads, I thought this could potentially be a good feature to have on a travel site. The plugin reviews the images to determine the location and then offers suggestions for lodging or activities to do at those places. I actually tried it out, and thought it was useful and could be potentially beneficial for a site owner and user. Below is a screen capture of what the plugin looks like when activated. You can see that when the Oahu image is hovered on – a link to buy tickets is shown which takes you to a link to the Waikiki Beach Trolley. However, like Event Manager plugin, I decided against using this and deactivated it. But, with more time and practice, I would certainly consider using it again.
