To handle a blog these days can be quite difficult if you are not well-organized and you don’t spend enough time managing it. That’s why there are plugins for WordPress. They literally make your job lot easier and if you work well with them you can put them to work for you.

Sounds cool I know, but you have to know which plugins are ment for your blog and when to use them. In my opinion, the administration plugins have one of the most important roles in your blog because they are the ones that help you to get: statistics, help you manage content and help you to generate content.

There are tons of plugins designed to do the job I’ve just mentioned and is pretty difficult to find the plugins you really need. That’s why, in today’s post I’ve selected some of the most powerful administration plugins I know. You should also check out the great article by Saad Bassi about WordPress plugins to change the outlook for Administrator Dashboard .

Keep in mind that you have to save lots of time in order to become more effective and I’m sure that using these plugins right will save you a lot of time.

1. FireStats and FireStats Charts

Firestats is without a dub my favorite plugin for gathering statistics about the traffic that comes to my blogs. It has a powerful monetization system so that you can get info about: user country, ip, browser, operating system and many more. Firestats and Firestats Chart can work separately as well, but I recommend you to use both of them in order to get a better idea about the traffic that comes to your site.

2. Custom Admin Branding

Many people consider this plugin not very useful, but I consider that once with your blog evolution there will be more people to write for you or just more people logging in to your blog and if you are like me you want your own logo to be the one that dominates your creation.

3. Post Video and Photo Galleries

Being able to create photo galleries and adding videos to your WordPress blog is just perfect for any type of blog you manage. This plugin helps you to easily do that and also integrates a small button in the visual editor of your post writer.

4. Login with Ajax

The combination between PHP and Java Script has always a good impact for your visitors. The Ajax Login system brings great login effects which will determine more people to register.

5. Google Analyticator

If you are a Google Analytics user this plugin saves you a lot of time but if you are not, than you should definitely go and start using it because is the best option for your website traffic statistics.

6. Admin Management Xtended

To save more time, Admin Management Xtended brings new Ajax forms to automatically change or add content to your blog without having to reload the page and lose time.

7. Admin Menu Editor

Easily customize the Admin Menu as you like.

8. Database Size WordPress Plugin

Displays a small and non disturbing message text which contains information about the size of your WordPress blog database.

9. Hide Admin Panels

If you are running a collective blog, this plugin will help you to restrict some permissions for different types of members of your blog. You choose who sees what.

10. Favicons Chooser

We all know how important a first impression is and without a dub, the favicon you have on your website is vital and probably the one that remains in your visitors head. Favicons Chooser helps you to easily add or choose a Favicon.

11. Post Ideas

This plugin stores your ideas about what you would like to write in the near future. When you are ready to post about one of your ideas in the “Post Ideas” just click on it and you will be redirected to the writing page.

12. Broken Link Checker

Is pretty messy to find out that the post or page you are looking for is missing or is broken. Broken Link checker helps you to solve this problem and warns you when you should change links.

13. Digital Raindrops Style Sheet

The admin can easily change the style sheet of each page from the theme directory.

14. AdRotator

Helps you to add any type of ad banner anywhere you want and also it helps you to keep a statistics page for them.

15. WP Super Cache

WP Super Cache is a must have plugin for any respected website or blog. It generates static HTML pages for your every page and post so when you have tons of traffic the bandwidth will handle it and you will not have any problems.

16. Genki Pre-publish Reminder

This is very useful if you are that kind of guy who forgets what to do before posting a new article. If you forget to post an a category for your article or just need to add SEO tags you just have to add those into the Genki Pre-publish reminder.

17. WP Grins

Automatically adds clickable smileys for administrator area and also for users comment form.

18. WP Super Editor

Get more control over the styles of your blog and also emoticons and layouts.

19. Plugin Installer

This plugin helps you to get the content of other plugins and automatically installs it. All you have to do is to point the Plugin Installer to the source of the plugin and it will do the rest.

20. Batch Categories

Automatically adds a new page to category management which shows what posts are in that category so that you will be able to easily transfer them to other categories.

21. Ajax Spell Checker

One of the most powerful Spell Checkers created for Wordpress.

