2021 like every year brings with it new developments in web technology and tools that are used by web developers worldwide. Some technologies fade away while others stand out above the rest. In WordPress, Elementor has grown to be the most popular page builder and is one tool that every web developer should use in 2021.
In this post, we will look at the Elementor page builder in depth. Some of the things we will discuss include Elementor’s top features that make it popular among the WordPress community, Elementor pricing models, the pros and cons of using Elementor, and much more.
Elementor Page Builder
A WordPress page builder is a tool that allows developers to design, create and edit their websites without having to write a single line of code. Since its inception, Elementor has grown by leaps and bounds to become the most popular WordPress page builder. With more than five million active installs, there is no doubt that Elementor powers a large number of websites on the internet today.
There are a number of factors that have elevated Elementor to the top of most web developers’ lists as the go-to WordPress page builder. In this post, we will dive deep into what exactly makes the Elementor page builder such a popular tool for web developers and why it is one of the most downloaded plugins on WordPress today. By the end of this post, you shall have all the information you need to help you decide whether or not to go with Elementor as your preferred page builder of choice.
Elementor Design and Top Features
Elementor comes with a wide array of tools and features that have made it easy for web developers to design, create and edit their websites. These tools and features are what have made Elementor popular among web designers.
We will divide this section into two:
- Design – We will look at the structure and layout of the page builder as a tool for web developers.
- Features – We will look at the top features that the Elementor page builder offers.
Elementor Page Builder Design
Elementor enables developers to create websites by employing the drag and drop technique. The drag and drop technique is the process whereby an individual uses their mouse pointer to “grab” an object on the screen and drag it to a different location on their screen or onto another virtual object. This technique makes it easy for developers to create their websites much faster while not having to worry about the different HTML tags they would have to use if they were writing basic code.
The layout of the page builder has been made easy for developers to quickly and easily select the components of their choice.
When using the Elementor page builder, the screen will be divided into two sections. On the left side of the screen is the elements bar. This bar houses all the widgets that you as the developer will need to create your website. The widgets included in this sidebar include things like heading, text editor, image, divider, video, button, icon and so many more.
The right side of the screen is your website page. This is where you will drop the widgets which you have dragged. This gives the developer a real-time view of what the website looks like as it is being created. Developers can design, create and edit their pages in real-time by using this layout.
When developers use the Elementor page builder, there are three important terms they have to know before starting to use this tool. These terms are:
- Sections – These are containers that are comprised of columns and widgets.
- Columns – These are primarily comprised of widgets.
- Widgets – These are the individual elements within the page.
These three components are very essential and every developer should have at least a basic understanding of how each works in order to be able to use the page builder effectively.
Top Elementor Features
Elementor comes equipped with a load of tools and features that have catapulted this page builder to the top of every developer’s list. Some of these features include:
DESIGN
When it comes to web design, no other page builder excels in giving developers the ultimate design experience like Elementor. Elementor comes with all the design tools you will need to create the most beautiful and responsive websites possible. The three essential areas that developers can play around with are:
- Layout – With flexible drag and drop, developers can reach endless design possibilities.
- Typography – developers have the option of choosing from thousands of fonts as well as uploading their own custom fonts.
- Colors – There are thousands of colors to chooses from and developers can also combine different colors to create incredible impressions.
Other design features that Elementor comes with include:
- Motion Effects
- Custom Positioning
- CSS Filters and blend modes
- Shape Divider
- Custom Fonts
- Inline Elements
- Lightbox overlay
- Enhanced Background Types
WIDGETS
Widgets make up the building block of the Elementor page builder. They represent individual elements of a web page such as heading, image, text editor, divider, etc. Elementor offers a wide array of widgets which in turn offer advanced design customization so that developers can get the results they desire without having to install any additional WordPress plugins. The widgets offered vary depending on the Elementor package you may choose. There are the Basic widgets that can be found in the free version and then there are the Pro widgets, Theme Widgets, and WooCommerce widgets that can be found in the paid version of Elementor.
Apart from the widgets offered by Elementor, developers can use a wide assortment of 3rd party widgets created by developers from around the world. Developers also have the option of creating their own custom widgets.
THEME BUILDER
The Theme Builder feature is one of the main reasons developers should consider using Elementor. Elementor theme builder enables developers to design, create and manage all essential parts of their website. Theme builder provides developers with the functionality of creating things like :
- Customizing the header and footer areas of your site visually.
