Plugins are, in fact, indispensable for adding complex features to a site, eliminating the need for extensive coding or high development costs.

If the term plugin is new to you, you can think of it as an app or add-on for your website. The WordPress library, with over 50,000 plugins, offers extensive design capabilities, allowing you to unlock the full potential of WordPress itself.

A general understanding of what WordPress plugins can do and how they can leverage a website’s value and operational efficiency is key to successful website design and development.

In this collection, you’ll examine seven top WordPress plugins, each excelling in its specific area of functionality.

What You Need to Consider When Selecting a WordPress Plugin

1. Purpose & Requirements: Clearly define what you are looking for, e.g., SEO, social media integration, eCommerce capabilities, etc.
2. Plugin Ratings & Reviews: Make it a point to find out what other users experienced, e.g., excellent results, problems encountered, and the level of support received.
3. Compatibility: Make certain the plugin is compatible with the version of WordPress you are using and also compatible with themes or other plugins your website is using.
4. Update Frequency: Plugins should have been updated frequently enough to incorporate improvements, fix bugs, and remain compatible with WordPress.
5. Support & Documentation: Good documentation can help you troubleshoot issues and make the most of the plugin’s features. Robust customer support is also important.
6. Security: Choose plugins from developers that deliver high-quality, secure code.
7. Performance Impact Poorly coded plugins or those overloaded with extra features could slow down your site (and add to your design workflow).
8. Cost: Free is great if you are certain that that option meets your needs. It’s always a good idea to see if the extras a premium version offers will work to your advantage.

The Best WordPress Plugins in 2024 for Your Website Projects

1. Amelia – WordPress Booking Plugin for Appointments & Events

TL;DR: Amelia is the best choice for service-oriented businesses needing to automate and streamline their appointment booking operations.

Spas, fitness centers, photographic studios, and other service-oriented businesses can save time and money by installing Amelia’s capabilities while at the same time profiting from increased customer or client satisfaction. With Amelia, event and appointment booking can be managed at multiple locations from a single website platform.

Veterinarian services including dog-walking, vacation care, and other special services can also make excellent use of Amelia, Petcare template.

• User Experience: “Amelia is a great booking tool that has a nice look and feel right out of the box. It is a bit overwhelming at first because of the many settings you have but the customer service support is great. I can’t recommend this plugin enough.”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.8 on Capterra.
• Types of Support Material: Discord Group, documentation, and YouTube videos.

View Amelia

2. wpDataTables – WordPress Table Plugin

TL;DR: wpDataTables’ ease of use and powerful data management features allow users to quickly create editable and responsive tables and charts.

The wpDataTables plugin has long been known for allowing users to work with massive amounts of complex data. Its new Multiple Database Connections functionality goes a step further by enabling users to simultaneously connect to diverse servers.

Users have the ability to create a virtually unlimited variety of tables and charts. This pricing table template, for example, features nine different formats ranging from simplistic to more complex. wpDataTables’ conditional formatting and other customization options provide a powerful means for highlighting critical data.

• User Experience: “The support team helped resolve the compatibility issues with my theme. Really helpful and willing to go the extra way to ensure that the plugin works well in any environment.”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.83/5.
• Types of Support Material: Documentation and YouTube videos.

View wpDataTables

3. Classic Editor WordPress Plugin

TL;DR: The Classic Editor plugin restores the long-time favorite WordPress editor and “Edit Post” screen.

Classic Editor will continue to be supported for as long as it is needed. The plugin allows users to manage default editors or give users the ability to make changes on their own.

• User Experience: “Thank you for this plugin. I deactivated it a few months ago, trying to get used to the block editor. A nightmare. No more! I have wasted enough time already in frustration, trying to figure out how to put it to use. Back to classic!”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.9/5.

View Classic Editor

4. Slider Revolution – More Than Just a WordPress Slider

TL;DR: The Slider Revolution plugin is an excellent choice for anyone interested in creating animated sliders that range from engaging to jaw-dropping.

Slider Revolution’s top feature isn’t a single tool or function, it’s the many different ways it can be used to create sliders and web page content that will absolutely “wow” its visitors.

Designers or developers can upgrade a run-of-the-mill website to something special in minutes. Think of the last time you saw an advertisement for a Horsemanship training center: still images of happy-looking people on horseback. Now see what Slider Revolution can do with this Professional Training slider template.

Needless to say, Slider Revolution is ideal for one-page websites and portfolio websites.

• User Experience: “Great plugin with some impressive features! Support reps are top notch all around and Abid was especially helpful.”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.2/5 on Trustpilot.
• Types of Support Material: Support manual and YouTube videos.

View Slider Revolution

5. LayerSlider – Best WordPress Slider Builder Plugin

TL;DR: LayerSlider is the best WordPress plugin for making creative sliders, slideshows, and popups.

LayerSlider enables its users to create a live connection between a site’s content and its visitors, whether the animated content is in a slider, a page section, a popup, or a banner for marketing purposes. Its highly customizable interface and advanced features were designed to make beginners and experts alike feel right at home.