22. Custom Write Panel

This plugin helps you to select the way that your WYSIWYG panel looks like and choose what elements to show and which not.

23. Google Sitemaps Generator

Automatically generates xml and gz extension sitemaps for your blog which is very important for indexing your pages by Google.

24. Share This

Adds the social media links for every posts and pages.

25. Site Unavailable

Displays a message which alerts your visitors that your website is unavailable. The message is customizable.

26. Fluency

Changes the whole User Interface in Wordpress and creates a great experience for every user.

27. Simply Tags

Helps you to easily manage batch tags so that you will be able to save lots of time.

28. Adminize

Compress and hide unnecessary items in your wordpress blog.

29. Quick Menu

Create and customize your own menu in Wordpress Admin Area. You can add all kind of quick links in the menu section like: Google Analytics, Adsense account or just a simple other page.

30. Admin Notepad

Adds the Notepad in your Wordpress application. The Notepad panel can be hide or displayed by clicking one simple button.

I’ve personally tested all of these amazing plugins and I can confirm that they are great for every type of blogger. Hope it will help you too and stay with us to get more interesting articles about Wordpress and blog management tutorials.

I bet you all are a little bit tired of classic list posts so this time I really spent my time to bring some value into this inspirational article. I gathered here 40 really unique and trendy web designs from Deviantart, all of them are fresh, created in February, 2010. But this time instead of just listing them all, I did a step forward – I tried to analyze and criticize each design, point pros and cons you should give some more attention to. For me design never is complete, there is always space for improving, but it takes serious experience to notice those small mistakes.

If this idea will raise some discussion and attention I am sure I will make more comprehensive research so we all could improve ourselves actually in the meantime.  I am quite excited, how about you? Let's get started!

You may take a look to our other Deviantart Inspiration based articles made in past as well:

• 55 Trendy Web Design Interfaces From Deviantart
• 60 Trendy Web Design Interfaces Created In October
• 46 Outstanding Web Layouts From DeviantArt: September 2009
• 48 Trendy And Fresh Web Interfaces From Deviantart: August 2009

1. World Comics magazine by RadziuPL

Interesting blog using brown, red and few more subtle tones. I like overall design, nice mouse over effects – to main navigation, to RSS button, but something seem a little bit strange to me. For example that bird in header and funny icon in "Comment/ Continue reading" section in post. While blog is created for world comics, I think all icons (RSS,newsletter,search icons) should be funny, logotype maybe too?

And yet again some good points – notice all polished buttons, sections, little embossing, glossing effects, which make design look really professional.

2. Sense Design V1 by webdesigner1921

Design home page for germany web agency. Could turn out as amazing Flash page, great photomanipulation type website.

3. Sense Design V2 by webdesigner1921

Second version of Sense Design website – beautiful 3D effects just buy me to love this website! I don't even dare to criticize here, fell in love with colors! Which is your favorite design?

Okay, if I need to tell something then I think white color is too bright in second screenshot. I understand on bright background it's hard to put readable text, but this isn't the best case. On text I would try slightly darker monochrome color as well as darker box behind the text. What about navigation?  Maybe something bright and big text could get attention to the right place as well?

Would love to hear your opinions, this is a really hard case.

4. Company Portfolio Web 2.0 by princepal

Interesting, yet clean and professional website design. I like especially header where featured slideshow is beautifully executed from original design point of view. Only I think company will definitely need to update their logo to fit it with this beautiful design.

5. MobileSoup by yehsper

Very fresh and trendy designs using just blue and black color variations throughout whole design. Close to simple perfection, though not aligned "Attention please" note confuses a little bit and footer should need more tweaking I think.

6. Designer portfolio by preet618

Site uses green as main bright color to get attention, black color is used just to define navigation and footer, but I don't quite like black to white gradient in background of slideshow. Also logo looks quite good, but typeface used with it I think isn't quite suitable.

I love this design, but it's interesting to analyze and find some little points which could take this design to even higher level!

7. Empati Tasarim by SencerBugrahan

This artist also has full gallery of amazing works – very dark website yet great for image based website. Notice also beautiful 3D effects, glossing and shining borders. I am confused only about background stripes – resembles web 2.0 type designs a little bit and footer lacks little white stripe which all other blocks have.

