The Best of
Elementor
Considered as one of the best for website design, their drag and drop page builder, and their first rate hosting is powered by none other than Google and robust, it’s no wonder that Elementor is soaring in popularity. But is it as good as they say? Let’s have a look.
Theme
You may have your own theme that you religiously use when creating websites and you may not dare stray from that path, but I love Astra when I build as it works perfectly with Elementor. With Astra, you can pay for the pro version or just stick to the free version, it’s brilliant either way. Obviously with the pro version, there’ll be a lot more wiggle room, but I use the free version as it has everything that I need.
Plug Ins
Once you’ve installed Astra, it’s now time to install the Elementor plug in. So, head over to the plug ins on the left side in the dashboard (as seen in the image). This will take you directly to the plug ins page, which will show all your installed plug ins (the ones you’ve already installed). Next, scroll up to the top of the page and you’ll see an ‘Add New’ button. This is the button you want to press to add a new plug in to your collection.
Above the different plug in options, you’ll see a ‘search plug ins’ box. Type Elementor into this box. As soon as you’ve finished typing the word, a list of options should come up. You will need to choose the ‘Elementor Website Builder – More than Just a Page Builder’ option (as in the image). To choose this, you need to click on the ‘install now’ button. This will then install and the button will be replaced with another option to ‘Activate’ the plug in. Make sure you press this.
Need Pro
So, normally I try and save my customers as much money as I can and opt for free versions where possible, without compromising on quality. However, even though the free Elementor is great, you won’t get the best of it without buying the whole enchilada, so to speak.
So, you’re probably wondering why I downloaded the free version of elementor if we need to use the pro? Well, Elementor needs both to work to take advantage and experience the creme de la creme in web design and development. To clarify this further, even though we have downloaded the free one, that’s only one side of the coin, we now have to download the pro version too.
Pro
If you haven’t done so already, out of pure curiosity, headed over to the Elementor website to see what the hype is all about, then why not head over there and familiarise yourself with it here.
The image below shows the annual subscription prices for using Elementor. I took a chance a few years ago with Elementor and haven’t looked back. I also use other page builders and am familiar with many different types, however Elementor, so far for me personally, has really come up trumps.
When you’ve purchased your plan, you’ll receive a file to download. Once you’ve downloaded this file you can then go to the plug ins page, like before, and just like before go to the top of the page and click on the ‘Add New’ button. Instead of looking through the plug ins or typing in the search box, this time you go to the ‘Upload Plug In’ option. You will be taken to the area where you can upload the Elementor Pro version. Click on the ‘Browse’ button (like in the image), which will then take you to the folders on your computer.
Install
Once you’ve located the file, you need to click on it, then tap the ‘Install Now’ button. After this, you’ll need to ‘Activate’ the plug in.
Elementor will now need you to put your licence number in before you can proceed. I click on ‘Acitvate Manually’, which gives you a box to enter your licence key. When you signed up, you should have been given a username and password to access your Elementor members area. You now need to use these credentials to log in. Log in to the members area and you will see the websites that are connected to your Elementor (if you have any current ones). On the left hand sidebar you’ll find a list of options, one of them is subscriptions, click on that. This will take you to your subscription page where below your details there will be a ‘Manage this subscription’. You’ll need to choose this. There towards the top of the page there is the licence key that you are able to copy, then revert back to your site, where you can paste the key into the box provided. And that’s it, you have installed Elementor and have the world at your feet
So, What's Next?
Next, there is a vast range of possibilities right at your finger tips. You can decide whether you want to write a post or a page first. I usually go with the front page first, because this helps me set the look and feel for the rest of the site, but it’s entirely up to you what you want. I usually have a fair idea of what information I want displayed on the front page, but I usually need some inspiration of how i’d like it to be laid out on the page. This is where Elementor comes into play. They’re library is full of useful material that can be implemented on your page.
Library
Elementor has a convenient library full of inspirational web designs that can be adjusted and tweaked to suit your needs. Just download a block or a page and put your own stamp on it. Some may feel that I’m taking some of my business away by giving my customers the ability to create their own websites, but we at hngmedia ltd are all about empowerment and giving you the tools to progress with your business.