The best WordPress plugins can make easy work of creating your website. That’s why it’s helpful to know exactly which plugins are available and how easy they are to use.
With so many on the market today, it can be hard to decide which plugins to use. That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide on how to use Elementor Pro to build your site.
What is Elementor Pro?
Elementor Pro is a website page builder that is an alternative to hiring a professional website designer. This plugin has a free version and Pro version, with the Pro option providing additional functionality.
Why Should You Use Elementor Pro?
If you don’t want to work with a website designer and would like to have full control over the development of your site, Elementor Pro can be a helpful tool.
It helps you create multi-column layouts, for example, using a drag-and-drop interface that is easy to use even if you’re a beginner.
Elementor Pro also helps by making sure your entire site is cohesive. It comes with templates and blocks, too, so you don’t have to start from scratch.
How Does the Elementor Page Builder Work?
The Elementor page builder allows you to build your own website without having to know how to code. It is an all-in-one solution, which means that you just need to drag and drop elements onto a part of your page to create the design you’re looking for.
This is among the most popular page builders because it allows people without technical backgrounds to build their own websites that look and feel just as professional as those made by web designers.
The simple process for creating a website goes like this:
- First, download, install and activate Elementor for WordPress
- Go to your WordPress dashboard after installing Elementor and click on “Pages -> Add New.” At the top of this page, you’ll see an option to edit using Elementor. Click on that to get to the Elementor Editor.
- Now, once you’re in the editor, you can start designing your page by dragging and dropping elements and widgets wherever you want them. From this editor, you can create new pages as well as customize their layouts, appearances, and structures. If you want to use templates instead of making a page manually, click on “Add Template From Library” and select the template you want to use.
The great thing about Elementor is that it is simple to use and shows you all the changes you’re making in real-time. You won’t be left second-guessing the look of your page.
How to Install Elementor
To install Elementor, the first step is to install WordPress and choose a basic theme for your website. Once you do that, you have two options for installing Elementor.
1. Go to Elementor’s Website
The first option to install Elementor is to go to the Elementor website. When you get there, you can download the free version (or Pro version, if you’d like) directly on the page.
You will need to enter your email, and the browser will then download the ZIP file.
After you do this, go to the “Plugins” section on WordPress. There, you can click on, “Add New,” and upload the file you just downloaded from Elementor.
There is no need to unzip the file, but you should select “Upload Plugin” to upload it to the correct place.
WordPress will handle adding the plugin to your dashboard, but you will need to click on “Activate” after it’s installed to use it.
2. Go to the WordPress Dashboard
Another easy way to get the Elementor website builder is by going to your WordPress Dashboard and clicking on “Add New.”
This plugin is so popular that it is available through the search, so you just have to type “Elementor” into the plugin search bar to pull it up.
Once you find it, click on “Install Now,” to have it downloaded to your WordPress dashboard. Once it’s installed, click on “Activate” to turn it on and begin using it.
In either case, you will be able to find the plugin by clicking on your list of installed plugins under the “Plugins” tab.
How to Use Elementor in WordPress
Now that you’ve downloaded Elementor, it’s time to use it in WordPress.
Elementor is broken down into three parts:
- Widgets
- Sections
- Columns
Sections are the largest parts of your site. You can add columns to sections and widgets to columns. Using that to map your site, you can quickly layer features.
Elementor has an intuitive design, which means that even new users get the hang of using it pretty quickly. It takes only a few minutes to learn the basics.
To start a new website, click on “Edit with Elementor,” which will start a new page or post.
How to Use Advanced Features in Elementor
Elementor is a live drag and drop editor with over 100 widgets. It has two forms, the free version and Pro version.
The free version comes with the basics, such as the drag-and-drop editor, around 30 templates, and around 40 widgets.
To get to the advanced features, you will need to purchase a Pro plan. Elementor Pro has several subscriptions that you can purchase.
Elementor Pro Subscription Options
There are five general Elementor subscription options. These include:
- $49 per year for a single site
- $99 per year for up to three sites
- $199 a year for up to 25 sites
- $499 a year for up to 100 websites
- $999 per year for up to 1,000 websites
Why upgrade to a paid version when there is a free one available? The most common reason is that you will gain access to more advanced functionality, like being able to use custom CSS and add forms to your site.
Elementor Pro vs. Free
To break down the software even further, it’s helpful to look at what the free version offers versus what the Pro version has in store.
The free version does not come with all the same tools as the Pro version, to start with. The free version:
- Has theme limitations, so you cannot customize every part of the theme
- Does not offer forms or the ability to integrate them with automated marketing platforms
- Has limited templates and blocks available for users
- Doesn’t have widgets as professional as in the Pro version
The benefits of the Pro version include that:
- It makes it easier to customize every part of your theme. The Elementor Pro Theme Builder doesn’t add limitations, so you can design all parts of the page including your archive page, header, single posts, and more. Additionally, while you don’t need to know how to code to use the builder, you can use coding if you’d like;
- There are more professional templates and blocks available, and they integrate directly into the Pro widgets;
- There are additional widgets that can help your site stand apart, such as the Animated Headlines widget or a media carousel widget to help capture attention. Custom fonts, as well as post widgets and others, make the upgrade a valuable option;
- You can use forms and integrate them into your site seamlessly. You get to connect your forms to automated marketing platforms or CRM, too, if you use Elementor Pro’s Forms widget.
Now, while Elementor free won’t cost you anything, it is missing out on some commonly used widgets and features.
Here are several features that aren’t present in Elementor free that you should keep in mind as you consider upgrading to the Pro version.
Elementor free does not have:
- Forms
- Slides
- Posts
- Embed anywhere
- Porfolio
- Custom CSS
- Price tables
- Price lists
- Countdown
- Global widgets
- Pro templates
- WC Elements, Categories or Add to Cart
- Nav menu
- Login widget
- Blockquotes
… and many others.
Some of the benefits of choosing the Pro version over the free version include gaining access to features such as:
- Facebook widgets
- The call to action widget
- Form integrations
- Animated headlines
- Scrolling effects
- Popup builders
- Dynamic single post and archive page design
- Custom fonts
- Media carousel
- Custom CSS
- Pro templates
- WC Products, Elements, Categories and Add to Cart
- Blog Pagination
- Flip Box
On Elementor’s website, you can view a full breakdown of the differences between Elementor free and Elementor Pro, so you can decide which one is the right choice for your site.
Wrap Up
Elementor Pro is an excellent tool to help you build a website that you can be proud of. Whether you’re new to designing websites or you are a seasoned professional website builder, there are features that make it simple to design and publish a website that captivates your audience.
If you’re working on your website and want to know more about your content’s maturity or to find out how the WordPress template hierarchy works for faster, error-free loading, check out “A beginner’s guide to WordPress template hierarchy,” on our blog.
