Among website platforms, WordPress is probably the most famous. When talking about Content management systems alone, WordPress owns 60.8% of the market share. This is how widespread and massive WordPress is.
WordPress powers 14.7% of the top websites in the world. WordPress is the only reason that Time Magazine, Sony Music and The Harvard Gazette, as well as Microsoft News, function. WordPress is a must-have for the internet.
Now WordPress is just a very simple site builder, it takes a lot of work to create a website in the levels of the bigger ones like Microsoft news and Time Magazine. It would be difficult to create a website as functional and elegant without the necessary know-how.
Use 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. Plugins allow you to transform your website into any type of thing you can think of.
This is the reason why plugins can be considered as the beating heart of WordPress. They are vital to the function of WordPress. Plugins are so baked into the WordPress environment that the WordPress Plugin Directory features about 55,000+ plugins.
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.
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review of Pink1472’s Youtube channel. You can still read our article to get an overview of Elementor.
A Quick Look on Elementor How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
Elementor, a drag-and drop page builder plugin for WordPress, is the first. As the name suggests, page builders help users build their websites from the ground up.
That said, Elementor is nothing new. It has been available in the WordPress Plugin Library since it was released in mid-2016. It has quickly become one of the most popular, visual page builders in WordPress. From there, it hasn’t stopped and rested on its laurels.
Even today, Elementor continues to grow and evolve at a rapid pace, keeping up with the newest technologies.
It is easy to use, as it uses drag-and-drop technology. Elementor is easy to use, even for people just starting to build websites. Most of the process will involve dragging and dropping website elements on your workspace.
Most drag and drop builders operate on the “what you see is what you get” model. This means that you can see what you create while building or editing 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.
Elementor will take you to a different interface when you create your page. Here you can work on your pages and posts. As such, you do not need to touch the standard editor that WordPress provides.
This interface also does not require you to have any HTML, CSS, PHP, or any coding skills. Everything is easy to use, and you can drag and drop it through the user-friendly interface.
Elementor is a flexible plugin. It can be used with any current WordPress theme. You can make and generate any content layout or page layout you can imagine with it.
Elementor works with all types 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
Elementor looks like it’s a drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress Users.
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
Elementor, as a web page creator, is quite a strange name. It is not page building. Instead, it creates images of a monster that uses the elements to defeat the heroes.
Elementor is not named after any mythical creature or scary monster. It is named after the building blocks users use to build out the page. These blocks are called elements and form the web site.
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
First came the smart phones. Then came the Internet of things. Now, almost everything can be used to browse the internet. Still, the most common way to browse the Internet would be a debate between the personal computer or laptop versus the 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. You would want both to visit your website. You want your website to look great on any device.
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
Elementor is a drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy to create a WordPress page. 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 be used to avoid the “blank page syndrome” that many beginners experience. Elementor offers hundreds of professionally designed templates.
These templates are a great place to start when you’re creating a new website. These templates can also be used to inspire you in creating your own unique 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. You don’t need to know any coding or custom CSS.
Convenience
With its multiple tools, Elementor makes it a lot easier to build your 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) even allows users to design 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 allows you to add dynamic content from custom fields and plugins like 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 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 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 even include products and integrate it in your design.
The Users for Elementor
Elementor can be used by almost anyone. From digital marketers to students. Anybody who plans to create a WordPress website can use the various styles and functions available in Elementor to spice up their pages.
Casual User
Casual users looking for a way to add pizazz and personality in their personal websites or blogs can use Elementor. Elementor is the ideal tool to do this 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.
If you want to get serious, you can avail of the Elementor Pro features that allow you to create lead forms. These forms are not far from those plugins that focus more on lead conversion or landing pages.
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. You can place these pop ups anywhere on your site and target them to specific things.
The WooCommerce Builder can also be used to design sales pages and sell products.
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. Drag and drop allows builders to quickly create a website. This feature can be combined with the website preview to almost instantly see the results.
There are even themes to make the website building process easier. Or these very same themes can be used as an inspiration for the next websites they will be making. To create the perfect website, they can combine the functionality and aesthetics of all three.
Flexible themes can be used with the plugin by Elementor users to create 100% custom client websites.
However, Elementor allows you to still code.
Elementor: The Case
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.
First of all, the most basic use of Elementor boils down as a page builder for websites.
Making websites is not an easy task. Sure, you might know 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.
Doing so will take a lot of work. 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. 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 make it easier and more accessible for users to carve their own space on the Internet. How To Build A Minimalist Website With 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. We can now go to the pages and edit any that we want.
