As a webmaster getting to know your site, you are naturally going to start digging into the deeper details. Setting up the theme, getting the layout right and tweaking the design to your liking can be incredibly fun, and it keeps you entertained for quite some time. But the more you learn the more you discover. More specifically, you come across tools to help your site rank higher, respond better to different devices, and overall enhance user experience. Ideas start playing in your head about what you can possibly achieve, which leads to searching for bigger and better things to make your ideas happen. If you were thinking about using a WordPress Jetpack alternative, think again.
The Jetpack plugin is one, if not the most, empowering plugin for your WordPress site.
Consider the following article as a WordPress Jetpack premium review, because that’s the main focus point. It’s the plugin that covers an incredible array of bases, and it’s something every web owner should have in his or her arsenal. At the moment the Jetpack plugin is operating on more than 1 million sites, and the number keeps growing. It could be because the same people who created WordPress stand behind Jetpack, namely Automattic. Or it could be because Jetpack is simply so powerful.
What is the Jetpack WordPress Plugin?
For all the beginners just starting out with their WordPress site, you are able to install plugins from the Plugins tab on the left menu. If you’ve done all the other basics like posting and theme adjustments, it should be pretty straightforward the moment you click on the tab.
From here you can install plugins that will give your site greater capabilities. For example, if you want to run a poll on your site, you’re going to look for a poll plugin that’s compatible with your theme. It works exactly the same for the Jetpack plugin, except it comes with modules geared towards making your site more visible, and easier for search engines to find. If you want to know why you should probably install it, just keep reading.
Jetpack Plugin Benefits
The list of Jetpack plugin benefits is quite extensive. So, instead of listing every single benefit of the Jetpack WordPress plugin, we’re going to explore the points that are important to you right now. In other words, we’re just covering the tip of the powerful iceberg.
The plugin is divided into 5 different modules:
-
General
The general module consists of receiving admin notifications and ability to make your content available via a cloud-based REST API. -
Engagement
The engagement modules handle everything related to “interaction” on the site. While providing you with stats and info about the traffic you get, they also allow visitors to easily engage the site through sharing, subscriptions, promoting related posts and leaving comments. -
Appearance
As the name suggest, these modules work towards enhancing the appearance of the site. For example, the default WordPress gallery system gains several more styles along with the gallery display options. Then there’s custom CSS, better widget visibility and infinite scrolling to name a few. -
Writing
The writing modules are there to make posts more professional, by offering spelling and grammar checks, easy video embedding with short codes and much more. -
Security
Some of the security features involve protecting against Brute Force Attacks, email notifications that the site is down, and of course the Single Sign On convenience.
To elaborate a little more on the modules, some of them can be considered essential for the site. For example, installing social media features into a WordPress environment can prove to be too challenging for some web owners. But with the Jetpack plugin they don’t have to worry about making the site easily sharable.
There’s also the fact that the plugin is pre-programmed to enforce the WordPress platform in terms of optimization. It automatically optimizes things you probably don’t know exist as a newbie, including better visibility for search engines.
The Jetpack Plugin is Perfectly Compatible with the Site
Every time you install a plugin, you’re running the risk that it won’t work with your version or theme. This is never relevant with the Jetpack plugin, because it’s perfectly compatible with any WordPress site. This makes sense seeing as it’s the same people behind both operations.
Plus, instead of having to install all those above modules one by one, Jetpack offers everything in one neat package. Apart from being one of the many Jetpack plugin benefits, it makes things very convenient on the admin’s side.
Jetpack Plugin Updates Regularly
This is one of the most important elements you need in a plugin like this, namely regular updates. If plugins don’t update they make the site vulnerable to attacks. Also, search engines algorithms keep changing, traffic trends can take dramatic turns, and you want a premium plugin that’ll keep up with everything. And this is exactly what you’ll find with the Jetpack plugin once installed on your WordPress site.
[ - ] Arguments against using Jetpack Plugin
While there is much to praise the Jetpack plugin about, it won’t be an objective WordPress Jetpack premium review without looking at the cons. So, let’s address some of the concerns some people might have.
- It’s too intrusive
This is a legitimate concern for some web owners, but it’s completely based on personal opinion. Yes, you are going to see a lot of changes on your WordPress dashboard, but it’s only intrusive if you want it to be. For the most part it’s not a big deal.
- Module Overkill?
As mentioned earlier, there are modules that will be installed, which you probably won’t notice for a while. Some suggest this might be an overkill, and they wonder how many of these modules do you actually need? In this case it’s important to remember that Jetpack was created to help novice and advanced users alike.
- Does it slow down the site?
There are some who say the Jetpack plugin slows down the site, but there are more users who collectively agree it doesn’t. And even though it might delay the loading speed with a split second, it’s a small price to pay.
- It doesn’t always work with third-party plugins
This is true, and some plugins aren’t going to work well with the Jetpack plugin. But this can’t really be seen as a con, given the variable involved.
There aren’t many things you can list in the con section of the Jetpack WordPress plugin, but nothing is perfect. So, instead of looking for the perfect plugin, use one with the most benefits and the least hassles.
[ + ] The REAL plus in Jetpack Premium: Jetpack Vaultpress
Before a final conclusion should be made about the Jetpack plugin, it’s important to add the Jetpack Vaultpress Review. It’s a three tier backup, security and support service that walks hand in hand with the Jetpack plugin.
What it does is run in the background and backs up everything on the WordPress site, which you can restore at any time. At the same time it offers protecting against hacking and other types of intrusions. Vaultpress was launched, and today it’s one of the most popular WordPress backup services available.
Whether the site crashed and you lost everything, or you started dabbling with code and you messed something up, for whatever reason, you don’t have to worry about losing all your hard work. The three tier plan caters to casual webmasters, intermediate users and professionals.
The Final Verdict
When it comes down to it, you can’t afford NOT to use the Jetpack WordPress plugin. It covers everything you know about, and everything you don’t. It’s like having a smart friend keeping an eye on your WordPress site twenty four hours a day.
Jetpack Personal - An affordable package for everyone
One of the most affordable and quickest way to back-up a WordPress site.
Introducing Jetpack Personal, because every site needs a backup plan, and you can get yours from Jetpack for only $3.50 per month.
This brilliant addition will give you:
- Business level spam filtering
- Daily automated backups to an offsite location
- 30-day backup archive
- Unlimited storage space
- Site migration
- Automated restores
- Priority support from a dedicated team at Automattic, these guys are the real deal - true WordPress security experts
And to think, you can have this with all the above mentioned modules and Jetpack plugin benefits, because everything works together perfectly.
On the other hand…
When I was converting a charity website to WordPress.org and the theme notes suggested Jetpack, I checked with a WP/BP developer (10 years plus who is also a contributor to the software) because I’d heard Jetpack “phones home”.
His response…
“Jetpack, it’s wordpress.com aka Automattic attempting to manipulate WP sites as it thinks it has a right to.
There have been various reports of how slow JP can make your site, people don’t like the fact that it requires you have wp.com account and tries to connect back to wp.com on some of the modules, also there was a slightly damming case reported where it was highlighted that one module was tied in with a third party site and exchanging data of some sort without full and due disclosure. There is some plugin around that attempts to manage what JP can do and effectively prevents certain modules running unless you do something, in an attempt to unhook the dependency on wordpress.com.”
And because my theme was one of Andre’s previous ones (not in your stable)…
“Andre should not recommend such a plugin frankly!”
I”ll stick with Yoast SEO and WooSidebars.
Just putting an alternative point of view since some of us are very leery of any plugin having too much control.