Building a website can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not a designer or are just starting out and you’re trying to manage all the aspects of getting your brand new biz off the ground!
Last year I made the switch to a WordPress drag and drop website builder that has been a total game-changer!
I’ve always been an advocate for WordPress and recommend this platform to all of my clients. Their open source format really gives you the ability to customize and create beautiful websites.
WordPress’ SEO capabilities are also much more robust and powerful than Squarespace or Wix – although these platforms are getting better, they still don’t have the ability to add in plugins like Yoast SEO to guide you through creating an optimized page.
Related: SEO Made Simple – A How-to Guide
As technology continues to improve and with the rate of new people creating their own websites, the need for a “what you see is what you get” (also known as a WYSIWYG) builder platform has increased.
Tools are constantly evolving and emerging, allowing more people the ability to create beautiful, seamless websites without needing to know code.
Just a few years ago, to create “simple” hover effects on buttons, I had to touch lines of CSS and HTML to make it a reality, but with tools like Elementor those days are long gone.
And, trust me, I’m no developer, so digging into the code was no easy feat.
The Best WordPress Drag and Drop Website Builder
If you’re using WordPress for your website, let me introduce you to a world of editing without being stuck in WordPress’ native platform.
Being able to edit right in the front end of WordPress, where you can layer image and text over each other without needing Photoshop or Canva. Without needing to know code, and with the ease and flexibility of dragging and dropping elements where you want.
WordPress is even taking cues from these robust third-party plugins and have rolled out an all new update, Gutenberg, giving you similar flexibility to design and edit your website.
While their new update gives you the ability to drag and drop more elements than they have in the past, there are still limitations in what you can achieve.
So, if you’re looking for more control over the design of your WordPress website, I’m breaking down the difference of how to choose the right drag and drop website builder for you.
How to Choose the Right Website Builder
In the past 10 years, these types of programs have popped up and are continuing to flourish, giving you access to options.
After finding out about Elementor, I discovered Divi, another platform very very similar to Elementor.
And, as I type this, I’ve been testing out ShowIt for the past two weeks as I potentially move over to their platform.
But, how do you know which one is the right one for you?
Let me break it down!
ELEMENTOR
Elementor is a third-party plugin that allows you to easily design the front end of your website with drag and drop capabilities.
This is perfect if you already have a WordPress theme that you love, but need to modify the design of a page or two to really up-level your design.
While this plugin is available for your entire site once you add it, you can pick and choose which page you want to edit with Elementor, giving you the freedom to customize things as needed without overriding your current design elements that you don’t want to adjust.
I really love this product for many reasons, but one of my favorite reasons is that the basic functionality of Elementor is available for free!
Yes, that means you can add this plugin to your website and start editing and designing on the front end right away.
The paid version of Elementor gives you access to edit global elements like your main navigation, footer, blog post pages, and so much more.
This is the tool I use for my client sites as it allows me to create a completely custom design that they can easily update and modify after I hand over the site.
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DIVI
Although I haven’t used Divi, I did poke around into their offerings a bit to get a better understanding of their product.
While it is similar in many ways to Elementor, there is not a free version available to use with your site.
In order to use their product, you must pay a one-time lifetime access fee or a yearly fee to use their website builder.
The functionality and capabilities look almost identical to Elementor.
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SHOWIT
As a designer, one who has only tested ShowIt with their 14-day free trial, I love the capabilities ShowIt offers. I’m able to customize any and all details!
I can simply add layers and multiple canvas views to create a much more engaging and interactive website.
But, the price point of Showit is not for everyone. It has taken me some serious thought as I potentially make the switch for my website.
And, while I love how much control I have over the design, the platform requires a lot more legwork to design a completely custom website.
If you’re purchasing a template or using one of their free templates it seems fairly simple to navigate and update images and text throughout.
If basic design changes are all you need, an Elementor site can do the same thing without the higher price tag.
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If you’re brand new to building your website, here are some helpful resources to get you started:
Have a question about which one might be right for you, drop me a comment below!
xo,
Sianne
