When it comes to creating a good-looking page or website on WordPress, you need to make sure you have everything you need to accomplish it. Sure, the platform’s in-house page builder is always ready to assist you, but the problem is you can’t edit it as much as you’d like because of how bulky and out-of-the-place it is.
Third-party plugins for web design can be used to solve problems you might have with WordPress. One of the most popular is Elementor. Elementor aims to aid you in creating websites in a uniquely easy way – and when we say it’s a breeze to work with, we do mean it. Plus, no coding is required!
Do you think Elementor could be the right page builder for you? Are you still undecided? We’re digging deep into all it has to offer, in order to answer your questions.
Here’s a Pinky1472 video review for those who like a visual experience. To get a comprehensive overview of Elementor, you may still want to check out our article below.
Elementor in a Nutshell – What is It About? Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Elementor is a website builder plugin designed for WordPress. It’s best known for its visual and intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows you to use a wide range of design assets and blocks and see what your page will look like to visitors in real-time.
Elementor’s interface is similar to popular website builders such as Squarespace or Wix. You can either choose a pre-made template or build a custom-made WordPress website. One good thing about this one-of-a-kind platform is that all the tools you need to build a website are within your reach – all without the added hassles of coding that may get in the way of enjoying it.
What does it have to offer?
Living up to the reputation of being a very excellent WordPress plugin, Elementor provides a sleek and neat interface that lets you seamlessly go through everything it can offer.
- Elementor offers a wider range of attractive and dynamic themes than the standard, plain themes that are often included with WordPress’ in-house themes.
- To edit your pages and posts, you have a completely separate interface that allows for interaction. WordPress’s similar editor is lightweight and easy to use.
- Elementor will work with any theme that is compatible with WordPress version 5.0 or higher. You can use the plugin to refine your dull-looking theme into a more eye-catching one.
- The front-end handles all editing of your pages and websites. You’ll see your work as soon as your customers or visitors see it. This outstanding feature gives you a better understanding of which design element keeps them returning for more or otherwise.
Elementor as a whole makes it simple to create a stunning page. The interface of Elementor is so simple and packed with useful tools, even people with more advanced knowledge in web design, can use it without any difficulty. This has made the website builder an excellent choice for those with limited resources or who work in a small team.
Numerous similar web design plugins might offer working people a pleasant drag-and-drop experience as well as a few useful tools. Elementor’s standards are not met by all plugins. Elementor is a well-respected plugin that has been installed on more than 3 million WordPress accounts.
What is it that makes this web design platform unique? What other features does it offer that others don’t have? We’ll find out soon as we take a more in-depth look at what Elementor has in store for us, starting with its illustrious list of features.
Meet Elementor’s Features
Completely-packed Template Library
If you’re completely new to web design or you have basic knowledge of it but don’t have enough time to commit to it, Elementor has got your back with its library of over 150 template options to choose from. They make site-building easy as they turn your ideas into products that will grab attention.
The platform’s templates are classified into two categories:
- Pages – Full-length templates which require very little customization
- Blocks are templates that can be used to create pages for specific and individual parts. Examples of blocks include portfolios, pricing tables, FAQs, portfolios, and more.
If you wish to expand beyond Elementor’s in-house template selection, you may find them from tons of third-party sources all over the internet and import them onto the platform under the My Templates tab.
Massive Widget Selection
Elementor has a lot more than just a wide range of templates. The plugin is also rich in widget choices. Widgets can be smaller and more contained elements, which house a variety of content.
With a whopping total of 60+ widgets, you gain lots of insight into how you want to structure your website as well as the flexibility of doing so. These include text-related elements like headings, inner sections, media files such as images and videos, buttons and icons, as well as website sidebars. Elementor also offers testimonials, star ratings and gallery widgets as well as map widgets powered Google Maps.
You can add as many pages as you like to your site. To expand your selection, you can also import templates from third-party sources.