The features and templates of LayerSlider provide a universal multi-purpose solution for all kinds of websites. “Fragrance Fantasy” for example, is a template tailored for salons and lifestyle blogs where perfume comes to life in a symphony of colors and scents. This and other templates can be easily customized by adding your own content.

• Client Insight:“Super easy to use and the animations are just wow.”
• Types of Support Material: Support manual, built-in help in LayerSlider’s Project Editor, direct email, and ticket system.

View LayerSlider

6. Essential Grid – WordPress Gallery Plugin

TL;DR: Essential Grid is an easy to work with WordPress Gallery Plugin for businesses and creatives looking for a way to create breathtaking galleries.

If you envision any gallery layout, you can create it with Essential Grid. If you can’t envision one, Essential Grid will also be able to help you.

All the tools you need are at your fingertips, plus you can use any of 50+ customizable templates designed to help you create an impressive gallery at a lightning-fast speed. Check out Essential Grids’ Dark Portfolio template with its impressive hover effects.

You can create as many skin variations as you want, choose masonry, cobbles, or any other type of layout, and mix and match the grids until you’re satisfied.

• User Experience: “The tool is powerful and very well designed. The support team is incredibly fast, friendly and efficient! All the best to you!”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
• Types of Support Material: YouTube videos and Support manual.

View Essential Grid

7. Brizy Website Builder

TL;DR: The expertly crafted Brizy WordPress website builder is great for those new to website building, but powerful enough for tech-savvy users as well.

Brizy is well suited for small businesses, freelancers, and agencies looking to launch a small to medium-sized website. Distinct PRO features for marketers include 3^rd party tool integrations, popups, and membership features.

The design kit includes a collection of 500+ blocks designed to make it possible to create a website in minutes.

Brizy’s SAAS landing page template shows how easy website creation can be, especially when you have the needed content at your fingertips.

• User Experience: “I’ve been using Brizy for a while now, and their support team is outstanding. Quick, knowledgeable, and always ready to help. They’ve made our website design experience a breeze. Highly recommend Brizy for their exceptional support and user-friendly platform.”
• Client Avgerage Grade: 4.4/5 on Trustpilot/
• Types of Support Material: Academy with Video Courses, Written DocumentationSupport Manual, Ticket Help-desk, YouTube videos & Facebook Group.

View Brizy

Choosing the Right WordPress Plugin

Choosing the right WordPress plugins for your website is crucial for maximizing its potential in terms of functionality and overall performance. Knowing upfront what you need in a plugin, checking its compatibility, and assessing user reviews are crucial to making the right acquisition. The plugins featured here offer robust solutions for various website requirements and represent the best in their respective niches.

Whether you choose Amelia’s all-inclusive booking system or wpDataTables’ powerful data management system or elect to take advantage of the WordPress Classic Editor, the Revolution Slider or LayerSlider dynamic content tools, or what Essential Grid and Brizy offer, you can appreciably improve your website’s functionality, user experience, or visual appeal.

Quick Recap

The post 5+ Useful WordPress Plugins You Should Check Out in 2024 <span class="sponsored_text">Sponsored</span> appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

This holds true for web design resources as well. The goal here is to cut through the noise, directing your attention towards a curated collection of tools and resources. The big-name options already have plenty of exposure and are easily found, so they were intentionally excluded from this list.

Instead, we focus on showcasing 15 outstanding web design tools and resources that fly under the radar. These free and premium picks are less commonly discussed, offering fresh perspectives and solutions in the already crowded web design landscape.

1. Website and page building tools that include a very promising free AI website builder together with some popular free and premium WordPress themes.
2. Tools for building high-converting eCommerce stores – Shopify is gaining more followers every day. It made sense to include a first-rate Shopify theme. And you’re in luck if WooCommerce is your thing. We’ve included top WordPress themes in this list that have been developed specifically for WooCommerce and are top sellers.
3. Tools for adding animation & special effects – Static and motionless pages are page-loading performance-friendly but seldom do a decent job of engaging visitors. We’ve picked tools that will sacrifice a little performance in exchange for impressing visitors with amazing animations and SFX.
4. Tools that add popular website functionalities – One of the most popular post-2020 functionalities is tools that give your website the ability to take bookings, are easy to use, will do an excellent job, and can save time and money. These tools tick all those boxes and have been included.
5. Resources for visually improving your website – The best way to differentiate between related products or services is through visual elements. We have included unique illustrations and icons to help you address that issue.

Best of all, at least half of the following 15 web design tools and resources are free for you to use.

Three important things many of these web design tools and resources have in common:

• They are free. Many are either free or have a free version that will help you save money.
• They are of high-quality. Free does not imply substandard quality. They are aesthetically and functionally top tier web design tools and resources.
• Your website projects will look better. These tools and resources will turn a bland website or page into one that is appealing and exciting.

1. Trafft – Booking Solution with White Label Option

In Short: Trafft is a booking software solution with a great white label option.

Click the video above to see Trafft in action.

Trafft can make your day if you own or represent almost any type of service-oriented business and need to upgrade a manual or semi-automated booking operation or one that simply does not get the job done. In addition to booking, Trafft will help you automate requests for appointments, send reminders, and give your clients the option to pay online.