8. WhitePress by SencerBugrahan

One more great design using only light, subtle colors. For me the most succesful seems header and left content area. I would love to have something similar on my own blog. From marketing point of view though I would like to have bigger RSS and Twitter buttons, also no one would buy sponsor ads if they would lie so far from "Above the fold".

It's very hard task to create successful blog design and yes, I see countless bad design executions in my own site as well.

9. HeyU by yehsper

I wanted to bring attention to this design as well! Seems everything put so random, but in the same time here you will find great color and alignment hierarchy! Check out also cool looking left sidebar with nice embedded effects. I would only find some confusion in header, logo face seems to be too small and main branding item simply disappears in whole loud design!

10. TwoPulse by jk9o

Simply pointed – less is really more, perfect color harmony. I just love blurred contours at the back of logo and little innovative text on the main circle.

11. LimoTaxi by VictoryDesign

No comments, simply amazed about interesting and unique design though while it looks good I am not sure if it will not hurt text readability and usability as whole.

12. Producer Portfolio Business by designresource

Wow, for this design I simply couldn't find words to tell any critique. Beautiful accent in above the fold field (featured slideshow), light design, perfectly aligned and executed. I am watching and learning.

13. AVG – SkyRide by AntoniaVG

"The site focuses on skydiving, hot air balloon rides, hang gliding, gliders, warbirds and biplanes."

Designer tries to put really big amounts of information here and I think he did great job! Great inspiration where successfully are added several photographs in background. Only confusion for me is left top section "Welcome to 1800Skyride" – all other sections has it's own boxes but here text is just lying in the air. I am not sure – maybe it's good thing, welcome text got my attention, but main text is a little hard to read. Analyze this site design yourself, you'll find many more beautifully executed small things.

14. C.E. – Flash Layout by detrans

Interesting approach to hybrid/futuristic type of design. I am curious to see how this site will look live in Flash, notice all little points, glossing, gradients, shine.

15. Paper Portfolio by deadlinesdesign

No comments from my side is needed here – very unique and very well executed website design idea. Notice importance of well picked typeface, size and color as well, red color is used very well to get necessary accents – lovely.

By the way did I mention, designer is only 17 years old?

16. Design Creator Blog by deadlinesdesign

Interesting blog execution. I just love light designs and this structure would be great for small blog, though if content amounts grow in future, there would be problems with categories and sidebar, where I would add more choices for visitors to click.

17. Box – Web Layout by detrans

Trendy design, very good colors for easy reading and interesting idea about boxes opening while navigating between different business plans.

Notice also unique "more" button and how navigation is emphasized with really subtle effects. I have one confusion though – why "Login" button on top right side isn't in the dark field, but somewhere in the middle? Small point, but I am sure just inattention mistake. Interesting to find little points right?

18. Rigid Modeling by alighandour

Eye candy – modern colors and execution.

19. Colormix by gdnz

Very unique website, everything is tied together literally! I don't know for what purpose this website is created but could turn out great portfolio or css (or whatever) showcase site!

20. Oxymore by miko434

Maybe not one of the most user-friendly websites, but you cannot deny – definitely grabs attention! Exercise for yourself – what's so special in this design, what makes it to look professional, not cheap? I think this is great solution for product based websites where you don't need to deliver big amounts of information.

21. Watercolor Blog by deadlinesdesign

I just keep finding more hand-drawn type trendy webdesigns from this author! Great inspiration to look how you can create modern yet a little bit playful type of design. I don't know why, but only thing I would like to fix in this design is that dark border around featured images in articles. From my point of view more brighter or exactly opposite – lighter color would suit there a lot better.

Notice beautiful watercolor header and cute RSS, Twitter icons.

22. Design Development Firm by manujg

Professional, perfectly aligned website using subtle white and blue colors. Could turn out as great corporate website, by the way it is for sale.

Now, cons I am noticing is – I love that popular mac window, but description under "Mission Statement" is simply unreadable don't you agree? I also don't understand why "Twitter Feeds" section has icon, but all other ones have not? Design would look a lot better with icons on each category I guess.

