Reaching out to people through digital platforms is most effective when done in the form of a website. A website that is interactive and gives all required information to a visitor in a visually attractive format is bound to catch people's attention. Unfortunately writing lengthy codes to make a highly interactive website is tiring if you own a business or work as a website developer. Suppose you can have an easy-to-use plugin that uses drag and drop to achieve top-class effects. 

Yes with Elementor all you have to do is know how the website should look and then drag and drop preexisting elements into the web page to get the final website. Elementor is helping bridge the gap between professional website designers and those who have no idea how to code a website. Elementor plugin for WordPress empowers the common person in bringing his dreams to life through their drag and drop page builder system.  

There are a lot of benefits that come with this easy-to-use plugin! This article walks you through the resources necessary for a person to know about the features and the pros and cons of this platform. 

How To Access Elementor While Developing A Website? 

Many different stages are required for getting started with the Elementor plugin in WordPress. However the process is not complicated; choose if you want the free version or the pro version and then based on that follow the instructions below.  

Installation Instruction for Elementor Free version

1. Click the ‘Plugins’ option in the WordPress dashboard and choose ‘Add New.’
2. Search for ‘Elementor’ and then when the option ‘Elementor website builder’ appears click on it to install
3. If the Zip file gets downloaded click the ‘Upload Plugin’ button and use the file selector to install Elementor.
4. After the installation is complete click the Activate button

Installation Instruction for Elementor Pro Version

1. First you have to purchase the Elementor Pro from my.elementor.com
2. Then use the login details received via email after the purchase.
3. On the My Account page you will have to click on the ‘Download Plugin’ button to download the zip file. 
4. Then just like the free version go to the WordPress dashboard and select ‘Plugins’ then press ‘Add New’ and choose the zip file you just downloaded. 
5. Click on the button ‘Install and Activate.’
6. After installation this will trigger a message asking you to activate the license key if not done previously. Check the following points to proceed further.  

License Activation for Elementor Pro Version

1. Go to Elementor and select ‘License.’ Click on ‘Connect & Activate.’
2. Then you will be asked to log in again and once you have put the credentials click on ‘Connect.’ This will automatically activate your license.
3. If the installation process terminates successfully the error message regarding license activation will disappear.
4. Then click on the ‘Connect to Library’ button.
5. This might again redirect to the login page where you have to put in the credentials and click ‘Connect.’
6. After that the connection will be made and the library contents of Elementor like the templates kits and landing page will be open for use. 

Accessing Elementor through WordPress for both Pro and Free Versions

1. In the WordPress dashboard click on ‘Pages’ and select ‘Add New’
2. Name the Page
3. Click on Publish 
4. This will give an option of ‘Edit with Elementor’; click on that to enter the ‘Website Builder’ and start your website development journey. 

Features Of The Elementor Plugin:

There are many things that you can add to your website using the free version Elementor plugin for WordPress. But if you are willing to make a website that stands out from the general crowd then it is better to pay a small yearly fee of $49 and enjoy more than 90 widgets and 300 pro templates. Elementor pro can help you by providing the following features  

Theme Builder - Building a theme for a website previously required expertise in topics like PHP and JavaScript which was difficult for people who were not into web development. But with the help of the theme builder feature in Elementor one can easily create a new theme and determine where the template can be applied to a website. The freedom of customization takes website development to a new level. 

WooCommerce Builder



One of the most popular eCommerce development features of Elementor Pro. If you are opening an eCommerce business and do not have the skill to develop a fully working website from scratch that attracts customers tells them about the products on sale and carries out secure transactions at the time of checkout WooCommerce Builder is here to help. 

It comes with a variety of widgets capable of designing every page individually. For example widgets named products product categories menu cart add to cart checkout my account etc. With the WooCommerce widgets you have to plan out your website and use the resources appropriately provided. 

Custom CSS - Elementor helps people develop sites without writing a single line of code. But with all the templates and widgets previously available some other website designer is likely using the same template that you are using which will remove any uniqueness from your website. 

If you have a programmer handy who is skilled at writing code in CSS then Elementor has an option where you can change and modify templates and make them according to your wish. The code created by you will be unique and unlike anyone else.

To access this feature in the Edit section click on the Advanced icon which will create a dropdown with the name Custom CSS; add your codes there to make new designs.  

Dynamic Content - Static websites are easy to create with Elementor Pro but if you want to make a dynamic website Elementor is also equipped with features to assist you. A dynamic website is one in which the content keeps on changing regularly; it can be a new site a stock trading website or even an eCommerce website changing offers and prices regularly. The dynamic content feature consists of widgets like Site Logo Site Title Featured Image Posts and even Post Info. 

Global Widgets - This feature aims to simplify the website development task by streamlining the workflow. If there is a button or a clickable text that you want on every page at one fixed position the traditional way would have been to insert a button on every page and position it the same way as all the other pages. This process is tiring and has a very high chance of errors. In Elementor Pro you can declare a button as a global widget and fix its position on one page and its position and use will remain consistent on every page you create.  

Pros and Cons:

Just like every piece of software Elementor has its fields of expertise. There are fields where it is a market leader and areas where it is still fighting for a prominent spot in the website development industry. Following is a list of pros and cons that will help you in determining is Elementor is what you need for your requirements 

Pros 

1. Ease of Use - The ability to drag and drop components and arrange them as per a plan is something that no other platform provides with the easiness of Elementor. 
2. Flexibility - Every element widget or template can be modified in various ways which removes all kinds of hurdles from the path of a new developer. 
3. Customization - The platform allows integration of code with the elements and templates which helps add a personal touch to the website separating it from every other website. 
4. Responsive Designs - In Elementor you only have to design a webpage for one screen resolution. The intelligent software will automatically optimize the content for any type of screen size without losing any functionality. 
5. Integration Abilities - The templates can be integrated with any sort of third-party tool that gives the developer something that uses the best features in the market. 

Cons

1. Site Speed Issues - The websites that Elementor creates are usually slower than other websites and this is a thing that developers are trying to solve. The company is also developing and trying to improve the site speeds up to the industry standard. 
2. Glitches in Updates - Many major updates that come to the platform usually have glitches that cause the websites to perform in a way that is not intended. Development is going on in this field by increasing the number of test runs before launching any feature. 
3. The learning curve for beginners - The workflow in Elementor can be a little challenging for beginners to learn as there are many things and it is tough to choose one and proceed with it. 

Conclusion:

As can be seen considering all the pros and cons Elementor is an excellent platform that gives freedom to anyone who wants to create a website without any coding. Suppose you're going to be an expert in using Elementor in WordPress. In that case there are a lot of materials available online from Elementor which can guide you through all the hurdles in your web development journey.