If you are a developer/agency, the Trafft booking software’s White Label Option is one you can use for your clients. In short, the White Label feature will give you the opportunity to sell Trafft to your clients as if it was developed by you, with your own name and branding replacing Trafft’s.

As a user, you will quickly become familiar with Trafft’s ease of navigation, the depth this software solution’s customization options, and its extensive collection of prebuilt booking pages. The Career Mastery Coaching prebuilt booking page, illustrates how to manage bookings for a range of different services and can be put to good use by a wide range of different enterprises.

Client Average Rating: 5 stars on Capterra, 4.7 (Excellent) on Trustpilot.

Client Insight:“I give Trafft a 10/10. It’s so easy to use and customize to your business needs. The best part is Trafft is always adding new features. Don’t walk, RUN!”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support Manual, social networks, and YouTube videos.

Explore Trafft

2. wpDataTables – Table & Chart Builder & Data Management Plugin

In Short: wpDataTables simplifies your data management tasks including data that is complex or coming from multiple sources.

Click the video above to see wpDataTables in action.

wpDataTables is best known for its ability to enable its users to easily create tables/charts when confronted with vast amounts of data or data from several diverse sources. This plugin’s top feature, Multiple Database Connections, is relatively new and adds a significant amount of data management power to an already powerful plugin. With Multiple Database Connections, any table you create can establish an independent connection to MySQL, MS SQL, or PostgreSQL databases.

Soon after you use wpDataTables you’ll realize how easy it is to work with and how its intuitive user interface serves to streamline your workflow.

Timesaving wpDataTables templates can also be put to effective use. The Responsive and Sortable Cryptocurrencies Rank Table example can easily be applied to a wide range of uses.

Client Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (WordPress.org).

Client Insight: “I don’t write reviews very often but when I do it must be something special. And so it is in this case. The product is perfect for my needs. A lot of interesting solutions that save a lot of time. A very developed plugin and simple, intuitive to use – very helpful.Support should be 6/5 stars.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, YouTube videos, and the Facebook community.

Explore wpDataTables

3. Amelia – Automated Booking Solution for Appointments & Events

In Short: Amelia is an automated appointment booking solution for your service-oriented agency or business.

Click the video to see Amelia in action.

According to 70%+ of Amelia’s users its Multilingual Notifications System is an outstanding feature. Why? The multilingual notifications system keeps all parties up to date on appointments/events status and fosters effective communication between your clients and your employees.

Templates can make it easy for you to set up a booking page with great UX for your clients that will also help you get new ones. Doctors You Can Trust is one of the more frequently used templates as it can be applied to a wide variety of healthcare service types.

Once you start using Amelia, you will appreciate its user friendliness, customization option, clean interface and straightforward pricing plans.

Client Average Rating: 4.8 on Capterra.

Client Insight: “The Amelia plugin is awesome! I have been using it on many of my client’s websites and the experience could not be better. It’s very easy for any customer to book an appointment, pay and have the details of the meeting right on their google calendar. Also, amelia offers a ton of integrations such as with google meets, zoom and WhatsApp. The plugin is incredible and the team behind it is very friendly and always ready to help you out. Thank you!”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, Discord Group, and YouTube videos.

Explore Amelia

4. Mobirise AI Prompt Website Builder

In Short: Use the Mobirise AI website builder to create your pages/websites using prompt commands.

Click the video above to see Mobirise AI in action.

It can be a genuine time saver whenever you are able to accomplish a lot by doing a little. Mobirise AI Website Builder’s top feature is its ability to create anything from a landing page to a simple or one-page website from a single prompt or a series of prompts.

Upload what you want, prompt Mobirise AI, and it will take that prompt and return a content-rich page or website. You will still have to do a little fine tuning to attain perfection.

Customizing a Mobirise AI’s template, through the use of prompts, is another approach. You will appreciate the builder’s ability to respond to prompts typed in any language and to edit content without any need for code.

Client Insight:“WOW, this is not the first AI website builder that I have tried to claim to be AI… It is definitely the best! The others I have tried that I have tried have not seemed like AI at all – and more like the old generic template-building frameworks like Drupal and WordPress – with the same completely irrelevant stock images… and completely unrelated to the topic/input that was given including the completely irrelevant stock images!!Your team has done VERY well here!”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, YouTube videos and forums.

Generate & Download Your Website for Free

5. LayerSlider – Versatile WordPress Slider Plugin

In Short: LayerSlider is the ultimate solution for creating beautifully designed and animated web content.

Click the video above to see LayerSlider in action.

What is there to like about LayerSlider? Quite a lot, in fact. You can use this WordPress slider plugin on any website to create richly animated sliders, slideshows, popups, or other engaging content.

The most important of LayerSlider’s features is the way it enables you to seamlessly integrate stunning animations, effects, and graphics into a website to create a strong connection between your page and its visitors.

LayerSlider offers a variety of prebuilt, easily downloadable, and aesthetically pleasing templates. They give you an added website-building advantage in that you can easily customize and fill them with your own content. The DJ Service Hero template illustrates how effortless it can be to engage your website audience with energy-filled immersive visuals.