Put your attention to header navigation, which is very interesting and eye catchy, phone icon also get good attention, exactly how it was intended.

23. Freedom Church by alivepixel

Just beautiful design – I was surprised there are so many colors used –  blue, orange,brown,white, green, even red, but it all together looks just outstanding! Here's some impressive inspiration!

24. New Portfolio by dustinstreeck

Very interesting retro type web design in the meantime looking very modern. I enjoy the use of subtle textures and monochromic colors – just plain black and white!

25. VoiceKraft by pcholewa

Well executed design showing how to display huge amounts of information in good way. Impressive 3D effects work throughout whole design, only I think company now definitely needs a new logo design.

26. Shop Layout by razr-designs

Extreme website, T-shirt shop design executed in really good way, I think it's very relevant, colorful, in the meantime looking very harmonic and aligned. Logotype is great and those stitches throughout whole design are relevant to T-shirt (stitches in fabrics) and give design it's uniqueness.

27. inFocus Wordpress by designresource

This website is very polished, I suggest to visit it as great inspiration. By the way this theme is on sale in Themeforest, where you can actually see live version of this website. Great work. Check out live demo on Themeforest.

28. Beauty salon 2 by webdesigner1921

Very interesting design concept, great for product/image based websites. This one is for SPA salon.

29. Mood Template by badboythemer

Website for sale by the way and what I like in this template to so much is colors, logo approach (though typographic template one, but still nice) and placement. Interesting concept behind mood template – light grey at the header and pitch black at the footer.

I am not sure though about gradients in buttons, they seem to disappear and become blurred in design, and yes – concept is good, but for me that pitch black gradient seems to be too strong. White text on black background isn't the favorite color scheme for eyes.

30. Eshop Template by Honya

This design caught my attention with it's unique and interesting top navigation. While website should require a lot of tweaking to work as real sale shop, color scheme and item placement is really great.

31. New Grunge Portfolio by misht

Trendy and unique website design, I enjoy all the arrows to point and get smiling attention to necessary sections. While header, sidebar and content section are very polished at least for me footer looks too short, text in footer too big to be harmonic. Other than that – great design concept!

32. CompanionFinder.eu by luqa

Website design for company CompanionFinder – Adult friend finder. Girl definitely grabbed my attention, so header is purposely and well done I presume. Color selection is interesting and very harmonic and easy for eye to look at and read.  Polished site, my attention grabbers were header with girl, and then textures in background making look design transparent and professional.

33. AIQOON by kaan-arts

As I mentioned several times before already, it's really hard task to process huge amounts of information in user-friendly and harmonic way. One more great inspiration with good concept and well thought through small section placements.

34. World Creative by mhmoodzaidan

Simply great eye-candy. No more comments needed here I presume.

35. Blue Portfolio by ParadigmTradition

Interesting color contrasts – site is using just blue and monochromic colors to achieve everything. Definitely grabbed my attention as unique design.

36. Mazikeen by QwibbleDesigns

Great corporate website design, actually for sale. Click to image to see it full view, many small details are nicely done there.

37.Misz.com by misz000

Simply amazing, very clean and professional design here!

38. WordPress – IcePress Theme by detrans

Amazing water/ice type theme – I would love to see how this design would look as live blog! Very refreshing!

39. 96 Artist Magazine by PanthereNoire92

Interesting magazine type theme, we all know how hard is to view a lot of information in transparent way. I am not sure about background though, other than that – simple and professional!

40. Artcase by alexdesigns

Beautiful choice of colors, AlexDesigns is very talented designer and this work doesn't dissapoint as well! Eye candy and surprisingly I cannot find anything I don't like in this design!

This is my first time doing such research, review and critiques so you can be harsh too. Point out to my mistakes, you don't agree with, add your opinion – I would love to hear it. Critiques for us, designers, is the best way how to improve, would love to hear your thoughts here.

I am even thinking making this advanced feature, analyzing some fresh, popular redesigns, pointing out tools and techniques how specific effects are created in design and maybe even create some fresh tutorials. Now is your time to talk, I did mine!