Use a WordPress Community Plugin to Boost User Engagement
Last Updated March 4, 2024
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A WordPress community plugin is a tool that allows users to create and manage online communities on their WordPress websites. These communities can include forums, discussion boards, user profiles, messaging systems, and other social features that enable users to interact with each other.
A good plugin provides a centralized platform for users to connect with like-minded individuals, share information, and collaborate on projects. It can also help website owners build a loyal following and increase engagement by encouraging users to participate in discussions and contribute content.
These plugins are useful because they provide website owners with an easy and cost-effective way to build and manage online communities without having to build everything from scratch.
A WordPress community plugin is a powerful tool that can help website owners create engaging and interactive communities on their WordPress websites. It can help increase user engagement, build a loyal following, and create a sense of community around a website or brand.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options available today.
Popular Choices for a WordPress Community Plugin?
Each of the options for a WordPress community plugin in this post is available, for free, from WordPress.org. You can download the plugin file from the repository on the site and upload it to your WordPress installation. Or, for a quicker method, simply install and activate any of these plugins from right inside the WordPress admin itself.
We have summarized the features of each plugin in this post to the best of our ability. A few of these plugins work on a freemium model. This means the base plugin is free but the developers sell a pro, or premium, version with extra features. In those cases, we have detailed what you get with your purchase to help you make the best decision.
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member is a WordPress community plugin that makes it easy for people to sign up on your WordPress site and gain membership. It allows you to add front-end user profiles for each member and is great for building an online community. The plugin provides front-end user registration and login, with custom form fields and conditional logic for them as well. The form is easy to build with drag-and-drop capabilities. You may even give different users custom roles that you decide on. A member directory is available to add to your site. Finally, certain content and menus may be restricted based on membership levels.
Plugin Details
This product was initially released by its creator in January of 2015. It is presently on version 2.8.5 and last saw a revision on April 9th, 2024. The newest update works on WordPress 6.5.2 and requires at least PHP 5.6 to run on your server. This plugin is presently working on over 200,000 WordPress sites. It has had over 10,074,120 downloads. There have been 259 help requests with a 79% response rate. Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin has ok support from its owner. Reviews for Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin are very positive. Many of the users who left an evaluation found Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin to be useful.
Ultimate Member comes with a wide range of paid extensions that enhance the plugin’s base capabilities and can be bought individually. However, if you want all the extensions, an All Access Pass is offered with a discount.
Extensions available include allowing your users to make their own notes, bookmark content, upload photos to their profile, and choose their own cover photo from Unsplash. Users can create and join groups, see private content, message, become friends, and follow each other. A user tag system may be added to your site and real-time notifications may be included. Other extensions also offer many integrations with other plugins or applications like Mailchimp, social media sites, bbPress, WooCommerce, and myCRED.
WP User Manager
WP User Manager makes it easy to manage your community by creating a full user and member experience on your site. There are customizable front-end forms where users can log in and register. Custom emails can be sent to users once they become members. The plugin also includes ways for users to reset their passwords.
All users are given public profiles where they can upload their own avatars. Roles with different capabilities can be given to certain users. Content may be restricted based on these roles or statuses. All URLs are SEO friendly and a directory of users can be displayed anywhere on your site. Redirects may also be customized, widgets can show user data and forms, and the plugin comes with Stripe integration as well.
Plugin Details
This product was initially published by its owner in July of 2015. It is now on version 2.9.10 and last underwent an update on April 2nd, 2024. The latest update functions on WordPress 6.5.2 and requires at least PHP 7.2 to function on your server. This plugin is presently working on over 10,000 WordPress websites. It has had over 577,480 downloads. There have been 6 support requests with a 50% response rate. WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership has below average support from its developer. Reviews for this plugin are very positive. Many of the customers who left a piece of feedback found WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership to be useful.
WP User Manager Premium is the premium version of the plugin with more advanced functionalities to use when managing your users. There is integration with WooCommerce and Stripe Pro for payment and data collection. Product purchases and reviews may be displayed on the site. Verification links can be sent via email for users upon registration. Password security features may be included as well.
Users can create and join groups, post their own content, like each other’s posts, log in with their social media accounts, and even delete their accounts if they wish to. Users may also be synced to MailChimp for email marketing purposes. Your site is protected from spam registrations thanks to Google reCAPTCHA and hCaptcha. Members can request an export of their personal data and ask for it to be erased as well.
The plugin also comes with WPML support to translate your fields and forms. Free extensions are available that allow you to send newsletters and set minimum and maximum character limits for usernames.
wpForo Forums
wpForo Forums is the next WordPress community plugin on our list. It serves as a forum solution for your WordPress site. It comes with stylish layouts that adjust to whatever device it’s viewed on and integrations with BuddyPress and Ultimate Members. There can be multiple separate forum pages with four designs and six sets of color styles to choose from.
The plugin is multi-language, has a live user notification system, and ratings and badges for members. There’s a built-in cache system, sitemap, user group system, and search engine ping. it also comes with antispam and Akismet integration to protect your forums. Users may subscribe to forums or certain topics and log whether a post is read or unread. Front-end moderation is available as well to help with keeping content and user behavior under control.
