I don’t know if you stumbled across this post my accident, via Twitter, or via RSS, but whatever the case: Happy New Year!

Usually, it’s a good time to write about the previous year, what we’re looking to do in the year to come, and talk about some of what we’ve learned in the past year and how we hope to apply it moving forward.

This is not that post.

Happy New Year

Instead, I’ve already done most of that.

And now I’m ready to take a break from the usual blog post and spend the day focused on something other than the usual. In the meantime, I thought I’d recommend some things I think anyone and everyone involved with WordPress in someway should have at their disposal.

Sunset

Took this picture out at my parents’ recently. Seemed appropriate for this post.

For those of you who are taking the day to try something new or who are looking for some things to get involved within WordPress over the next couple of months.

If you’re a blogger, I recommend checking out the following:

  • Array Themes. I recommend Array above all else from WordPress themes. From quality to support, they will have you covered in whatever kind of site you’re looking to run on WordPress.
  • SearchWP. This is a significant improvement over the standard search widget that ships with WordPress. If you’re a regular blogger, especially one with a lot of content, this is worth the investment.
  • CoSchedule. If you’re blogging several times a week or managing a team of bloggers, then this particular plugin is one you should be using. It helps to keep content organized and scheduled.

If you’re a developer, I also recommend the following:

  • Get Better at WordPress Development. Early this year, I’ll be provided a three-month premium-level site specifically geared towards those who are looking to get into WordPres development but aren’t sure where to start.
  • WP DB Migrate Pro. If you’re a WordPress developer and still aren’t using this plugin, then I highly recommend it. It’s by far the easiest way to move databases from development to staging and staging to development.

For those just getting involved with WordPress, subscribe and/or bookmark the following sites:

  • Post Status. This site is designed to be news and information for WordPress professionals. Aside from the public blog, there’s also a podcast and a closed membership. The $99 to join the club is worth it for the curated news that Brian provides.
  • WP Tavern. This is a public site run by Jeff Chandler and Sarah Gooding that publishes a wide array of topics all related to WordPress.
  • WP Beginner. If you’re brand new to even using WordPress, check out WP Beginner and read through the tutorials, glossary, and other content all tailored for those who are starting out with the platform.

Aside from everything else provided in previous posts and provided here hopefully you can find something to help get you started off in the right direction for the new year.