You’ve just spent another couple of hours searching the internet for good options of building a website without code, and you’ve come up empty… again.
You – of course – see Squarespace and Wix on every search. But you don’t want them because you don’t want to pay a monthly fee until you die! Or worse, be incarcerated by them forever. So, no thanks.
You’ve seen WordPress and you’re pretty interested, but man… what’s a theme?
[a theme in WordPress is the pre-built series of page designs that overall defines the way the site looks and displays]
How do you pick one that will make a site you can love and meet your needs, and isn’t too difficult to figure out?
(check out this video on getting started with WordPress)
What about page builders within WordPress? You’ve seen some, but… what are they? How hard are they to learn? How flexible are they really with creating designs? Are they bullshitting when they say you won’t need code anywhere? You’ve heard otherwise.
Sigh.
What can you do?
Don’t give up!
Let me tell you about Elementor.
Elementor is a page-builder plugin that works within WordPress. It uses drag and drop “widgets”, which are pieces of code that add all kinds of different functionality and design to your page. It’s perfect for fledgling online biz owners who need an easy way to build a website without code – without being confined by templates or site-builders’ limitations.
Now I admit, when I first heard of Elementor, I was skeptical. I had been looking for a way to build a website without code for my clients for years – and I mean without having to introduce code on the front end at all – but nothing on the market had come up to scratch.
There was always something wrong with them, some limitation, some irritation or lack of intuitiveness, some need to add code somewhere to get the result I wanted for my clients.
So why was I skeptical? Because the information came from a source I didn’t trust – as in, someone who was selling himself as a website developer… but who was actually a realtor.
A guy who didn’t know code – at all.
Didn’t know how to fix broken sites, didn’t know about hosting, didn’t know basically anything.
So when I heard about Elementor along that particular grapevine, I was very suspicious and unenthusiastic, because how much had he researched? How many other options had he tried? What could he POSSIBLY KNOW THAT I DIDN’T?!?!?!!?
And then I thought… wait a minute.
My ideal client was giving me a gift, and I didn’t know it
I had to get over my ego balking at the insanity of this guy selling himself as a website developer (dang it, that’s ME!!), and look at this gift from another perspective.
Because doesn’t this dude, in fact, represent my ideal client? Isn’t he exactly the kind of person who has been telling me to find something that will build a fantastic website without code?
Someone who didn’t know code – at all.
Someone who didn’t know how to fix broken sites, didn’t know about hosting, didn’t know basically anything.
Doesn’t that sound like… a fledgling online biz owner?
It does to me.
So I decided to check it out.
dayum! am I so glad I did!
Wow, I have to say, I am IMPRESSED.
I’ve tried so many page-builder programs (Divi, WPBakery, Visual Composer, WP Pagebuilder, etc.) as well as themes that are driven by visual page builders (Enfold, Avada, UDesign, X-theme, among others), and while they all have their great qualities, they all still had two big and bad problems:
they were either STILL too complicated for a newbie to cope with, or they didn’t provide enough design tools to get the job done.
Until I found Elementor. Thanks Matt!
Just a few awesome things about WordPress with Elementor (that will matter to you)
WordPress
- WordPress is one of the most versatile – not to mention affordable (it’s free!) – ways to get a website off the ground. The base program from WordPress.org is a free download and it is widely supported by millions of open source programmers all over the world, who are happily invested in its success.
On top of that, there are so many themes (which you don’t actually need with Elementor, but I digress!) and plugins that have been developed to work with it, for nearly any design or functionality you can imagine. - WordPress offers exceptional freedom, and it’s also a very solid program that you can pull out of the box and start a blog, completely without code. Even better, you can create an incredible blog or website, entirely without code, when you pair it with Elementor.
- WordPress is reasonably easy to learn, even for a newbie. It can take a little bit to get used to, but once you do, you’re off and running.
Elementor
- On Elementor, you master the basics of operation (which does not take long), Elementor is extraordinarily easy to learn, particularly for non-techies. The reason for this is the constant repetition of how content, styling and advanced options are laid out. The consistency of design across all elements/widgets (and even add-on elements from third parties) is blatantly evident.
And the best way to learn anything, is repetition.
- Once you get to know all the widget elements, and become used to how the different content and styling options work, you can create nearly ANY kind of design experience. I’m floored at all the things I can create with just the
Call to Action widget (Pro option)! That’s just ONE widget – there are 30 widgets! Not to mention, the Pro version has 24 more! And none of it requires knowing code. - Even if you use Elementor in the beginning just to make pages and posts, once you graduate beyond that and start using the Theme Builder, an entirely new world opens up for you.
With the Theme Builder, you can do exactly what the title says: create your own theme. Even as a non-developer, you are now no longer bound by a theme designer’s idea of what a blog post should look like or what should be on it, or a category page, or even a portfolio page. You also get to create your own headers and footers with no limitations.
You get to decide. Everything! All without needing to know code!
Keyboard DOWN.
Your turn.
So there you have it. I admit, this post – in spite of its length – barely scratches the surface of all the amazing reasons why WordPress and Elementor are a wonderful combination when it comes to fledgling online biz owners starting a website. Now it’s your turn.
If you haven’t been there already, go to WordPress.org and check out what WordPress can do for you in terms of starting a new website. Maybe get some hosting (just a short term, if you’re not quite ready), get it installed (check out this video here) and then start playing around. Find out what millions of other people have found out!
Then, check out Elementor, maybe get the free version, and install it on your shiny new WordPress site. And then unleash your inner designer. The world is your oyster!
The next thing you know, you could be earning money online, quitting your hateful job, and finally living the life you have been dreaming about. It can happen!
Or you can do nothing and continue on as it.
As always, it’s your choice.