- Creating templates that determine the layout of your site’s blog posts.
- Completely rebuilding your main blog page using posts archive.
- Customizing the layout of your online store with the help of Elementor’s WooCommerce builder.
- Creating a better search experience by using the search page feature.
- Using the 404 Page feature to offer a better user experience when your visitors get lost.
Elementor Theme builder works on any theme which is nice since it gives developers the freedom to choose. The theme builder also comes with 20+ dynamic pre-made widgets to display dynamic content from your website. You can also connect to custom filed plugins like ACF or Toolset and the theme builder provides 100% responsive design across all devices.
MARKETING
Elementor gives developers, businesses, and other professionals everything they need to build successful websites and landing pages that drive traffic, sales, and conversions. Some of the marketing features available with Elementor include:
- Landing Pages – Elementor provides the best drag and drop landing page builder that is flexible, intuitive, and powerful. You can create eye-catching landing pages that drive leads, traffic, and conversions.
- Popup Builder – With Elementor, you can build extremely effective Popups for increasing sales, leads, and conversions the same way you would build your site.
- Conversions – Elementor offers the first truly visual form builder that will help you get more conversions. The entire build and design is handled on the front-end, never interfering with your workflow.
- Integrations – Elementor allows you to seamlessly integrate your favorite marketing and CRM tools. From social networks to email marketing software, Elementor has the complete set of integrations for your business.
- Marketing Widgets – Elementor comes with a full set of widgets that have been perfected to streamline your marketing efforts. You can generate leads, increase social engagement, and create eye-catching headlines.
LIVE EDITOR
The Elementor editor is the heart of this page builder. The Elementor editor enables developers to edit and style WordPress websites visually thus eliminating all the boilerplate code that would be involved in creating more traditional websites.
The Elementor editor comes with numerous tools and functionalities which include:
- The editor enables developers to customize everything and anything on your website easily and directly.
- Drag and drop functionalities make the design process easier and faster.
- Full site editing allows you to design your entire site from one screen, including your header, footer, and content.
- The finder feature is a handy search window that lets you go from one place to another. This enables you to reach any Elementor page or setting page from wherever you like on your site.
- The revision history feature lets you trace back to your previous steps in case an update was made, the autosave feature automatically saves your work while there are also redo and undo features that you can use with just one click.
- The editor enables developers to create and save elements that they can then reuse within their existing page or on other pages. You also have the capability to import different elements or components from other sites to your site.
- The global colors and fonts feature ensures consistency across your site by allowing you to set global colors and fonts from one place within the editor and applying them anywhere on your site.
WooCommerce Builder
The Elementor WooCommerce builder is a feature that enables you to design your single product and archive page visually without having to write a single line of code. With eCommerce now becoming the preferred way to shop, merchants and businesses are gradually moving their sales online. With the Elementor WooCommerce builder, you can easily create your ultimate web store with the ultimate customer experience in mind.
Elementor WooCommerce Builder offers a slew of features that include:
- Product Page Widgets – These are widgets for your eCommerce product page.
- Store customization features – Elementor give you the flexibility of customizing your store the way you see fit while at the same time creating a store that hooks your clients better than the competition.
- Flexibility – Elementor enables you to place WooCommerce products or other elements wherever you choose, whether it’s your home or even on a popup.
- Product Showcase Widgets – WooCommerce builder provides stunning product showcase widgets that will make each of your products look clear and beautiful.
Elementor gives developers a slew of features and functionalities that they can use to create their ultimate website. Other additional stuff includes things like integration with your favorite WordPress plugins and development where developers from all over the world can contribute to building the Elementor page builder.
Another advantage of using the Elementor page builder is that you will constantly receive updates. The Elementor team is always working to ensure their users receive the latest features and tools. So developers can rest assured that their page builder once updated will have the best functionalities to keep up with the current web development landscape.
WORKING WITH THEMES AND TEMPLATES IN ELEMENTOR
When it comes to WordPress, Themes play a very important role in web development. They provide the features and functionalities that enable developers to create stunning and responsive websites. So for developers, one of the major factors they look for is page builders that can work with the most popular WordPress themes. This is the area where Elementor stands head and shoulders above any other WordPress page builder. There are only a few other companies that can claim the same.
