Among website platforms, WordPress is probably the most famous. WordPress holds 60.8% market share in Content management systems. This is how widespread and massive 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. It would be difficult to create a website as functional and elegant without the necessary know-how.
Enter Plug-ins. WordPress plugins can be described as pieces of software you “plug in” to your WordPress website. These plugins will enhance or add functionality to your WordPress site. Through plugins, you can make your website into anything you can imagine.
This is the reason why plugins can be considered as the beating heart of WordPress. They are vital to the function of WordPress. WordPress plugins are so embedded in the WordPress environment, that there are over 55,000 plugins listed on the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Some are free and some are paid. Some of these plug-ins are easy to use, and others take a while of getting 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.
Elementor: A Quick Overview Elementor Vertical Divider
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.
That said, Elementor is nothing new. Since its release in mid-2016, Elementor has been in the WordPress Plugin Library. It has quickly become 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.
Since it is a drag-and-drop builder. 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.
Furthermore, Elementor allows you to do a lot of 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.
This interface also does not require you to have any HTML, CSS, PHP, or any coding skills. As stated above, everything is drag and drop and done through a handy user-facing interface.
Elementor is a 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. Elementor is compatible with all themes, so there’s no reason to be concerned if your theme isn’t compatible.
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.
Aside from being one of the most used and well reviewed page builder plugin in WordPress, Elementor also has the following features:
Content Elements Galore
Admit it, the name Elementor is pretty strange for something that is a web page builder. Rather than page building, it brings about images of a monster who uses the elements to vanquish the heroes.
Elementor is not named after any mythical creature or scary monster. Its name is derived from the blocks that are used to build the pages. These blocks are the so-called elements that form the web page.
These are the items that users “drag-and drop” to create eye-popping designs. And through them, the Elementor name is apropos.
Responsive Design
First came the smart phones. Then came the Internet of things. Now, almost everything can be used to browse the internet. The most popular way to browse the internet is still via a personal computer or laptop, rather than using smartphones and tablets.
Now, if you are an owner of a webpage who wants the “hits” you should have no cock to pick on that cockfight. You would want both to visit your website. You want your website to look great on any device.
Elementor allows you to do just that. 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 is not surprising to see people who don’t know where to start when creating a website.
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. These templates can also be used to inspire you in creating your own unique websites.
Style options
Aside from templates, Elementor also provides style. 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
With its multiple tools, Elementor makes it a lot easier to build your web pages. You can access right-click support to get assistance with just a mouse click. 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 refers to any digital or online content which changes and updates based upon 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 are small web pages that can be used into whatever you like. More often than not, they are used for lead conversion.
Elementor’s Popup Builder allows you to design your popup using the same tools given for your webpage builder. This includes the same visual, drag and drop interface as well as the what you see is what you get 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’s target is usually small to large online merchants. Its main draw is for its simplicity to integrate on your website and its customizability.
Elementor allows you to set up an eCommerce store with the WooCommerce plugin. You can create your WooCommerce shop through Elementor 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.
Even the free version is good enough for casual users.
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.
You can use the Elementor Pro features to create lead forms if you’re serious. 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. It can even be integrated with Zapier, one of the internet’s most well known automation and integration tools.
One feature discussed earlier is the Popup builder.This popup builder is perfect to create opt-in popups. You can place these pop ups anywhere on your site and target them to specific things.
Even the WooCommerce Builder can be used to sell products and services and design your sales pages.
Site Builders
For people whose work involves building websites for clients, there is no better choice than Elementor.
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.
You can even choose themes to simplify the process of building websites. These themes can also be used to inspire the next website they create. They can use the aesthetics, functionality, form, or any combination of the above to build the perfect website.
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.
Making websites is not an easy task. You might be able to grasp the basics. You might even know which elements to include to make a very functional website.
However, it is still a fact that websites should be unique in order to carve out their own space in the internet. Although this may sound simple, there are many factors that must be considered when creating 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. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a freelancer or a website designer and you will have these problems multiplied tenfold.
For each new client or new website you build, you will need to create and generate newer ideas to make it unique.
Plugins and page builder apps are a godsend for these people. With lots of features to make the website building process more accessible and easier to use. It will be easier to do the work.
From the multiple features such as dynamic content, version features, and drag and drop builders, Website designers will have to spend less time fine tuning websites depending on their client’s preferences.
It is possible to start from scratch. Thanks to the multiple professional grade templates available for use.
And that is the main crux of website and webpage builders. They allow the users to have an easier and more accessible time in carving their space in the Internet. Elementor Vertical Divider
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.
Once you’re done, you can either customize Elementor’s settings to your liking or start creating and designing websites immediately.
The default settings for people just starting out should not be altered. Now we can head over to the pages and open one that we are allowed to edit.
Click on the “Edit with Elementor” button in the upper right corner of the page to begin editing
This will bring about the dashboard that has the following parts:
- This is the Main Canvas, where the majority of the action will occur. Here you can edit and redesign the majority of your websites.