Is there anything else that you will love? Yes – LayerSlider’s Project Editor. It makes it ever so easy for you to design and create as the mood strikes you, and don’t forget the popups and banners you can use for promotional purposes.

Client Insight:“A fantastic slider plugin with regular updates to make sure compatibility is never a problem. Keep up the amazing work!”

Help on the Spot Materials: Ticket system with direct support, plus built-in help and a walkthrough of the Project Editor.

Explore Layer Slider

6. Uncode – Creative & Multipurpose WooCommerce Theme

In Short: Uncode offers you an all-in-one web-building solution.

Click the video above to see Uncode in action.

This multipurpose WooCommerce theme’s users consistently point to its WooCommerce demo library when they are asked what they consider its most important feature to be. They will mention the strict attention to detail that is evident in their designs and the inspirational qualities of the demos as the rationale behind their choice.

Which demo would be the best for you? That will be entirely up to you, as your choice will be dependent on your needs and desires. The Creative Studio demo is one of the five most widely used. Its layout and creative and somewhat unusual scroll effect will give you plenty to love.

As an Uncode buyer, you’ll will enjoy its in-depth customization options, and its clean and modern demos. Finally, outstanding support will be there when you need it.

Client Average Rating: 4.89/5

Client Insight: “We bought the first Uncode license for a customer project in 2016, and since then – we have bought another 20 Uncode licenses. Although we use a few other themes as frameworks for our customers’ web projects, Uncode has become an indispensable multi-tool for solving most types of large and small web projects for our customers”.

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, Facebook Group, and YouTube videos.

Explore Uncode

7. Essential Grid – WordPress Gallery Plugin

In Short: Essential Grid is the perfect WordPress Gallery Plugin for creating captivating online galleries.

Click the video to see Essential Grid in action.

Essential Grid’s standout feature is its extensive library of over 50 unique grid skins, which is a key reason for its popularity among WordPress users. These skins are central to the plugin’s purpose, providing a variety of grid formats that are both innovative and beyond what many users have previously encountered.

Exploring this collection, users will discover grid layouts that are new and unexpected, such as the Grant Fuhr Blog Grid. This particular example showcases a minimal, image-focused blog grid layout enhanced by an eye-catching circular mask animation effect. Its simplicity and visual appeal make it versatile for a range of applications.

Beyond its aesthetic capabilities, Essential Grid proves to be a practical tool for efficiently organizing content streams. It is an excellent option for any website project needing a system that allows images or other content to be sorted, filtered, and searched with ease, saving time and enhancing the user experience.

Client Average Rating: 4.7/5 on Trustpilot.

Client Insight:“It’s rare in today’s world to find support that is competent and responsive, but Theme Punch’s Essential Grid support is AMAZING!!! It’s visually flawless and easy to set up. The few times I’ve needed help with the plugin over the last year, I could always count on the prompt service of the support team.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual and YouTube videos.

Explore Essential Grid

8. Blocksy – Premium WordPress Theme

In Short: You will find Blocksy’s free WordPress theme ideal for building lightweight websites.

Click the video to see Blocksy in action.

Blocksy’s standout feature is hard to pin down due to its wide array of capabilities that attract a diverse fan base. Key highlights include the Custom Blocks Module, beloved for its versatility; support for Custom Post Types and Dynamic Data, which wins plenty of praise; and its Advanced WooCommerce integration, crucial for online store functionality.

Developers, in particular, may be drawn to Blocksy’s White Label Module, which allows for customization without Blocksy branding.

This theme is appreciated for being fast, easy to use, and offering detailed control over page design, all at no cost. Additionally, Blocksy boasts an impressive collection of demos, including the popular Floreo demo. Designed for eco-friendly online shops, Floreo is easily adaptable for virtually any business, making it one of the top five most utilized demos.

Client Average Rating: 5/5 on WordPress.org

Client Insight:“Blocksy is among the finest themes available. Its support team is exceptional as well: they have been providing us with assistance for many years, consistently demonstrating responsiveness and effectiveness.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support Manual and detailed documentation.

Download Blocksy for Free

9. Slider Revolution – a WordPress Slider with a Kick

In Short: Slider Revolution is not your run-of-the-mill slider plugin.

Click the video above to see this dynamic plugin in action.

Slider Revolution stands out for making it simple to design captivating content sections, whether for a homepage, highlighting special products, or other purposes. This tool not only aids in crafting original designs but also allows users to incorporate elements from preferred content sources or inventories.

Gone are the days when Slider Revolution was just a tool for creating basic sliders. It has evolved, offering a broad range of design possibilities that go beyond the conventional, enabling users to create dynamic, engaging content easily. With Slider Revolution you can:

• Build exciting multi-page websites.
• Build portfolios that will get you hired.
• Create page sections that stun.

You don’t have to be in the clothing or suit-selling business to put the Suits Product Showcase slider template to effective use. This and other Slider Revolution demos can easily be customized by individual web designers, web shops, and small agencies.

Client Average Rating: 4.65/5 on Trustpilot.

