Overview
Elementor website builder is the perfect option for website owners and developers who use WordPress.org but who want to access a more powerful editor than WordPress’s native one. It boasts a neat drag-and-drop interface that supports what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) customization.
Why Go With Elementor
Elementor is a very attractive website-building option for WordPress users who would like to have more design flexibility than the native editor offers. The interface is user-friendly and powerful, and there are numerous integrations with third-party apps and plugins.
The bottom line: Go with Elementor if you’re looking for a WordPress page builder plugin that’s competitively priced and easy to use.
How Elementor Works
As one of the top-rated WordPress website builder plugins, Elementor is naturally backed by a suite of features that streamline the page creation process.
For starters, pro users will have access to a template library containing more than 300 designs. There are also more than 90 widgets that you can use to add functionality to your site, along with a handy theme builder that allows you to create your own templates.
There are also various marketing tools, including a landing page creator. Build your own custom forms, take advantage of the flexible popup builder, and add actionable links to encourage visitors to do specific things.
The fact that no coding knowledge is required will appeal to website-building beginners. However, you can add custom CSS code if required, which is a neat little feature that more tech-savvy users will like.
Another thing that will appeal to advanced users is the developer API. With this, you can create your own add-ons, themes, and other programs to extend the functionality of your Elementor-based site.
Other features worth noting include Elementor’s recently introduced native WordPress hosting, a marketing funnel creator, an active community that’s usually happy to share ideas, and integrations with numerous third-party apps.
Customization
Customizing a website with Elementor is a fast, efficient process. The platform uses a tidy section-based editor that enables you to drag and drop elements where you want them. One thing to note here is that the editor uses a what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) interface, enabling you to view changes in real-time.
There are numerous tools that you can use to fine-tune each page’s layout, color schemes, typography, and more. Add various elements, upload your own content, and save global elements so you can reuse them on different pages.
Payment Processing
Unfortunately, Elementor doesn’t offer any native payment processing or payment gateway integrations. To accept payments through your website, you will have to add a third-party payment gateway such as Stripe or PayPal. On the plus side, there’s a free PayPal button widget that’s fast and easy to add.
SEO Tools
Similarly, Elementor’s native search engine optimization (SEO) tools are quite limited. Of course, you can perform various on-page optimization actions, such as adding title tags, metadata, and other written information.
But if you want to dive deeper and access more advanced tools, you will need to use a third-party plugin. Elementor boasts streamlined integrations with Yoast SEO and Rank Math, two of the WordPress plugin store’s most popular SEO plugins.
If you decide to use these, you will benefit from a selection of advanced SEO tools found directly within the Elementor editor. Or, access even more by using these apps directly from your WordPress admin dashboard.
Elementor Customer Support
All things considered, Elementor’s customer support services are a little basic. Free users will have full access to the help center, which contains a great selection of self-help resources. These include excellent video tutorials, FAQs, and a range of articles covering various topics. You can also ask questions via the Facebook group to get help from other users.
All paid plans come with premium support, which enables you to ask questions of the Elementor team. However, responses can take up to a day, which can be frustrating. The higher-end Studio and Agency plans come with VIP support, which includes live chat and a 30-minute response time.
Elementor Pricing
Elementor offers a highly functional free plan along with five premium subscription options. The free plan provides access to most page builder tools, along with over 40 basic widgets and over 30 templates.
The price of the premium plans ranges from $49 to $999 per year. The main difference between the different premium subscription options is the number of websites that can be created with each one, which ranges from a single site to 1000 sites. The more advanced plans also come with VIP support and the ability to create an Elementor Expert Profile to showcase your work.
Every premium plan comes with a suite of shared features. These include more than 90 widgets, more than 300 templates, superior support, and a theme builder. There’s also a popup creator, an integrated WooCommerce store builder, and various other tools.
Bottom Line
Elementor is one of the world’s most popular WordPress page builder plugins. It offers advanced drag-and-drop editing backed by a suite of site creation tools. There’s a fully functional free version, but this is a little limited. Upgrading to a premium plan will unlock a suite of extra tools.
One thing worth noting about Elementor is that it can’t be used as a stand-alone website builder. It’s only compatible with WordPress.org sites, which means that you will need some sort of web hosting, a domain, and an existing WordPress site before you can even test it out.