- 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
From this interface, you can choose what to do with your website. You have two options: you can start from scratch. You can edit a pre-existing webpage. You can even use a template to get you started with your work. Elementor Vertical Divider
Elementor Structure Hierarchy
Understanding how Elementor works is essential before you can create websites. This is where you will need to understand how Elementor works and how they interact with one another.
Sure, Elementor might offer a drag and drop builder, which at first glance can make it a chaotic and free builder. However, there is actually a structure to this “madness”. This structure is essential for effective website building, and not just copying a template.
Each page created with Elementor has sections and columns
Sections are essentially rows. Each section is the foundation of the page. You can add a background in a section, change its sizing, and do more customizations. Most of all, sections hold columns and widgets. They basically hold all the elements together.
Columns meanwhile divide the sections. 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. Your website’s function will be determined by the widgets, while its personality will be determined by the content. These widgets can be customized and styled.
Pre-made Templates
While they are not necessary in creating web pages (you can always make them from scratch) , having pre-made templates is always a godsend. Not only do they make your work easier and faster, they are also a source of lots and lots of inspiration.
Elementor offers professionally designed templates that you can use on your website. 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.
How many templates does Elementor offer its users? Free users are given 150 and more templates available to use. 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 have a common design or are generally uniform. These kits are perfect for crafting whole websites that carry a singular vision on its design aspect.
Both the pre-made templates and the Elementor kits are available on Elementor’s template library. This library holds most of all common page templates for different purposes. You might think of a website page and find the information you are looking for. Elementor Vertical Divider
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 even teampages as well as many more.
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. These designs can be shared to the wider community online.
Designing a Page from Scratch with Elementor
Elementor allows you to build and design your web page either from scratch, 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. Choose the one that best suits your needs. Preferably the one with enough columns for your needs.
- Once you have created your sections, you are able to drag and drop your widgets from the Elementor to the columns you wish to place.
- 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. Elementor Vertical Divider
Editing a Pre-Existing Page in Elementor to Suit your Design
After learning how to create web pages with Elementor from scratch, we can now look at editing instead of building one from an existing page. You can find pre-existing pages from many sources.
They can come from your own 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 get on with it.
- It is easy to add a new widget. 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.
- Editing text from content boxes is just as simple. Simply click on the box to open it and then enter the text you desire 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.
- You can customize your widgets the same way you edit text, by clicking on them. It will open the appropriate widget setting in the sidebar. This section is broken down into three tabs: Style, Content, and Advanced. Play with these settings until you find something you fancy. Elementor Vertical Divider
The Price of Elementor
It seems unbelievable that elementor is a free plugin when you consider all of the features it offers. Yep, you heard it right. Elementor is completely free
That said, you might have noticed that there is a mention of a Pro version. And it’s true there is a pro version. To enjoy most of Elementor’s features and benefits, however, you don’t need to be a pro.
You can get Elementor’s main plugin via the official WordPress repository. It is entirely free and no hidden costs or signups and registrations are needed. If you wish to upgrade to Pro, this plugin will be required.
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.
The plan are as follows:
| 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
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support |
25 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
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 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 |
1000 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 |
The Case for Going Pro
When it comes to Elementor Pro, there is much debate. Many people struggle to pay for a service that offers 90% of the benefits it could offer for free. This really boils down to Elementor Pro.
Aside from the ones listed above, Elementor Pro has its other benefits. This include: Elementor Vertical Divider
- 50+ additional content elements or modules
- 300+ additional page templates
- A theme builder (which allows you to change headers and footers for your current theme)
- 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 that can be used through the website (even 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. Elementor Vertical Divider
Elementor: The Pros and Con of Elementor
Pros
- Elementor’s core product is completely free. Unlike most plugins, you do not need to get the Professional plan in order to get the most out of Elementor
- There are plenty of features to use for creating your webpage. These features are also very simple 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.
- Drag and drop builders eliminate the need to have HTML, CSS, orPHP 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.
- Elementor pages are all responsive. You can even see how your pages would look on mobile, tablet, and desktop while you build your website.
- The plugin provides detailed settings for all alignments, margins, and padding values. You can literally fine tune all details of your page.
Cons
- Sometimes, the custom styling to links does not always go as intended.
- Sometimes you may need to stick with Elementor’s default typography or color settings.
- It is difficult to fix misaligned elements, especially talking about their margin values. Because most content elements, including blocks and columns, have their own margin settings, this is not possible.
- Some people have observed that Elementor can sometimes slow down the overall speed of your website. Elementor Vertical Divider
The Verdict on Elementor
Elementor is an excellent page builder. Elementor has everything you need to build a simple page. 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 as long as they follow the coding standards of WordPress set by its Codex.
Can Elementor be used 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.
Unlike regular Elementor, it is not free. However, it adds a lot of features and completes the needed tools that web creators need to build a professional, pixel perfect website. Elementor Vertical Divider
Why is there a discount for the Studio subscription of Elementor Pro?
Elementor wants to provide a studio plan at a lower price.
At 40% discount, this is a fantastic deal. However, this only applies for one year. During renewal, Studio plan users will be required to pay the full price.
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 for Elementor Pro? Elementor Vertical Divider
Elementor Pro does not have a Demo version.
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.