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What is the Elementor wizard

What is the Elementor wizard

What is the Elementor wizard

Elementor is one of the most popular plugins for WordPress, which allows you to create drag-and-drop websites. Thanks to it, even people without advanced programming knowledge can design modern, responsive websites, which, however, unfortunately, comes out differently. In the article you will learn what exactly Elementor is, what are the differences between its free and paid versions, what are its main functions and what are the advantages and disadvantages of using it. We will also answer the question of whether it is worth investing in Elementor Pro.

Table of Contents:

  1. What is Elementor?
  2. Elementor's main functions
  3. How to install Elementor ?
  4. Advantages and disadvantages of the Elementor wizard
  5. How to minimize problems with Elementor ?
  6. FAQ - Frequently asked questions

What is Elementor?

What is and what is Elementor page builder

Elementor is a visual page editor that works as a plugin for WordPress. You could say it's an overlay for Wordpress that doesn't have much to do with the core functionality Wordpress was created for. Gutenberg or all the advantages of Wordpress are not used here, however Elementor was designed for people who want to create visually advanced websites without having to write code, which on the surface seems like an advantage.

With Elementor's page builder, the user can fully customize the layout of the site using a wide range of widgets, templates and blocks. However, it's worth remembering that what Elementor's marketing talks about is not what we encounter in reality, e.g.: unlike traditional page design methods, where one had to write HTML, CSS or JavaScript code, Elementor allows users to create visually advanced pages using ready-made tools and components. P

It is mostly the case that the demo versions of Elementor themes are pushed to the limit in terms of visuals, the reality is unfortunately brutal

Read also Gutenberg or Elementor - which to choose?

Elementor's main functions

Elementor offers many features that set it apart from other web development tools. The education that the company implements, the Youtube channel and Elementor's advertising tells us about several aspects that are used in advertising campaigns mi.a :

Drag and Drop editor for content and content

The drag-and-drop interface makes adding elements to your site a breeze. You can quickly place widgets anywhere on the page, giving you full control over the layout.

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Widgets

Elementor offers a wide range of widgets that can be used to build pages. Examples possible to use :

  • Text: Adding headings, paragraphs and lists.
  • Images: Insert images from the media library.
  • Buttons: Create customizable style buttons.
  • Forms: Create contact and registration forms.
  • Galleries: presentation of photos in different layouts.

Templates and Blocks

Elementor provides access to hundreds of ready-made templates and blocks. These templates are tailored to different industries and page types, saving you design time. You can also save your own templates to reuse them in the future.

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Responsiveness

Elementor automatically adjusts the design for different screen sizes, but also allows you to manually adjust elements for mobile and tablet devices. You can easily review the mobile view and make changes to ensure an optimal user experience.

Advanced styling options

Elementor offers many styling options that allow you to customize every element of the page:

  • Typography: Selection of fonts, text sizes and styles.
  • Colors: color settings for background, text and buttons.
  • Margins and Padding: Precise positioning of space around elements.
  • Transition effects: Add animation and hover effects for a better look.

Dynamic Content (Elementor Pro)

The Pro version of Elementor allows you to use dynamic content, which allows you to automatically display data from your WordPress database. You can create pages based on posts or products that automatically update as new content is added.

WooCommerce Builder (Elementor Pro)

With Elementor, you can easily create and customize product pages and other elements of your online store. Features include:

  • Product pages: Customize the layout and style of product pages.
  • Shopping cart and checkout: Create attractive shopping cart and checkout pages.
  • Product Filters: Adding filtering options for a better shopping experience.

Popup Builder (Elementor Pro)

This feature allows you to create popups that can be used to collect email addresses, promotions or event notifications. You can easily customize the appearance of the popup and set conditions for its display.

Integrations with other tools

Elementor supports integrations with many popular marketing and CRM tools, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot and Zapier. This makes it easy to collect and manage data from users.

Role Manager (Elementor Pro)

This feature allows you to manage access to various Elementor features for different WordPress users. You can restrict access to the editor or certain widgets for specific user roles.

Below is a view of the Elementor interface when creating a blank page i.e. when we are full of confidence that we will create the page ourselves.

View of the Elementor interface when creating a page. Available modules and sections for drag and drop use.

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How to install Elementor ?

Installation of Elementor is very simple and takes just a few minutes. All you need is:

  1. Go to the WordPress admin panel.
  2. In the “Plugins” tab, click “Add new” and search for Elementor.
  3. Install the plug-in and then activate it.
  4. Once activated, you can start creating your site using Elementor's intuitive interface

Advantages and disadvantages of the Elementor wizard

Advantages of the Elementor

First of all, the main advantage of Elementor is its potentially simple operation, which does not require coding. We can consider the functionalities listed above as advantages. An important advantage of the wizard is that in the basic version it is free and quite basic websites can be realized on it with more patience to work with the interface.

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Disadvantages of the Elementor

Elementor's primary drawbacks include the fact that it is an Elementor ;) and in fact :

Technical efficiency and optimization

One of the main criticisms of Elementor is that it can slow down page loading due to the larger size of the DOM (Document Object Model). The larger number of HTML and JavaScript elements can lead to longer page loading times. The ubiquitous skins and multipurpose solutions are even saturated with a lot of JS and CSS code.