Convenient Drag-and-drop Editing
If there’s one thing that Elementor is most prominent for, it has to be its highly convenient user experience. It has been best-known for its drag-and-drop capabilities, allowing users to build and edit pages as freely as possible. Drag the widget you prefer from the left sidebar and drop it in your workspace. Similarly, you may tweak some adjustments between the page’s elements by dragging it to a different location.
Elementor also offers right-click support, which allows users to make minor edits without having to look at the sidebar. This is something that a few WordPress web design plugins don’t offer.
Included is a Navigation view section that gives you a comprehensive list of content arranged accordingly to Elementor’s page structure – we’ll discuss that later on in full detail.
Also included within the editing interface is a Finder tool to help you further navigate swiftly between pages or content elements.
Fine-tuned Control over Your Elements
Elementor, a simple WordPress page-building plugin is packed with design options that can be used by anyone. It knows that the finest of details matter when it comes to creating an eye-catching website, so it allows you the liberty to edit and fix every single design element in whatever you’re building.
You can amend some necessary adjustments to your site’s content blocks, widgets, images, and text. You can also change the font, sizing, and color of your text content and headings.
Those are some of the basic editing tools you can explore in Elementor. You can also make specific adjustments to the plugin’s content elements. Widget positioning within columns, setting exact margins and padding in numbers, animation effects, and custom CSS settings are part of the plugin’s line of next-level customization options.
Options for Your Mobile-friendly Page
Elementor templates are all mobile-friendly by default. However, you might be curious if you can make some adjustments to your template to suit your needs. The platform allows you to customize your website to look better on tablets and smartphones, just like everything else.
You can click on the Switch view icon in the sidebar to be presented with three viewing options: one for your desktop, tablet and one for your mobile phone. If you want to omit a widget or limit whatever you want your clients/customers to see, you may choose any of the three and edit right away.
A Chance to Look Back at the Changes You’ve Made
Sometimes a few ‘undo’ actions may not be enough to fix a huge design mistake. You might have encountered similar occurrences if you tried editing on any design platform.
That’s where Elementor’s Revision History feature comes in handy. You can easily revert to previous pages without losing any design elements.
The Pricing
You can use the entire Elementor plugin for absolutely free. Elementor Pro has many more upgrades and additions than the previous version. You might be interested in one.
Among the things you may get to enjoy if you choose Elementor Pro include exploring an expanded library of themes, templates, and design blocks; custom CSS and advanced coding capabilities; creating forms and pop-ups within the platform’s editing interface; integrations with WooCommerce; and, of course, the theme builder.
Elementor Pro has four main subscription plans, each designed for various individuals and/or groups. The plan also offers a website builder and hosting plans for advanced site management. All tiers are paid annually and share the same premium features; the only two factors that set each other apart are the number of website activations and customer support response time.
Elementor Pro Plans
- Essential Plan – $49/year, 1 pro website activation, 24/7 customer support
- Expert Plan – $199/year, 25 pro website activations, 24/7 customer support
- Studio Plan – $299 in the first year, then $499/year after; 100 pro website activations, VIP customer support in under 30 minutes
- Agency Plan – $999/year. 1000 Pro Website Activations. VIP Customer Support in Less Than 30 Minutes.
Elementor Cloud Website Building + Hosting is $99 per year. You get all the features of an Elementor Pro plan, but with amazing hosting and CMS capabilities. It offers a wide range of templates and design assets. Your website is protected by Google Cloud Platform integration, SSL and robust website management.
Elementor Free vs. Elementor Pro
The tricky part is: Do you feel the free WordPress plugin version is still appropriate for you, or do the Pro versions have such an advantage that you want to give it a try instead?
The free plugin version is a good option if you don’t want to add any extra features to your website or landing page. Elementor Free is already feature-rich in retrospect – its series of core tools are as dynamic as other web design platforms where their premium plans bring the same level of delivery. It is so dynamic that business teams can use the free version. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Elementor Free allows you to:
- Create optimized mobile-friendly versions of your site and page
- Go through your website’s version history
- Make use of fully customizable themes as well as built-in pre-made templates
- You can add or modify website blocks as you wish.