Click on the “Edit with Elementor” button in the upper right corner of the page to begin editing
The dashboard will now have the following parts:
- This is the Main Canvas, where the majority of the action will occur. This is where you will edit and redesign most of your websites look
- The Elementor widgets area where most of the “apps” and functions for your website can be dragged from before putting it in the main working 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 Changes
- Publish
This interface allows you to choose what you want for your website. You can either start from scratch. You can edit a pre-existing webpage. You can even use a template to get you started with your work. How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
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.
Every page built with Elementor contains sections and columns
Sections are essentially rows. Each section is the basis 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.
The sections are divided by columns. Each column can be customized and controlled individually, just like the sections. Each column can be home to multiple widgets or content. You can also make each section’s columns different.
These are the smallest elements of a website. These are the main elements of your website’s toppers. The function of your website will depend on the widgets and its personality will depend on 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. 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.
How many templates does Elementor offer its users? Elementor offers 150 templates to free users. Pro users have three hundred more templates available to them.
There are also 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 templates are great for creating websites with a single design theme.
Elementor’s template collection contains both pre-made templates as well as Elementor kit kits. This library contains most common templates for various purposes. Think of a web page, and you might find what you need there. How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
There are pages for contact pages, about pages, landing pages, and niches. restaurants, hotels, resorts etc.) portfolios, and even teampages as well as many more.
The library not only gives, but it also receives. If you created a web page that you think you really are satisfied with, you can export them as a template and you will be able to reuse them at the drop of a hat.
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.
Elementor allows you to design a page from scratch
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.
Through examining it sprocess, we can clearly see how good the functions of the Elementor Plugin is.
To begin:
- Click “Edit with Elementor” to open a blank page
- 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. How To Build A Minimalist Website With 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.
They can come from your own saved pages. You can find many templates in Elementor’s library. They can also be templates you have imported into Elementor.
It doesn’t matter what source you use, editing a page from a pre-built webpage is much easier than building it 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.
- You can always add sections or columns. This is especially useful when you want to create new layouts for your widgets.
- You can customize your widgets the same way you edit text, by clicking on them. In the case of widgets, it will open the appropriate setting in the sidebar. This is divided into three tabs: Content, Style, and Advanced. Play with these settings until you find something you fancy. How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
The Price of Elementor
With all the features elementor provides its users, it seems too good to be true that it is just a free plugin. Yep, you heard it right. Elementor is completely free
You might have noticed that the Pro version is mentioned. It is true that there is a Pro version. However, you don’t really need to go pro to enjoy almost all of Elementor’s benefits and features.
You can get Elementor’s main plugin via the official WordPress repository. It’s completely free with no signups or registrations required. You will also need this main plugin if you want to go Pro.
The Pro edition. There are currently four plans available. 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
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 |
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
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. A lot of people find it hard to reconcile paying for a service that already offers 90% of what it can do for free. This really boils down to Elementor Pro.
Elementor Pro offers many other benefits, in addition to the ones mentioned above. This include: How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
- 50+ additional content elements or modules
- 300+ additional page templates
- 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 create popups and then integrate them with an on-opt-in form, 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
- Sidebar widgets and widgets can be used to deploy Elementor elements
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. How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
The Pros and Cons 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.
- 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
- The “What you see, is what you get” approach makes it simple to build your website. 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.
- This plugin allows you to adjust all alignments, margins and padding values. All details can be fine tuned.
Cons
- Sometimes the links’ custom styling doesn’t always work as expected.
- Sometimes you may need to stick with Elementor’s default typography or color settings.
- It can be difficult to correct misaligned elements, particularly when it comes to their margin values. Because most content elements, including blocks and columns, have their own margin settings, this is not possible.
- Elementor can slow down your website’s overall speed, according to some users. How To Build A Minimalist Website With 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.
So if you are looking for a drag and drop page builder plugin for WordPress, you will never go wrong with Elementor.
I’d even say that Elementor’s developers have made a fortune and have not stopped trying since. It is incredible that Elementors are still one of the top choices today, given their age.
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.
Does Elementor Work with other WordPress plugins
Elementor works with almost 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. It adds many features and completes the tools web designers need to create a professional website. How To Build A Minimalist Website With Elementor
Why is the Studio subscription to Elementor Pro discounted?
Elementor wants to provide a studio plan at a lower price.
This is a great deal at 40% off However, this only applies for one year. During renewal, Studio plan users will be required to pay the full price.
How can I pay for Elementor Pro
Elementor Pro can be paid for using Stripe, PayPal or any other credit card.
Is there a Demo Version for Elementor Pro? How To Build A Minimalist Website With 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.