WordPress is the most well-known website platform. When talking about Content management systems alone, WordPress owns 60.8% of the market share. That is how ubiquitous and gigantic WordPress is.
WordPress powers 14.7% of the top websites in the world. Time Magazine, Sony Music, The Harvard Gazette and even Microsoft News itself only function due to WordPress. WordPress is a must-have for the internet.
WordPress is a simple website builder. However, it requires a lot more work to make a website comparable to the larger sites like Microsoft News and Time Magazine. Without the know-how, it would be very difficult to make a website that is as functional or as elegant as those.
Enter Plug-ins. WordPress plugins are pieces of software that you “plug into” your WordPress site. These plugins will enhance or add functionality to your WordPress site. Plugins allow you to transform your website into any type of thing you can think of.
Plugins are the heartbeat of WordPress. They are essential to maintain and enhance its function. WordPress plugins are so embedded in the WordPress environment, that there are over 55,000 plugins listed on the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Some of them are free, some are not. Some plug-ins are simple to use while others require some time to get used to. Elementor, a page builder plug-in, is a notable one.
Pink1472’s Youtube channel is reviewed in video format for those who like a visual experience. You can still read our article to get an overview of Elementor.
A Quick Look on Elementor WordPress How To Use Elementor
To begin with, Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress. As the name suggests, page builders help users build their websites from the ground up.
Elementor is not new, however. It has been available in the WordPress Plugin Library since it was released in mid-2016. It quickly became one of the most popular visual page builders in WordPress. It has not slowed down since then.
Elementor continues to evolve and grow at an incredible pace, keeping up the latest technologies.
It is easy to use, as it uses drag-and-drop technology. Elementor is very easy to use for those just beginning to build their websites. Most of the process will involve dragging and dropping website elements on your workspace.
Drag and drop builders work on the principle that “what you see, is what you get”. That means whatever you see while editing or building your website. This makes it easy to imagine how your website would look as you are building it.
Elementor also allows you to do many things. You can create pages and posts that are more unique than regular WordPress themes.
When making your page, Elementor will bring you to a separate interface. Here you can work on your pages and posts. You don’t need to use the standard editor WordPress offers.
You don’t need to know HTML, CSS, PHP or any other programming skills to use this interface. Everything is easy to use, and you can drag and drop it through the user-friendly interface.
Elementor is also a very flexible plugin. It can be used with whatever current WordPress theme you are using. You can make and generate any content layout or page layout you can imagine with it.
Elementor even works on all kinds of WordPress themes. So there is no need to worry if your theme will be bugging out since it is not compatible with Elementor.
The Features of Elementor
At first glance, Elementor is what it says it is, a drag and drop page builder for WordPress User to make their pages without using a code.
We wouldn’t discuss Elementor, however, if that is all Elementor can do.
Elementor is not only one of the most popular and highly reviewed page builders plugins in WordPress. It also offers the following features:
Content Elements Galore
Admit it, the name Elementor is pretty strange for something that is a web page builder. It is not page building. Instead, it creates images of a monster that uses the elements to defeat the heroes.
However, nothing is further from the truth and Elementor was not named after a mythical creature or a scary monster to be vanquished. It is named after the building blocks users use to build out the page. These blocks are the so-called elements that form the web page.
These are the things that users need to “drag-and-drop” to form their eye popping designs. And through them, the Elementor name is apropos.
Responsive Design
The smart phones were first. Then came internet of things. The internet can now be accessed by almost any device. The most popular way to browse the internet is still via a personal computer or laptop, rather than using smartphones and tablets.
If you’re the owner of a website and want to get “hits”, you shouldn’t be allowed to pick on any cockfight. Both would be welcome to your site. As such, you would want your site to look the best it can no matter the device being used.
Elementor makes it possible to achieve this. With its responsive design that is turned on by default, your website will look optimized no matter which gadget your viewer is using.
You can also customize the look and function of your browser to suit your needs.
Templates
With a drag and drop builder like Elementor, it would not be a surprise if there are people trying to build a WordPress page who do not know a thing about code. It will also be no surprise to find people who have no idea where to begin when building a webpage.
Luckily templates exist in order to help these poor souls. Templates can help avoid the blank page syndrome that most beginners suffer from. Elementor offers hundreds of professionally designed templates.
These templates will be a good place to start whenever you are starting out for a new web page. Or they can be used as an inspiration to create your own eye popping websites.
Style options
Elementor offers style as well as templates. With Elementor, you can get a lot of detailed style options that allow for pixel-perfect design. What’s more is you do not need to know custom CSS or any coding at all.