Elementor Pro might be the right choice if you need to license multiple websites. It offers a lot more value than the free version. What we mean by it is you have more options to explore and more features to give you the extra edge. These include:
- A growing list of more than 300 themes and over 100+ premium block templates.
- Global widgets allow you to use the same widget on multiple pages and not have to modify it individually.
- A front-end form builder and a pop-up editor if you want more ways to attract potential customers;
- Integrations with the popular e-commerce platform WooCommerce, complete with template blocks and widgets that let you build an online storefront;
- You can create your own theme using the Theme Builder feature. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Elementor Pro should not be considered the only way to grow the WordPress plugin if you don’t want to license multiple websites. As previously mentioned, Elementor Free is already sustainable enough for most users – there are plenty of flexible themes and templates out there that can be integrated with Elementor, a notable example of which is Astra.
Elementor: How does it work?
To get the Elementor plugin to start, the first thing you will need to do is install and activate it in WordPress. Once you’ve installed it, there’s a settings panel that you can visit if you wish – you may opt to modify whatever you want to see while you do the editing. You can also go to WordPress’s pages section.
You will see the Edit with Elementor link located along the bar above your canvas. You will be immediately redirected to the builder interface as you click the button. The image below perfectly illustrates what it looks like. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Based on the image, here are some things you should know as you explore this interface.
- The workroom or canvas. It takes up the largest part of the screen.
- The widgets area. It is located on the left side, next to the canvas. It contains lots of content as well as design elements that can be used.
- Settings. It is represented by three horizontal lines. This symbolise the ability to access a variety of fonts and colors.
- The Open Elementor widgets button. It is essentially a menu button that allows you to return the widgets list. Nine little squares are used to represent this.
- The Global Settings button. It is represented by the cogwheel icon and takes you to the more advanced settings.
- The Revision History button. It is displayed as a clock icon and allows you to view the history of pages or websites in your past versions.
- Switch to another view This small monitor icon lets you convert the desktop version of your page into tablet-friendly and mobile-friendly iterations. You may use this to edit what you want your customers to see through their phones.
- Preview Changes. Once you click the tiny eye icon, you’re given a full look at the changes you’ve made to your page before you’re ready to publish it.
- The Publish/Update button. When the shaped button turns green, you are ready to publish. It’s gray if your page is being updated. This time, unlike green, you cannot click it. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Structure Hierarchy
Before we can even begin building, you must first understand the structure hierarchy that Elementor follows. This similar structure has been used by many web designers, including those who are more experienced in website design.
Elementor’s primary goal is to create pages. A page is a collection of sections and columns.
A section can be described as a row you can customize with many design elements such as background, colors and sizing.
On the other hand, the columns are located within a specific section. These, in turn, are where the widgets or content elements are placed. Each can be styled and sized individually.
This is Elementor’s hierarchy structure.
Page > Section > Column > Widget/Content element
Designing a page
Let’s create a page now that we have an understanding of the skeletal structure. On WordPress’s page design interface, click the Edit with Elementor button. You’ll soon notice a plus (+) button highlighted in red violet – click on that to add a new section. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Next, you will need to choose the structure for your section. You may choose a single column or multiple, depending on what type of content you wish to add. From there, you may populate those columns with content elements. Simply drag any widget from the interface’s widget area and drop it onto them, be it a heading or an image. These widgets can be rearranged and rearranged within the page.
Now is the time for fine tuning the details and making the page more attractive. There are three main editing tabs to explore: Content, Style, and Advanced.
Designing a pre-existing or pre-made themed page is much easier than doing so from scratch. You would usually only need to make minor adjustments between sections, columns, and widgets, unless you are adding a new design element. Elementor’s drag and drop functions make it much easier to refine some changes than coding.
The disadvantages: What else is missing?
We don’t mean to mislead you, Elementor is certain to be one of the best WordPress web design tools. But, there are always imperfections in the world. There are many things we love about the world, but there are some things you might find annoying.
- The editing interface can be a bit buggy on some occasions. It’s speedy, swift, and ultimately convenient, but it does so well, too fast to the point where it freezes altogether. To get it working again, refresh it and reopen it.