Client Insight: “The plugin is loaded with features and tools to create captivating content. I’m using it to create a presentation, sort of like PowerPoint. I am finding that every now and then it seems to get bogged down and things go wonky in the editor, but after saving, closing, and reopening the project, everything resets to normal. It takes a while to learn how to use it, but worth the effort. There are lots of tutorials, including videos, to help you if you get stuck. I really like this plugin”

Help on the spot materials Support manual and YouTube videos.

Explore Slider Revolution

10. WhatFontis

In Short: WhatFontis is the most accurate free font identifier on the market.

Click the video above to see WhatFontis in action.

WhatFontis shines as a valuable tool for anyone looking to pinpoint a “must-have” font quickly and easily, making it a standout addition to any design toolkit. Its primary strength lies in its core function: accurately identifying fonts from images submitted by users. For free.

What sets WhatFontis apart is its impressive accuracy rate of over 90% in identifying fonts, regardless of whether they are free or commercial. This high success rate is unmatched, with the few instances of misidentification typically due to the submission of low-quality images.

• WhatFontis searches your font through its approx. one million free or commercial fonts (that’s five times more fonts than the database of its competitors).
• You will get a rapid answer, thanks to is AI-powered search engine.
• And you will get 50+ close alternatives for the font you identified.

Client Insight: “I came across this website courtesy Google search, used their services successfully; and today I found out it’s on product hunt! If you are ‘driven’ by the need to discover what font ‘that person/ company’ uses, then this should be your go-to solution site. For most of us it would be a once in a blue moon need, except for the professionals.”

WhatFontIs – Identify Any Font for Free

11. XStore – Best WordPress Theme for WooCommerce

In Short: XStore is the best WooCommerce theme for building attractive and engaging online stores.

Click the video above to see XStore in action.

XStore is well known for its classic selection of pre-built online stores. However, a relatively new feature, a selection of Sales Booster Features, has replaced the impressive online store selection as XStore’s favorite feature.

The booster features are designed to make shopping quicker and easier for customers and consequently increase a store’s conversion rate. They include Frequently Bought Together, a Free Shipping progress bar, a sticky ad-to-cart bar, cross-sells after “Add to Cart,” and more.

XStore also features a Single Product Builder, an Archive Products Builder, a Checkout Builder, and a Cart Builder for shop owners.

The online stores (demos) are designed to get your project off to a rapid start. The XStore Elementor Yoga Accessories pre-built store is one of the most widely used, and one of the most effective at engaging visitors with its attractive layout.

Client Average Rating: 4.88/5

Client Insight:“I have been using the XStore theme from ThemeForest for a while now, and this is my third purchase of the same theme. XStore has been extremely helpful in customizing websites for my clients, saving me a lot of time and effort that would have gone into coding. The built-in plugins also help in reducing costs for developers like me. I must say the team behind XStore has done a great job, and I hope they will continue to do so.”

Help on the Spot Materials: YouTube videos and support manual.

Explore XStore

12. WoodMart – WordPress WooCommerce Theme with a Message

In Short: WoodMart should be your WooCommerce theme of choice for engaging niche eCommerce website designs.

Click the video above to see WoodMart in action.

The moment you see the WoodMart website, the unique custom layouts instantly stand out. With WoodMart’s standout feature, the Custom Layouts Builder, your online store can achieve the same striking appearance. The ease of customizing layouts is just the beginning; you’ll also appreciate WoodMart’s customer-focused features, like “Frequently Bought Together” and “Dynamic Discounts.”

Additional notable features include the Theme Settings’ Search and Performance Optimization. These tools not only enhance the shopping experience for customers with sales-boosting options like “Frequently Bought Together” and “Dynamic Discounts” but also provide benefits for store owners. For developers, WoodMart’s White Label option offers the chance to customize the theme for client projects.

No matter what your business niche may be, WoodMart provides a demo to kick-start your project. If setting up an electronics store is your goal, the Electronics 2 demo is worth exploring for a comprehensive look at what WoodMart can do for your online presence.

Client Average Rating: 4.93/5.

Client Insight: “This theme has a variety of customization options and the support is just amazing – they have wonderful people to support you. Really happy and satisfied choosing woodmart.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual and YouTube videos.

Explore WoodMart

13. Hongo – Multipurpose Shopify Theme

In Short: Hongo is an optimized Shopify theme with unique customer-friendly demos.

Click the video above to see the Hongo Shopify theme in action.

Hongo stands out for its exceptional design quality, which shines through in the Shopify-like websites you can create with it. This high level of design not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your site but also saves you money. By utilizing Hongo’s custom eCommerce features, you can avoid the extra costs of Shopify apps. Additionally, Hongo offers extensive customization options for building your store, providing both financial and creative benefits.

The development team behind Hongo has focused on optimizing for speed, ensuring fast loading times on both desktops and mobile devices, enhancing user experience, and potentially boosting your site’s search engine rankings.

With Hongo, you have access to 19 pre-built eStores, covering a wide range of popular eCommerce niches. These are supported by over 150 sections and 100 pre-built pages, offering a robust foundation for your site. Hongo’s Modern Furniture Shopify theme is an excellent starting point for those looking to launch a new site. Plus, you have the flexibility to mix and match demos to create a unique online store that meets your specific needs.

Client Average Rating: 4.87/5.