Convenience
Elementor’s many tools make it easy to create web pages. Some of which include right-click support where you can get help with a click of the mouse. You can also use the quick find tool to help you locate what you need to build your site with Theme Builder.
The Pro version (paid version), allows users to create entire WordPress themes.
Dynamic Content
Dynamic content is defined as any digital or online content that changes and updates based on data, user behavior and preferences.
Elementor lets you add dynamic content to your pages using custom fields or plugins such as ACF, Pods, and Toolset. You can keep your pages up-to-date with any changes that you wish to reflect.
Popup Builder
The popup builder is another feature that only Pro users can access with Elementor. Popups can be made into any web page you wish. They are often used to convert leads.
Elementor’s popup builder allows you to create your popup with the same tools as your webpage builder. You can use the same visual, drag-and-drop interface and the “what you see is what it gives you” interface.
With Elementor’s popup builder, you are sure to create popups that are as visually impressive as your page.
WooCommerce Builder
WooCommerce is an open source ecommerce plugin for WordPress. WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress that allows you to sell products online. Its primary draw is its ease of integration on your site and its customizability.
This customizability extends even to Elementor which allows users to create an eCommerce store using the WooCommerce plugin. Through Elementor you can design your WooCommerce shop using Lementors. You can also include products and integrate them into your design.
The Users for Elementor
Elementor can be used by almost anyone. Digital marketers, students and everyone in between. Anyone who has plans in creating a web page through WordPress, can spice up their pages through the different functions and styles available in Elementor.
Casual User
Casual users looking for a way to add pizazz and personality in their personal websites or blogs can use Elementor. In fact Elementor is the perfect tool for such a job.
Using the visual interface, it would be very easy for casual users to create groundbreaking or eye-opening designs even without using technical knowledge like coding, custom CSS or whatever programming language available.
For casual users, even the free version is already good to go.
Digital Marketer
Elementor is great for digital marketers, teams and individuals because it offers many marketing opportunities.
It can be used as a drag-and-drop page builder to create sales pages or landing pages if you know how to do that. To really increase your sales, you could combine the plugin with Landing Page friendly plugins.
If you want to get serious, you can avail of the Elementor Pro features that allow you to create lead forms. These forms are similar to those that focus on landing pages or lead conversion.
These lead forms can be connected to popular email marketing tools. Zapier is one of the most popular integration and automation tools on the internet.
The Popup builder was mentioned earlier. This popup builder allows you to create opt-in, popups. These popups can be placed anywhere on your website and targeted to specific items.
Even the WooCommerce Builder can be used to sell products and services and design your sales pages.
Site Builders
Elementor is the best choice for those who work on websites for clients.
Elementor offers many features that make website building easier and more efficient. The drag and drop feature allows builders an easy way to create a website from scratch. Combine this with the website preview, and you can almost instantly see the results of your work.
There are even themes to make the website building process easier. These themes can also be used to inspire the next website they create. To create the perfect website, they can combine the functionality and aesthetics of all three.
Elementor users can even use the plugin in conjunction with flexible themes to build 100% custom client sites without even touching code.
However, Elementor allows you to still code.
The Case for Using Elementor
While we know of Elementor’s features and we know who can benefit from using the plugin, we should probably get to know why we should use Elementor in the first place.
Elementor is a page builder that creates websites.
It isn’t easy to create websites. You might be able to grasp the basics. It is possible that you even know what elements are needed to create a functional website.
It is still a fact websites must be unique to make their place in the internet. This might sound like an easy task, but there are a lot of factors to consider when maintaining a website.
Then there is the website navigation, the overall aesthetic, not to mention, the security of your website. Each of these must be maintained in a pristine condition to keep users and visitors satisfied with your website’s overall performance.
It will require a lot of effort. These problems will be ten times more if you are a freelancer or website designer.
You will need to generate and create new ideas for each client you have or every website you build.
These people will find plugins and page builders apps a blessing. There are many features that make website building easier and more intuitive. It will be easier to do the work.
Website designers will need to spend less time tweaking websites based on the preferences of their clients.
It is possible to start from scratch. Many professional-grade templates are available.
And that is the main crux of website and webpage builders. They make it easier and more accessible for users to carve their own space on the Internet. WordPress How To Use Elementor
The Examination of Elementor
The Interface
Of course, using the Elementor plugin requires installation and activation before using it. You can do so through the WordPress Repository.
With that done, you can choose to customize Elementor’s settings or immediately begin creating and designing a website.
For people who are just starting out, the default starting settings should not be changed. Now we can head over to the pages and open one that we are allowed to edit.
