The hosting, plugins, and services actually worth paying for.
Every recommendation here has been used on a real client project — nothing is listed because it pays a referral fee, it’s listed because it held up under real deadlines.
Why this list exists
Clients ask the same question after almost every project: “what should I actually be paying for once the site is live?” This page is the honest answer, kept current as tools change.
A website is never really finished at launch — it needs hosting that doesn’t go down during a busy weekend, a backup plan for the day something breaks, and a small set of plugins that solve real problems instead of slowing the site down. Over dozens of projects, a short list of services has proven itself again and again, and everything else has been quietly dropped. This page exists so clients don’t have to guess, and don’t have to trust a random “best of” article written by someone who’s never actually launched a site for a small Edmonton business.
Nothing here is a hard requirement — plenty of successful sites run on different stacks. But if you’re asking “what would you use,” this is the honest, current answer, organized by category so you can find what’s relevant to your situation.
Hosting & infrastructure
The foundation everything else depends on — slow or unreliable hosting undermines even the best-designed website.
WordPress plugins worth installing
A short, deliberately limited set — too many plugins is one of the most common reasons a client’s site slows down after launch.
Caching & Speed Plugin
Cuts page load time noticeably on shared hosting, which directly affects how long visitors stay before leaving.
SEO Basics Plugin
Handles meta titles, descriptions, and sitemap generation without needing to touch a line of code.
Contact Form Builder
A reliable, spam-filtered form is the single most-used feature on most small business sites — worth getting right.
Image Compression Tool
Automatically shrinks photo file sizes on upload so a beautiful gallery doesn’t tank mobile load times.
Security & Firewall Plugin
Blocks the automated login attempts that hit every public WordPress site within days of launch.
Simple Booking / Calendar Plugin
For service-based clients who want appointment requests handled directly on the site instead of by phone tag.
Design & content resources
Where the visuals and copy for a project usually come from when a client doesn’t already have them.
Preferred list questions
What clients usually want clarified about these recommendations.
Do you get paid to recommend these services?
No referral fees influence this list. Everything here made the cut because it was used on a real project and worked reliably, not because of a commission.
Do I have to use everything on this list?
No — this is a starting point, not a requirement. Your project’s proposal will specify exactly what’s needed for your specific site.
Will you set these tools up for me?
Yes, hosting, backups, and plugin setup are included as part of every website build, so you won’t need to configure any of this yourself.
How often does this list get updated?
Whenever a tool stops performing well or a better option comes along. This list reflects current, real-world usage rather than a one-time write-up.
Can I suggest a tool to add to the list?
Absolutely — send a message through the contact page. Suggestions that hold up after testing on a live project are added.
Not sure which of these your project actually needs?
Send over your situation and get a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
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