Client Insight: “In my honest opinion from the quality of the theme to the customer support that stands behind Hongo this is a steal. You will not go wrong when purchasing any theme from them and I would strongly suggest purchasing the extension support because its beyond worth it.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, 150+ online articles, and YouTube videos.

Explore Hongo

14. Litho Elementor WordPress Theme

In Short: Litho enables you to take full advantage of Elementor’s popular page building features.

Click the video above to see the Litho Elementor theme in action.

Litho’s standout feature is its strong integration with Elementor, which enhances its page-building options and capabilities. It attracts a wide audience, including freelancers, artists, shop owners, digital agencies, bloggers, and writers, and is likely to impress you, too.

For startup companies, using Litho can be beneficial. You can take advantage of its importable demos, which can be used individually or collectively, allowing for a variety of combinations. The SEO Agency layout, one of its most popular, is particularly suited for startup company websites.

Furthermore, with Elementor, you can customize various page elements, including the header, footer, mini header, archive pages or post templates, page titles, and promo popups, allowing for a tailored user experience.

Client Average Rating: 4.94/5.

Client Insight:“Customer support for the Litho theme has been fantastic. Very helpful, friendly and fast. The theme is full of features and design options that are modern, setting the look and feel of this theme apart from many of the older & more established themes. The design has a fresh and professional look.”

Help on the Spot Materials: Support manual, support portal, and YouTube videos.

Explore Litho

15. Get Illustrations – Creative Stock Illustrations Collections

In Short: The number one resource for top-quality stock illustrations.

Click the video to see these illustrations in action.

GetIllustrations stocks a library of more than 21,000 ready-to-use illustrations in various categories. This resource’s top feature consists of:

• 21,500+ vector illustrations to download.
• Free updates for one year.
• New illustrations added every week.

These illustrations offer entertainment, knowledge, engagement, and much more. With over 40 carefully organized categories to choose from, many have hundreds of illustrations, while some boast over 1,000. Exclusive to Getillustrations, these illustrations give you an advantage over users of other stock illustration sources.

The Leap Illustrations pack includes 70 dual-toned illustrations tailored to complement your brand’s unique personality and style, helping you stand out from competitors. This pack is ideal for organizational employees, educational materials, and similar needs.

Client Insight:“Great product and I like the alternative as opposed to just using adobe stock for illustrations for my app. Really like the illustrations you have to offer!”

Help on the Spot Materials: Vector stock illustrations are in AI, SVG, PNG, and Figma formats.

Explore Get Illustrations

With this collection of lesser-known but high-quality web design resources and tools, you will be able to use them to better deliver:

• Website projects that persuade visitors through aesthetically better designs and visuals.
• High-converting eCommerce stores that utilize back-end theme features developed specifically for that purpose.
• High-demand website functionalities, such as booking forms.

Below, you will find the key information for each resource, which will help you make an informed decision about whether to try them or skip them.

The following brief recap will tell you what each tool or resource excels in and highlights their standout features:

The post 15 Free & Premium Resources & Tools for Designers in 2024 <span class="sponsored_text">Sponsored</span> appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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Discussion on the ongoing challenges with web fonts and find solutions for developers.

Always Log Out of WordPress
Secure your site: Why it’s crucial to log out of WordPress every time.

CSS :has() Interactive Guide
A new interactive guide to using the has() pseudo-class.

InDesign Business Card Templates
Find professional InDesign business card templates for a quick design fix.

Neat 3D Gradients
A new web-based tool that generates beautiful gradient animations for your website for free.

The Fifty-Fifty Split & Overflow
Learn how to fix the 50/50 overflow issue with practical web development tips.

Retrofitting Fluid Typography

Your Web Host Won’t Do Everything for You
Learn why you can’t rely solely on your web host for website security and efficiency.

Bootstrap 5 Modern Backgrounds
Copy and paste modern backgrounds built with Bootstrap, CSS variables and plain CSS.

New Block-Based Redesign for WordPress Developer Docs

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JavaScript Bloat in 2024
Nikita Prokopov discusses the excessive use of JavaScript on websites and calls for a focus on leaner, performance-oriented web development.

Mastering Figma for Developers
This guide highlights Figma’s advantages for developers, such as its collaborative, cloud-based platform, and tools that streamline design-to-development workflows.

Tailframes CSS UI Kit
A new UI kit for Tailwind CSS, offering pre-designed components to speed up web development with easy customization and a focus on productivity.

Slideshow Templates for Premiere Pro
Explore top slideshow templates for Premiere Pro to make your presentations stand out. Perfect for any project, these templates offer creative solutions.

A Deep Dive into Aptos
An insightful exploration of Microsoft’s new default font, Aptos, detailing its commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and adaptability in design.

Winduum CSS Component Framework
A new modular CSS component framework built on top of TailwindCSS, emphasizing modern CSS features for building accessible, customizable, and lightweight web components.

Product Design is Overtaking UX

Create & Manage Block Patterns in WordPress
WordPress now has a way to create, manage, and share block patterns – all from within the Block Editor. Learn how it all works.

How Jakob Nielsen Developed the 10 Usability Heuristics

Making of True Multi-Brand Design System
A detailed journey into building a single design system for multiple brands, platforms, or products.