Plugin Details
This product was initially published by its developer in June of 2016. It is presently on version 2.3.3 and last experienced an update on April 22nd, 2024. The latest update operates on WordPress 6.5.2 and requires at least PHP 7.0 to work on your server. This plugin is actively working on over 20,000 WordPress sites. It has had over 1,259,130 downloads. There have been 17 support requests with a 53% response rate. wpForo Forum has below average support from its developer. Reviews for wpForo Forum are very positive. Many of the users who left a piece of feedback found wpForo Forum to be excellent.
Asgaros Forum
Asgaros Forum helps you enhance your WordPress site by adding an engaging discussion board. This plugin is full of features but remains lightweight and easy to set up. It comes with simple content management, profiles for each member, and feeds and notifications to keep people updated.
Users can upload their own content, react to other posts, and make polls. Additionally, statistics and a search function are available. The plugin’s theme is responsive and customizable as well. For moderation, permissions can be given to certain roles and users that allow them to approve, ban, or report any submissions. The plugin is multisite compatible, SEO friendly, multilingual, and has integration with myCRED.
Plugin Details
This plugin was initially published by its creator in December of 2015. It is currently on version 2.9.0 and last experienced a revision on April 9th, 2024. The most recent edition runs on WordPress 6.5.2 and requires at least PHP 5.3 to run on your server. This plugin is currently running on over 10,000 WordPress sites. It has had over 824,050 downloads. There have been 5 support requests with a 0% response rate. Asgaros Forum has below average support from its developer. Reviews for this plugin are very positive. Many of the users who left a review found Asgaros Forum to be worthwhile.
ProfileGrid
ProfileGrid is the final WordPress community plugin we will be discussing. It adds powerful and useful community features to your site. You can create front-end user profiles, groups, directories, paid memberships, and register users through a signup page. Content may be restricted based on status or role and users may be allowed to submit their own content. Your users can also add each other as friends and message each other.
The dashboard includes a group manager to create, edit, and set rules. A group can have its own custom name, type, description, limit, and badge. You may also set if it is free or paid, how much it is, and enable email notifications for members. Users can customize their own page by adding their own avatar and cover photo.
You can create custom fields and email template attributes as well as select an overall template and theme for the page. There are also free extensions available that allow you to manage user display names, use demo content, add hero banners, show recent activities, and display users or featured groups in a slider. There is also free integration with programs like Zapier, MailPoet, Elementor, and EventPrime.
Plugin Details
This piece of software was originally published by its owner in November of 2016. It is currently on version 5.8.5 and last underwent an update on April 24th, 2024. The latest version works on WordPress 6.5.2 and requires at least PHP 7.4 to run on your server. This plugin is presently running on over 7,000 WordPress sites. It has had over 837,270 downloads. There have been 14 assistance requests with a 100% response rate. ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Memberships, Groups and Communities is well supported by its developer. Reviews for this plugin are very positive. Many of the customers who left a review found this plugin to be great.
ProfileGrid Premium is the paid version of the plugin that comes with a multitude of extensions and integrations for you to further enhance the plugin’s capabilities. It’s available in a yearly plan for a single site or through a lifetime purchase for unlimited sites.
Features include photo albums within groups, individual private or public photo albums, group walls, user geolocation maps, and a way for users to make their own groups. You can also allow login via other social networking accounts. Add custom tabs and labels on user profiles and even set their own status. A list of online users may be displayed, some menu restrictions may be implemented, and profiles may be rated and reviewed by their peers.
There are integrations with other programs, platforms, and plugins like MailChimp, Instagram, Stripe, myCred, and WooCommerce Products, Extensions, and Subscriptions.
Find the Best WordPress Community Plugin
There are several key features that you should look for when choosing a WordPress community plugin. Here are some of the most important ones:
- User Profiles: allow users to create and manage their own profiles, including profile pictures, personal information, and activity feeds.
- Social Networking: includes social networking features such as the ability to follow other users, send private messages, and share content.
- Groups and Forums: allow users to create and join groups and forums, where they can discuss specific topics and share information.
- Activity Streams: have an activity stream that displays recent activity from users, groups, and forums.
- Customization: allow website owners to change the look and feel of the community to match their brand.
- Moderation: gives website owners the ability to manage user-generated content, such as comments, posts, and messages.
- Integration: connect with other WordPress plugins and tools, such as email marketing tools, analytics, and social media platforms.
- Security: have robust security features to protect user data and prevent spam and other types of malicious activity.
By choosing a WordPress community plugin that includes these key features, you can create a vibrant and engaging community on your website that will help you build a loyal following and increase user engagement.
Looking for More Ways to Improve WordPress?
We hope this post helped you find a good WordPress community plugin for your site. If you are here looking for a solution for a client, you might want to learn more about our White Label WordPress plugin.
White Label was made for developers to customize and modify the WordPress admin experience. You can rebrand the admin with a custom login page, new logos, and your own color scheme. Customize menus, plugin details, and core WordPress features as well.
Check out the complete list of features to see all that White Label can do for you. Our plugin was designed to make WordPress less confusing for your clients and easier for you to support.
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