To start editing: On the upper right side of the page, click on “Edit With Elementor”
This will bring about the dashboard that has the following parts:
- The Main Canvas where most of the action will take place. This is where you will edit and redesign most of your websites look
- You can drag the Elementor widgets section from which most of the functions and “apps” for your website to be placed before you place it in the main area of our website.
- Elementor Settings
- Open Elementor Widgets
- Global Settings
- Revision History
- Switch View. Switch View. This is where you can switch between different views of how your website will appear on different devices (desktop/tablet, mobile).
- Preview the Changes
- Publish
This interface allows you to choose what you want for your website. You can either start from scratch. Edit an existing webpage. You can even use a template to get you started with your work. WordPress How To Use Elementor
Elementor Structure Hierarchy
Understanding how Elementor works is essential before you can create websites. In this case, you need to get a grip of how the website elements in Elementor work as well as how they work with each other.
Elementor may be a drag-and-drop builder that can seem chaotic at first glance. There is a structure to all this “madness.” Understanding this structure is key to effective website building (aside from just copying a template.)
Each page created with Elementor has sections and columns
Sections can be described as rows. Each section is the basis of the page. You can change the size and background of a section. Sections hold widgets and columns. They basically hold all the elements together.
The sections are divided by columns. Just like the sections, you can control and customize each column individually. Each column is home to multiple content or widgets. You can also make each section’s columns different.
As for the content and widgets, these are the smallest elements in a website. This is basically the toppers of your website. The function of your website will depend on the widgets and its personality will depend on the content. Of course, you can still customize and style these two.
Pre-made Templates
Although they aren’t necessary for creating web pages, you can still make them from scratch. However, pre-made templates are always a blessing. They not only make it easier to do your job faster but also provide inspiration.
Elementor provides you with professionally designed pre-made templates you can use for your page. You can use each template as is, or you can edit them to suit your needs or tweak them a little to make a perfect fit.
So how many templates do Elementor provide its users? Elementor offers 150 templates to free users. Pro users have three hundred more templates available to them.
Then there are the Elementor Kits. These are “design kits” that consist of a collection of templates. These templates are mostly uniform or share the same design feel. These templates are great for creating websites with a single design theme.
Both the pre-made templates and the Elementor kits are available on Elementor’s template library. This library contains most common templates for various purposes. You might think of a website page and find the information you are looking for. WordPress How To Use Elementor
They have a selection of pages for about pages, contact pages, homepages, landing pages and their various niches (i.e. restaurants, hotels, resorts etc.) Portfolios and teampages are also available.
The library not only gives, but it also receives. You can export web pages that you are happy with to a template so you can reuse them whenever you want.
This makes it easy to choose a design when you are building another page that shares design or function elements from your previous pages. You can even share them to the greater community online.
Elementor allows you to design a page from scratch
Elementor lets you create and design your website from scratch or with a pre-existing template. Although it’s easier to use a template to create one, it is worth learning how to make one yourself.
We can see the effectiveness of the Elementor plugin’s functions by looking at it.
To begin:
- Open a blank page and click “Edit With Elementor”
- You will see a “+” button. Click on it to add a new section
- You will be presented with a page that has a selection of sections in it. Pick the one most suited to your needs. Preferably the one with enough columns for your needs.
- Now that you have your sections, you can start picking your widgets in the Elementor drag and drop them to your columns where you want to place them.
- Once you’re satisfied with the placement of your elements, you can modify them in the Content and Style sections. A good idea is to play around with the options until you find out which styles fits for you. WordPress How To Use Elementor
Editing a Pre-Existing Page in Elementor to Suit your Design
Now that we’ve learned how to design web pages from scratch with Elementor, it is time to look at the process of editing rather than building one from a pre-existing page. You can find pre-existing pages from many sources.
These templates can be taken from your saved pages. Some can come front he dozens of templates available from Elementor’s library. They can also be templates you have imported into Elementor.
No matter the source, one thing is true: Editing a webpage from a pre-built page is a lot easier than building one from scratch.
Let’s move on.
- Adding in a new widget is the same as doing it from scratch. You just take the widget you want to use from the Elementor Panel and then drag it to where you want to place it on the page.
- Rearranging widgets on the visual preview is also done by dragging the said widget and dropping it to the new location of where you want to place it.
- It is easy to edit text in content boxes. You just need to click on the box and then type the new text you want on the visual preview.
- Remember, you can always add new sections and columns. This is particularly useful if you need to create new layouts of your widgets.
- By clicking on the widgets, you can modify them in the same way as text. In the case of widgets, it will open the appropriate setting in the sidebar. This section is broken down into three tabs: Style, Content, and Advanced. These settings can be adjusted until you find the right setting. WordPress How To Use Elementor
The Price of Elementor
It seems unbelievable that elementor is a free plugin when you consider all of the features it offers. You heard it correctly. Elementor is completely free
That said, you might have noticed that there is a mention of a Pro version. It is true that there is a Pro version. To enjoy most of Elementor’s features and benefits, however, you don’t need to be a pro.