Free Responsive Icons
A collection 0f 266 icons for UI design. In Figma and Skecth formats.

Exploring 3D Effects with 2D Optical Illusions
Learn how to create 3D effects with 2D optical illusions using CSS, JavaScript, and GSAP, focusing on perspective manipulation and staggered animations for realism.

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Vanilla JavaScript, Libraries, and the Quest for Stateful DOM Rendering
This article examines vanilla JavaScript and libraries in achieving dynamic DOM rendering, focusing on balancing efficiency and simplicity in web development.

The Ethical Designer’s Handbook On Dark Patterns
A comprehensive guide for designers on avoiding unethical practices (dark patterns) in digital design.

The New CSS Math
Dan Wilson introduces new CSS Math functions like pow(), sqrt(), and hypot() alongside practical examples.

CSS is Logical

jQuery 4.0.0 Beta
jQuery 4.0.0 beta has been released, and brings performance boosts, drops support for Internet Explorer below version 11, and removes deprecated APIs.

Free Display Fonts with a Creative Flair
Download one of these highly creative free display font families and grab the attention of the viewer and make sure your message gets noticed.

Mobile Search Patterns

Fun Examples of SVG Shape Usage in Web Design

Ordena.js: Nested Lists Made Easy
A new JavaScript library for creating and managing nested lists, focusing on simplicity, no dependencies, and modern browser compatibility.

A CSS Project Boilerplate
Andy Bell’s CSS boilerplate using CUBE CSS methodology, emphasizing consistency, scalability, and the integration of Tailwind CSS for utility classes.

Browsers Are Weird Right Now

What is Utility-First CSS?
Heydon Pickering explores utility-first CSS, comparing it with traditional CSS methods, highlighting its focus on component-specific styling and its impact on design consistency and code verbosity.

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Opportunities for AI in Accessibility
Aaron Gustafson discusses how artificial intelligence could enhance accessibility and explores the potential benefits.

Aesthetics vs. Functionality
This article explores the balance between aesthetics and functionality in UX design, highlighting the importance of both in creating effective digital products.

Universal Resume System
This is a flexible resume layout system for Figma that has been inspired by the design work of Dieter Rams.

Sora Text-to-Video AI
OpenAI’s new AI model that creates videos from text, producing up to one-minute high-quality videos from user prompts.

Monospaced Fonts for Coding
We share the best free fonts for coding and programming and also offer some pointers for selecting your perfect monospaced font.

High Definition CSS Color Guide
A detailed guide that introduces CSS Color Level 4, expanding web color capabilities with wider gamuts, more colors, and advanced gradients, enhancing visual richness and fidelity in web design.

Creating the Perfect Icon
This article outlines steps for creating impactful icons, focusing on their recognizability, consistency, and clarity.

Design Trends 2024
Discover the potential design trends of this year, like surrealism in 3D, AI-generated art, holographic design, and minimalism and brutalism.

25 Years of Freelancing
Eric shares some valuable lessons from his 25 years as a freelance web designers. Things that will help you on your own freelance journey.

On-Scroll Animation Ideas
Codrops shares some innovative ideas for animating sticky sections as they leave the viewport.

How to Favicon in 2024
Here’s a guide on simplifying your favicon setup by just using six files. It also includes practical steps for implementation.

CSS Variables Generator for Figma
Improve your design-to-development workflow by instantly converting Figma variables and styles into CSS custom properties.

Guide To Designing For Children
A guide on designing digital products for children aged 3-12. Covering user behavior insights, considerations for parents, and practical UX guidelines.

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In Loving Memory of Square Checkbox
Tonsky mourns the decline of the square checkbox in UI design, replaced by round ones, marking a significant shift from a long-standing user interface convention.

Web Development Is Getting Too Complex
Juan Diego Rodríguez explores the growing complexity in web development, highlighting the overwhelming choice of tools and frameworks, and advocates for simplicity and project-specific technology selection.

How Subscription Fatigue Impacts Web Designers
Everything’s a subscription. And it impacts web designers and their clients in numerous ways. We look at what this means for our industry.

Animating Font Palette
This tutorial explores the new feature in Chrome 121 that allows for animating transitions between font palettes in color fonts using CSS.

SVG Filter Maker
SVG Filter Maker is a tool by Chris Kirk Nielsen for easily creating SVG filters with a graphical interface, enhancing designs without coding knowledge.

Going Beyond Pixels and (R)ems in CSS
Brecht De Ruyte discusses using font-based relative length units in CSS for responsive designs, highlighting alternatives to pixels and rems that adapt to user settings.

Top Transition Packs for DaVinci Resolve
A collection of the best transition packs for DaVinci Resolve, including high-quality free options. Professional-grade transition effects.

SVG Flag Icons
Over 200 optimized SVG country flag icons, crafted for perfect alignment on a 32px grid. Copy and paste.

Figicon Icon Library
A comprehensive library of high-quality, minimal, and pixel-perfect icons designed specifically for Figma projects.

Best Premiere Pro Transition Packs
A comprehensive collection of Premiere Pro transitions for video editors. Includes dynamic, seamless, creative, and essential transitions.

