Here we show you how to quickly and easily find and add plugins to your self-hosted WordPress website.

NOTE: This guide has us install an important feature to the backend of your site that speeds up your navigation. Highly Recommended!

From the Dashboard after logging in:

1. Click on the Plugins tab. (it’s faster if you click on the down arrow that appears instead of the text link)

2. Select Add New.

3. From the Install Plugins page, you can browse all the plugins within the WordPress.org directory using either Keywords, Plugin Authors, or Tags. In addition we can Upload a zip file or, show only Featured, Popular, Newest or Recently Updated plugins.

4. Enter the exact name of the plugin into the Term dropdown field (i.e. Keywords). See screen shot for example.

COPY and PASTE the name below exactly for accuracy.

Ozh’ Admin Drop Down Menu

5. Press the Search Plugins button.

6. The plugin we are after should be at the top of the list of results.

7. Click the Install link on the right and accept the request WP gives you.

8. WP will ask if you want to Activate the plugin.

We’re done and ready for plugin configuration!

NOTE: Most often WordPress plugin options show up in the Settings tab, but it can vary.

What It Does: Allows you to quickly and easily, search for and insert YouTube movies, royalty free images from Flickr, Wikipedia links, Google searches and even links from your own site, into your posts and pages.

Insights uses a dynamic AJAX interface which loads search results in seconds, all within the WordPress posting page!

Who Needs It: Anyone that has a self-hosted WordPress website.

Link: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/insights

Author: Vladimir Prelovac

Instructions

To add a YouTube Video:

1. Position your cursor where you want the video to appear.
2. Click the Videos button within the Insights box and in the Search field enter the Title of the video.For a more specific search you may want to paste in the actual videos title from YouTube. Like most search, the more keywords you use the more your results will refine.
3. The window will magically expand and show you the search results.
4. Click on a video thumbnail and it will open up and allow you play the video.
5. Click the Add Video button to insert the movie into your post or page.

To add an Image from Flickr:

1. Click the Image button
2. Enter a search term or name and press Search
3. The page will window will automagically expand to show image results from Filckr.
4. You can choose the image size from the drop-down.
5. Click the image you want to insert it into your post.
6. You can then highlight the image again and click Unlink (link defaults to the larger image on Flickr) or align it with the text aiignment buttons.

To add a link from Wikipedia:

1. Click the Wikipedia button
2. Enter a search term or name
3. Clicking the text link will take you to the page in a new window.
4. Highlight some text in your document.
5. Click the small Pen Link button next to the link you want in the results window.

You can even search your own site with the My Blog button. Very handy!

To initiate the search you can also press return on your keyboard.

Video Screencast Training

Screenshots:

Shopp

What It Does: Allows you to sell both shipped and digital products or services from your WordPress website. It offers a variety of different payment gateways to suit many nationalities and requirements. All major gateways such as PayPal are supported.

Who Needs It: Anyone that wants a serious e-commerce business.

Link: http://shopplugin.net

Author: Jon Davis

After much searching and in some cases praying,

Shopp e-commerce plugin wins the WordPress e-commerce wars! (In our humble but well informed opinion)

In the browser wars just after the rise of the internet, Microsoft managed to intimidate their way to the lead briefly. But the damage was done and they went on to become market leaders (obviously).

Fortunately on the internet their will always be healthy competition, and we have innovators such as Mozilla and most prominently Apple.

So here we have a Mac user creating software for WordPress. Yay!

Here are some of the main features:

• Smoothly integrates into the WordPress 2.7 interface.
• Very efficient code means a swift buying experience for your visitors.
• Flexible setup and product display options.
• Sell digital and shipped products together.
• Good support and upgrading options.