The official WordPress repository contains Elementor’s main plug-in. It’s completely free with no signups or registrations required. You will also need this main plugin if you want to go Pro.
Speaking of the Pro edition. There are currently four plans. Each plan has more features and benefits. You will get a different amount of Pro Website Activation depending on the plan you choose.
These are the details of the plan:
| Essential Plan | Expert Plan | Studio Plan | Agency Plan |
| $49 per Year | $199 per Year | $299 per Year (1st year only)
$499 |
$999 per Year |
| 1 Pro Website Activation
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support |
25 Pro Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
1000 Pro Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
The Case for Going Pro
There is a great debate if when talking about going Pro with Elementor. Many people struggle to pay for a service that offers 90% of the benefits it could offer for free. To be honest, this actually boils down to what Elementor Pro offers.
Aside from the ones listed above, Elementor Pro has its other benefits. This include: WordPress How To Use Elementor
- 50+ Additional content elements or modules
- Additional page templates available in 300+
- You can create a theme using the theme builder.
- WooCommerce Builder (which allows you to rebuild your WooCommerce Product Pages
- Popup builder (which allows you to build popups and integrate them with either an on opt-in form or some offers or discounts)
- Visual form builder that can be integrated with many popular marketing tools
- Global widgets can be used on the website, even if they are not on the same page.
- Add custom CSS to any Elementor Blocks for further customization
- Deploying Elementor elements in sidebars and widgets
You can choose Elementor Pro Version if you don’t think these extra features are sufficient or you require some of these features on your website. WordPress How To Use Elementor
The Pros and Cons of Elementor
Pros
- The core product for Elementor is entirely free. Unlike most plugins, you do not need to get the Professional plan in order to get the most out of Elementor
- You have many options to create your website. They are even very easy to use.
- It allows users to build custom web pages and page layouts with eye-popping design that may not be accessible in your basic theme or on WordPress’ basic builder.
- The drag and drop builder removes the need for HTML, CSS, or PHP skills. No Coding is Required when you got Elementor by your side
- Chooses the “What you see is what you get” approach, makes it easy for you to build your website without switching to previews. This can save a lot of time.
- All pages made with Elementor are responsive. They even allow you to view how they would look on mobile, desktop, or tablet as you are building your website.
- The plugin provides detailed settings for all alignments, margins, and padding values. All details can be fine tuned.
Cons
- Sometimes the links’ custom styling doesn’t always work as expected.
- There are times where you can get stuck with Elementor’s default typography and color settings.
- It is difficult to fix misaligned elements, especially talking about their margin values. This is because most blocks, columns, and content elements have their own margin settings.
- Elementor can slow down your website’s overall speed, according to some users. WordPress How To Use Elementor
The Verdict for Elementor
In conclusion, Elementor is a splendid page builder. It has all the features you want and need for a basic page builder and more. Both beginners and veterans can use it. What’s more is that you get all of its features for the low low price of free.
Elementor is the best drag-and-drop page builder plugin you can find for WordPress.
I would even go far as to say that the developers of Elementor have struck themselves gold and never really let go since then. Given Elementors age, it is amazing that they are still among the top choices today.
Common Questions about Elementor
Does Elementor work with WordPress Themes?
Elementor works with all themes provided they adhere to the WordPress Codex coding standards.
Does Elementor Work with other WordPress plugins
Elementor can be used with nearly all WordPress plugins.
There might be some incompatibility issue here and there, but you can report these incidents to Elementor’s support for them to locate and find a solution about the issue.
What is Elementor Pro?
Elementor Pro, the advanced version of Elementor, is available.
It is not free, unlike regular Elementor. It adds many features and completes the tools web designers need to create a professional website. WordPress How To Use Elementor
Why is the Studio subscription to Elementor Pro discounted?
Elementor simply wants to offer a lower entry price point for their studio plan.
This is a great deal at 40% off This discount is only valid for one year. During renewal users will have to pay the regular, full price of the Studio plan.
How do I pay for Elementor Pro?
The folks at Elementor access Stripe, PayPal, or any credit card to pay for Elementor Pro.
Is there a Demo Version of Elementor Pro available? WordPress How To Use Elementor
There is no Demo version for Elementor Pro.
They do have a 30-day refund policy which allows you to cancel your pro plan and get a full refund. So if you want to try the Pro version, the best thing to do would be pay for Elementor Pro, try it for a month, then decide if you want to keep it or not.