Are you using too much plugins? Well, if you don’t confirm about it. Think for a second. At first, it sounds a bit hilarious, and second you’re not one of them. However, on the other hand, there’s thousands of experts recommending new plugins every single week It’s not new that many webmasters end up with this or think about it.

Mostly, more than half of those “new plugins” plugins claim that they’re highly effective for your website, it’s gonna affect your site positively, and it’s free. I know it’s hard to say no but we must be careful when choosing plugins for our website.

So, without wasting time on this, let’s dive into the article to see how you can speed up your website by removing unused and unnecessary plugins.

What are Plugins?

Plugins are software additions that make customization of computer programs, web browsers and apps possible. They also allow customization of web content. They have been a traditional part of computing, content creation, and web browsing.

They have played a major role in ensuring that the basic functions of simple online activities are carried out effortlessly and efficiently. The little adds-on that are used to optimize online content is also considered plugins. They are the extras that allow content consumers to experience the internet in the best way possible. They make sure websites are much more than big blocks texts.

Plugins were used widely because they were effective in improving the ranking of the posts but their use has decreased over time. There are so many plugins that are no longer supported by popular browsers and they have been replaced by extensions.

There are just a few plugins that are still considered relevant and useful in daily browsing and computing. Using too many plugins can be distracting. If you have to use plugins, make sure that you choose the ones that contribute to functionality and ranking of your website or the online content.

A lot of people keep a library of inactive plugins on their websites. There is an option that allows you to deactivate plugins and many people find it tempting to leave the deactivated plugin on the server. But it is not a smart move because even deactivated plugins can cause serious security risk so if there are plugins that you are not using then it is better to delete them rather than keeping them in a library.

There is an extensive range of plugins that offer cool features but overusing the plugins can slow down the website. They pose security threats and also lower the number of visitors because of the slow loading speed. You should not use a plugin just because it is cool. Only use plugins that serve some important functions and contribute to the functionality of the website.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s dive into our article.

Reasons Plugins you are using are Not Necessary

If you want to improve the performance of your website then you need to choose your plugins carefully and get rid of the unnecessary ones. Here are a few reasons that let you know which of your plugins are unnecessary.

1. Causing bugs:

Using the plugin is not a smart idea because it increases the chances of bugs. Here a bug does not mean insects. Bugs in IT mean error, fault or flaw in a computer program that causes it to produce an unexpected and false result. A bug causes a computer program to behave in an unintended manner. The effects of a bug can be subtle or it can be abrupt like freezing or crashing of the entire system. So, try getting a bug free environment for your software, website, products, or services.

Unnecessary plugins can create bugs that negatively impact the functionality of a website. If you choose a plugin that does not go well with the website and is clashing with something on the website then it will become responsible for creating bugs that may affect the functionality of all the other features of the site.

Sometimes installing a plugin to fix a certain issue can result in another type of issue. If you keep repeating the mistake of trying to fix issues with more plugins you will end up creating a web of bugs that will be incredibly difficult to fix.

It is important that you find a proper balance and only use plugins that are must-haves for the functionality of your website. If you find that a certain plugin is a reason behind a bug then you should uninstall it rather than trying to fix it using more plugins.

2. Compatibility issues:

People often think that if you keep adding plugins it is going to improve the functionality of their website and bring in more visitors. This belief is not true because too many plugins are going to interfere with a variety of other features.

When you try to add too many plugins, there’s a great chance that they will clash with each other. When plugins clash with each other they can’t function properly so they do not contribute to the functionality of the website or boosting the content.

The clash can occur because every developer that creates the plugin uses a unique way of fixing things and there is always a possibility that the fixing methods of two different plugins can clash and cause serious issues.

Developers also regularly updates the plugins so that it stays stable, strong and secure. If you are using a plugin that is constantly updated and also using one that is not updated then it will be difficult for the two plugins to work together.

The compatibility issues can have a serious impact on the performance of the website and the best approach is to limit the number of plugins. It will reduce the possibility of clash and make sure that the website functions smoothly and efficiently.