- Although most of Elementor’s features can be used for free, some may find them to be essential, but they are only available in Elementor Pro. This may prove frustrating for some. You can’t set sitewide styles with the free version. Instead, you are limited to only a few pages at a time. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
- Some editing refinements may not go exactly as you wish them to. You may find that the default font and typography of certain links is what you have chosen, even if you add your own styling. On the other, you may have difficulty locating the exact margin value whenever the alignment of your design elements is off.
Who Should Use Elementor?
Elementor has a wealth of expert-level features and tools. The free version includes these, as well as additional useful upgrades for any Elementor Pro plan. Furthermore, most users will likely find it easier to grasp than other WordPress web design plugins.
It’s easy to see why so many people love Elementor. Elementor is both a popular DIY tool for those who don’t have the necessary web design skills and an intuitive platform that can be used by a broad range of businesses.
However, there are some specific users we have in mind that will find Elementor to be a more suited choice. These are:
- Casual internet users. Bloggers and hobby website runners, in particular, will enjoy the wide, customizable benefits gladly offered by Elementor.
- Digital marketing professionals. Design tools aside, most of Elementor’s features are built to be marketing-ready – from the seamless integrations to thousands of platforms using Zapier to the pop-up and e-commerce widgets.
- Site builders. If creating websites for a handful of clients is your day job, then Elementor is a great stepping stone to get you to where you want to be. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Alternatives to Elementor
Elementor may have some advantages over other web design plugins, but that doesn’t make it the best choice.
There are plenty of nice web design plugins for WordPress that deliver close to the same level as Elementor, with some that may offer only a few. WordPress’s web design features are not for everyone. We all know this. That’s why plugins were created.
Right now, there are two other leading WordPress web builder plugins out there that are on the same par as Elementor in terms of features: the Divi builder by Elegant Themes and Beaver Builder. Divi, one on hand, offers the same feature-rich range as Elementor and has the same ability to edit your website from a front-end interface as your clients see it. However, despite giving off a very similar edge, it somehow doesn’t include a free option. Beaver Builder is a more straightforward plugin than the others, but it packs as many design tools as you need into one platform. These tools are enough to make a website look great.
Other noteworthy web design plugin alternatives to Elementor include SeedProd and the SiteOrigin Page Builder.
Final Verdict: Is Elementor worth trying?
Answering the question is yes. Elementor is a premium drag-and-drop page building tool for WordPress. It’s packed with top-quality design tools and features. Most of these core features are offered free. Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
There’s no question as to why people keep coming back to this impressive plugin to create pages and websites. We believe that Elementor stands out from most web design plugins because it allows individuals of all skill levels to build whatever they wish with no major obstacles in the way. Elementor isn’t like other web design plugins that require you to upgrade to a higher plan, or to purchase a paid license. This ensures there is enough space for everyone.
Here’s some advice before we let you explore Elementor for yourself: if your job involves running multiple websites and creating them for clients, we recommend you try Elementor Pro. Otherwise, the free plugin for WordPress will work just as fine!
FAQ Elementor Builder – Why Can’T I Center My Picture?
Can I export or upload my templates to Elementor
Yes, Elementor can import your templates. You can create a new template using the Theme Builder. Additionally, you can import your personal themes to the website builder via the Templates tab.
In a similar function, you can export your templates to be used on other WordPress sites – a handy function if you work for multiple clients as a website-building professional.
What types of pages can I create using Elementor?
Elementor allows you to create landing pages, homepages, landing page, landing pages and about pages.
Elementor Pro subscribers can create websites, and even online shops.
Is Elementor slowing down my website?
Elementor will not slow down your website so that it takes as little time as possible to load. However, a website that was built using this plugin may be two seconds slower than the one made from WordPress’s built-in website builder. Nonetheless, both equally bit faster than the version made through, say, Beaver Builder.
WordPress websites made with plugins can take longer to build due to multiple factors, including poor hosting, large media files and slow themes.