SEO optimization

Although Elementor is user-friendly, it does not always work perfectly with SEO optimization tools. Pages created with this plugin may have an inferior code-to-content ratio, which negatively affects SEO results. The extra CSS and JavaScript code generated by Elementor can make it difficult for search engine robots to index the content, which can lower the page's rankings in search results.

Code to content ratio

One of the biggest criticisms of Elementor is the amount of code generated by the plugin compared to the actual content on the page. The complexity of CSS and JavaScript code can lead to longer page load times, which negatively impacts user experience and SEO. Pages built on Elementor can struggle with a lot of “unnecessary” code, which increases the page rendering time for browsers.

Working with Elementor

Despite its intuitive interface, working with Elementor's more advanced features, especially in the Pro version, requires some technical knowledge. For beginners, learning the full capabilities of the plugin can be time-consuming. As the site expands, managing the numerous widgets, styles and templates can lead to chaos if the project is not properly organized.

Potential problems with a purchased skin on themeforest

One common problem when working with Elementor is compatibility with purchased skins on platforms such as ThemeForest. Although most popular skins declare compatibility with Elementor, in practice some may require additional settings or even cause conflicts that can affect site performance. Users should carefully check reviews of skins and test their compatibility with Elementor before making a purchase.

Conflicts with other wordpress plugins

Elementor, like other plugins, can cause conflicts with other installed plugins in WordPress. Compatibility issues often arise, especially when other plugins are not updated regularly or have similar features. Conflicts can lead to problems with the display of page elements, performance, and even complete page crashes.

Long-term performance problems

Pages created in Elementor can lose performance over time. As the site expands and more widgets and visual elements are added, the amount of code generated increases, which affects the loading speed of the site. The more extensive the page, the greater the load on the server, which can consequently lead to loading delays.

Problems with updates

Regular updates to WordPress and Elementor can lead to compatibility issues with other plugins or themes. Sometimes, after updating Elementor, certain features stop working properly, which can cause frustration for users. Therefore, updates should be done carefully and after backing up the site first.

How to minimize problems with Elementor ?

To avoid some of the problems mentioned, it is worth following a few rules:

  • Regularly optimize your site with optimization plugins such as WP Rocket or Autoptimize.
  • Use well-optimized themes and proven plugins that will not interfere with Elementor.
  • Be sure to regularly update your plugins and WordPress itself, but always make a backup before updating.
  • Monitor site performance with tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix to make sure your site is running smoothly.

Elementor is a tool for the job, but like any software, it requires conscious and responsible management to avoid long-term problems.

Free version of Elementor

The free version of Elementor offers basic features to create an aesthetically pleasing website. Users can use various widgets and basic styling options.

Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro is a paid version that extends the capabilities of the free version with additional features:

  • More widgets: Additional elements such as contact forms, sliders or galleries (more than 60 additional widgets).
  • Premium Templates: Access to professional templates.
  • Advanced styling options: More options for customizing the look of your site.
  • Popup Builder: a tool for creating attractive popup windows.
  • CRM integrations: Ability to integrate forms with CRM systems for better lead management.

Elementor Pro prices start at $49 per year per site

Elementor offers different price plans, depending on users' needs. The free version offers basic features, but for more advanced capabilities, it is worth investing in Elementor Pro. Below is an overview of the current Elementor Pro price plans:

Elementor Pro - Pricing Plans (annual subscriptions):

  1. Essential Plan – 49 USD annually:
    • Includes 1 website.
    • Full access to all Elementor Pro features, including Theme Builder, Popup Builder, and forms.
    • Access to over 100 advanced widgets and more than 300 pre-made templates
  2. Advanced Plan – 99 USD annually:
    • Includes up to 3 websites.
    • All Pro features plus priority support.
  3. Expert Plan – 199 USD annually:
    • It supports up to 25 websites.
    • It includes all the features of Elementor Pro, plus additional access to exclusive resources such as the Exclusive Template Library.
  4. Agency Plan – 399 USD annually:
    • It covers as many as 1,000 websites.
    • Ideal for agencies that manage a large number of site designs.

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Elementor payment alternatives:

Elementor also offers lifetime licenses as part of special promotions or for larger companies that prefer a one-time payment instead of a subscription. Currently, however, the annual subscription model is the most common

For those who plan to build only one or a few pages, the Essential or Advanced plan will be the best choice, but if you are an agency, the Agency plan with unlimited pages is the most cost-effective.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Can I use Elementor to create online stores?

Elementor works well with the WooCommerce plugin, allowing you to create visually appealing and functional online stores. Elementor Pro additionally offers WooCommerce-dedicated widgets, such as dynamic product lists, carousels or product filters

Is Elementor compatible with all WordPress themes?

Elementor is compatible with most WordPress themes, but you'll get the best results using Elementor-optimized themes, such as Hello Theme. When buying themes, especially from platforms like ThemeForest, it's a good idea to make sure they are fully compatible with Elementor.

Can I integrate Elementor with my marketing tools?

Elementor Pro offers full integration with many popular marketing tools, such as MailChimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign and Zapier. This allows you to easily collect leads, create email campaigns and manage contacts