3. Not serving a purpose:

There are new and cool plugins introduced every other day. But you should not install a plugin just because it is offering you cool features. To take the best advantage of the plugins it is important to set criteria based on which you decide whether you need a plugin or not.

Before installing a plugin you should make sure that it is going to contribute to the functionality and ranking of the website. Each plugin you choose should be doing something important for the website otherwise it will slow down the website and can also become a security threat. Get rid of all the plugins that are not serving a purpose.

4. Overlapping plugins:

Plugins are supposed to improve the performance of a website and if the ones you are using are not serving the purpose then they are not worth the trouble. If the ones you are using are overlapping each other than they are not doing anything valuable for the website and are simply taking up valuable bandwidth and space.

Overlapping plugins can also pose security risks as well. There is no need to use four plugins to perform simple tasks such as redirecting. You also do not need ten different plugins for social media sharing. It is better to get rid of overlapping plugins as it will keep your website secure and improve its speed. Overusing plugins is not good for the site in any way.

5. Possibility of security loopholes:

Security is a major concern for websites as their content is a valuable asset. A security breach can do serious harm to the credibility of a site and also result in loss of data. Plugins can be responsible for creating security loopholes compromising data of the site. If you are using plugins then you need to make sure that each and every single one of them is properly maintained and updated.

They need to be looked after by the developers responsible for creating them so that any anomaly or bug is quickly identified and fixed. If the plugins are unchecked then there is a high possibility of bugs going unnoticed and ultimately leading to a security breach.

Outdated plugins offer a chance to create loopholes in the website which can lead to security issues. Loopholes make it easier for people to hack into your website or introduce malware that ends up destroying all your valuable data. Installing unnecessary plugins makes websites more vulnerable to malware and their devastating impact.

When you have too many plugins there is a possibility that some of them are not secure. It also increases the chances of the clash between two plugins and results in creating security issues for a website.

6. Unreliable plugins:

If you are using plugins from a disreputable source than they are completely unnecessary as they will be doing more harm than good. Before installing any plugin make sure that it is from a secure and trustworthy source. The best way of finding trustworthy plugins is to install the ones offered by a trusted premium plugin developer or choose from the WordPress plugin repository.

Plugins have a capacity to create security gaps in the website compromising its credibility and data. If you do not want to make your website vulnerable then make sure that the plugin you are using is vetted by trustworthy and skilled developers who are willing to offer necessary professional support.

Reliable plugin providers will regularly provide updates to address any potential security issues or bugs and make sure that the plugins are updated and compatible with the latest version of WordPress.

7. Effect on performance:

There are millions of live websites available and every single one of them aims to get the attention of the visitors. The competition for attracting visitors is intense and if the performance of your website is lacking then it will have trouble keeping up with the competition.

A major reason for bad website performance is using too many plugins. When you add a lot of plugins you are adding them on top of each other and as a result, you will be putting an unnecessary burden on the website.

The more plugins you have on top of each other, the more resources your website will need to load quickly. The loading speed of a website is a major factor in determining its success. Installing unnecessary plugins puts a lot of pressure on the site and its host making it hard to maintain a good loading speed.

Nowadays people do not wait five minutes for a web page to load. They simply abandon a slow loading page and switch to the one that has better performance.

It is not possible for a website to perform fast if it is using too many plugins. To improve the speed it is essential to get rid of some of the dead weight. Large numbers of plugins impact the speed of the site because they create more code and resources impacting the loading speed.

Conclusion

In some cases, plugins play an important role in ensuring the smooth functioning of a website. But if you start noticing performance and security issues then it is time to re-evaluate the importance of all the plugins you are using.

It is important to understand the importance of using only the necessary plugins otherwise the website will have to pay the price. There are several cases in which using plugins are essential but you need to be extra careful regarding the plugins you choose to install.

Before you decide to install anything on the site you need to determine whether it is going to be used regularly or whether it is a one-off thing. If the feature you want is a one-off thing then it is not worth installing a plugin for.

When you install a plugin for a one-off thing the plugin becomes useless and can become a security liability in the future. So, make sure that you install plugins after proper consideration and determining whether it’s worth the trouble or not.