In Praise of Buttons
Niko Kitsakis discusses the evolution of button designs in UI, advocating for buttons that clearly indicate their function over minimalist designs for better usability.

Best Premiere Pro LUT Packs
We share the best LUTs for Premiere Pro (both free and premium). Add a professional touch to your color grading!

Performance Lab WordPress Plugin
This new plugin by the WordPress Performance Team, enhances website speed with modules for image optimization, WebP support, and performance checks, aiming for future WordPress core integration.

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Wireframe Examples
A new collection of wireframe examples you can use as inspiration for your next web project. Free Figma wireframe kit also available.

State of Email 2024
Insights into email marketing benchmarks, industry statistics, and trends, for this year.

Challenges of Building a Shared Experience on the Web
Eric takes a look at how the web brings us together in a quirkyway, and discusses how it impacts web designers trying to build these experiences.

Upcoming Web Design Conferences 2024
A comprehensive list of all the web design conferences coming up this year.

Rules for Making Products that Customers Love
Product lead Peter Yang shares his ten rules for creating products people will love.

A Deep Dive into the CSS Grid Layout Module
Master the art of responsive layouts by learning through step-by-step code examples for better web development.

The Web Component Success Story
Jake Lazaroff discusses the potential of web components in enhancing web development by enabling interoperability across different JavaScript frameworks.

Better Sales Pages with Better Typography
Oliver Schöndorfer shares five tips for designing a convincing sales page by using better typography.

What is CSS Motion Path?
Learn how to animate elements along a predefined path, making complex animations easy without JavaScript.

UX Needs a Sense of Urgency About AI
Jakob Nielsen’s recommendations on why UX professionals must seize an AI career or become irrelevant.

GitHub Profile Generator
A new web-based app for creating impressive GitHub profiles. Showcase your skills and projects better.

A Call for Consensus on HTML Semantics
Stephanie Eckles writes about the need for a unified understanding and approach to HTML semantics.

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Free Instagram Story Templates
A collection of Instagram Story templates for Photoshop, Figma, Sketch, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro.

12 Modern CSS One-Line Upgrades
Learn about the CSS properties to enhance your projects, reduce technical debt, eliminate JavaScript, and improve the UX.

The Diagram that Shows the Value of Great UX

Fading Content Using Transparent Gradients in CSS
Here are two methods for achieving text content fading with CSS. One uses mask-image and the other background-clip.

Top Logo Stinger Premiere Pro Templates
We share a collection of logo stinger templates for Premiere Pro that stand out with their style, functionality, and ease of use.

Five Future Roles for Designers
Jorge Arango shares five possible future careers for designers in our now AI-driven world.

CSS Blurry Shimmer Effect
Learn how to create a CSS blurring effect, but not with box-shadow.

The CSS Snippets Every Developer Should Know
Discover the CSS snippets that every front-end developer should know about in 2024.

What’s the Environmental Impact of Your Website?
Eric examines the relationship between the web and the planet and shows how to measure your website’s impact.

Git and GitHub Essentials
If you’re new to Git or GitHub, this extensive beginner’s guide of the most common commands is for you.

Fixing Cumulative Layout Shift Problems

The Most Underused CSS Media Queries: hover & any-hover
Learn how to use the hover and any-hover media queries for responsive design and better experiences on all devices.

Improve Your Logo Design Skills
Melinda Livsey shares how she improved her logo design skills by studying the work of Paul Rand and Saul Bass.

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The Three Secrets to Font Pairing
Pairing fonts is a tricky task that often pops up in discussions about typography challenges, it’s a tough skill to master!

Those Coding Tasks ChatGPT Can’t Do
ChatGPT is great at creating code, but it’s not a replacement for your job. It’s here to assist, not to take over.

Free Geometric Fonts for Designers
From sleek and minimalistic to bold and impactful, you will find a geometric style for every project.

A Practical Introduction to Scroll-Driven Animations
With CSS scroll() and view(), learn how to create scroll animations that toggle shadows.

Developer Experience eBook
Written by Addy Osmani, this free eBook focuses on how developers can make work easy and efficient.

Designer’s Step-By-Step Guide To Redesign
Some practical tips for redesigning, dodging common mistakes, and helping users adapt to the new design.

Tokenami New Atomic CSS Framework

Arjustings Free Font
A handwritten font so unique it’s downright ugly, but in a way that grabs everyone’s attention.

Chunk Free Icons for Figma
A collection of 600 glyphs, each designed for consistency and frequent use.

CSS Gradients Collection
A stunning collection of copy and paste CSS gradients.

Learning to Appreciate Great Content
What are some ways to truly value excellent content? We’ve got some thoughts to share on this.

58 Rules for Beautiful UI Design
These guidelines are designed to help you create interfaces that are not only visually attractive but also user-friendly.

The Top Pens of 2023 on CodePen
The huge collection of the most hearted Pens from last year.

Learnings From Conducting Over 100 Website Migrations
Starting a website migration? Learn key tips for a smooth and successful transition.

The Best PHP Frameworks of 2023
An extensive review of the best PHP frameworks to use this year.

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