If you take a look at the major WordPress theme building companies, nearly all of them, and I mean all of them, have themes specifically geared towards Elementor page builder. Judging by the number of active installs that Elmentor has on WordPress, more than five million at this point, it would be wise for most theme builders to create products to meet the needs of Elementor users.
So, why exactly is Elementor popular with most WordPress themes? Well as we discussed earlier, Elememtor has a load of features that can be used with most themes and templates to create the best and most responsive websites possible.
There are a host of themes that developers can use to create the most beautiful and responsive websites possible. Some themes like Astra, which is a very popular theme among developers, offer developers a lot of tools and functionalities like templates and addons which they can use to create the ultimate web experience. Others like CSSIgniter offer themes and templates which cover a wide array of categories.
Elementor Template Offers
When you build a website using Elementor, instead of creating a whole page from scratch, Elementor offers developers a set of templates that they can use to quickly start their creative process.
As a developer, you can choose to use Elementor’s set of templates or you can use a different set of templates from the theme builder of your choice. Astra themes also offer a set of beautiful templates that developers can use if they feel they want something different and unique.
Elementor also offers developers a set of page blocks that are basically sections within a page that developers can slot into their websites instead of having to create their own block sections.
Developers have the flexibility of having to use Elementor’s own block sections or using to use those of theme builders and third-party plugins all of which are Elementor friendly.
Elementor Subscription Plans
Having discussed what Elementor is all about and the top features that make this page builder the most popular among WordPress web developers, the question that every developer has at this point are what are the different subscription plans that Elementor offers?
Elementor subscription plans can be divided into two:
- Elementor Free.
- Elementor Pro.
Elementor Free is basically free and anyone can simply download the plugin in WordPress and get started. Elementor Pro on the other hand offers users different pricing plans. Elementor Pro offered three plans that included personal for one website, plus for 3 websites, and expert for 1000 websites. However, as of March 9th, 2021, Elementor has announced new pricing model plans. These new plans are as follows:
So what exactly is the difference between between Elementor Free and Elementor Pro ?
The difference between the Free and the Pro plans basically comes down to the features offered. Elementor Free offers the following features:
- Drag and and Drop Editor.
- Responsive Editing.
- 40+ Basic Widgets.
- 30+ Basic templates.
Elementor Pro on the other includes all the features in the Free plan and offers a load of features which include:
- 50+ Pro Widgets
- 300+ Pro Templates
- 10+ Full Website Template Kits
- Theme Builder
- Form Builder
- WooCommerce Builder
- Popup Builder
- 24/7 Premium Support
- Design 404 pages,
- and many more.
Elementor accepts different payment models such as Stripe, Paypal, and any other credit cards. So you can feel free to use whichever payment method you are comfortable with.
Which Subscription Plan Should You Go For?
Does the pressing question now become which subscription plan should you go for? Elementor Free offers the most basic features that anyone can use to design and create a simple website or a bit advanced website. So, if you are a beginner or you are someone looking to create a simple website for yourself or your business, then Elementor Free will be the best plan for you.
On the other hand, Elemetor Pro is geared towards professionals, small and medium-sized businesses to even large businesses depending on their needs. This is largely due to the fact that Elementor Pro offers an array of features that professionals and businesses may find useful in their day-to-day activities such as marketing, portfolio design, and eCommerce.
So the best thing is to choose the plan that basically meets your needs and one that matches the goals for your website. Remember also that if you do start with the Free version you can always switch to the Pro version if you want to!
Conclusion
Having covered the Elementor page builder in-depth, it’s clear to see just why this page builder has grown by leaps and bounds to become the most popular WordPress page builder by far. With more than 5 million-plus active downloads it’s easy to see why. Elementor offers developers a great platform to develop the most stunning and beautiful websites possible.
I would encourage developers and also businesses to try it out when in the process of choosing the best tool to develop their WordPress websites. Remember you can always try out the free version and move to the Pro version as your requirement needs grow. Rest assured that Elementor will always deliver an easy and enjoyable web development experience.
I really hope this blog was able to give you all the necessary information you need to know about the Elementor website builder. Hopefully, this will be the starting point on your path to using Elementor. We look forward to providing you with more content related to Elementor. Please feel free to share your comments with us. We would love to hear from you.
To get started with Elementor, you can click here.
