Which One is Best for Your Site?
Before we delve into whether you should go for a WordPress page builder or not, we will first cover some of the basics.
A page builder is a drag and drop-based editor that allows you to build a WordPress site using pre-designed themes. Essentially, the page builder is a tool that helps you build a WordPress site even if you do not know how to code.
Are you excited about building your WordPress website without hiring developers? Wait, you need to look at both the pros and cons of using a WordPress page builder before you decide.
While it is true that using a page builder, you can build a simple WordPress website. There are still some areas where you will need the assistance of WordPress developers. These areas include:
- Creating new page layouts through templates
- Building new navigation menus
- Adding widget areas
Without the help of WordPress developers, you won’t be able to customize your WordPress site according to the requirements of your business. In other words, your WordPress website will be limited by the functionality and design of your built-in theme.
WP Block Editor Vs. Page Builders
The WordPress block editor or Gutenberg is the default WordPress editor that allows users to add and arrange content elements. Many people get confused between Gutenberg and page builder, but there is a considerable difference between the two.
Let’s go through some of the essential differences between Gutenberg and WordPress page builders.
Drag And Drop Features
While Gutenberg allows you to add blocks to build your website, it cannot match the level of customization you get with page builders.
For example, Gutenberg does not allow you to adjust the height or width of the blocks. Plus, you cannot modify other blocks inside other blocks or cannot create complex layouts using rows and columns.
Theme Support
With WordPress block editor, you cannot change the theme styles and settings. On the other hand, a WordPress page builder allows you to completely override the theme’s styles. This difference becomes more important when you want to create custom page layouts. A WordPress block editor does not let you create custom page layouts, while a WordPress page builder does.
Intended Users
The WordPress block editor is designed to be used by individuals like photographers, bloggers, and writers. At the same time, WordPress page builders are intended to be used by small businesses stores and WordPress agencies.
The WordPress block editor will help you create better content, while the WordPress page builder will help you increase sales by building better landing pages.
How Do You Select WordPress Page Builder?
Here is how you select the perfect WordPress page builder according to your requirements.
Identify Your Need
Assess your needs first to select the best WordPress page builder for your website. The following questions will help you identify your need:
- Do you want more flexibility with your design or less?
- Do you want to see the changes immediately?
- What are the must-have features of your website?
- Do you want to build a single website or multiple websites
Check Your Budget
Finalize your budget, and then start looking for the WordPress page builder according to your budget. Most WordPress page builders work on the freemium model, which allows you to use a few features for free and charge money for most of the other features.
Explore the Page Builders
Ask the following questions to zero in on the best WordPress page builder according to your requirements:
- Is the WordPress page builder easy-to-use?
- Does the page builder team provide support and regular updates?
- Does the WordPress page builder have a lot of downloads? More downloads mean the WordPress page builder is successful.
- Do the features of the WordPress page builder match your requirement?
Drag And Drop Page Builders For WordPress
There are plenty of WordPress page builders available in the market today. We have identified the best page builders to make it easy for you to choose:
Elementor
Elementor has both free as well as pro versions. So, you can create a website from scratch or use the readymade templates from the rich library of Elementor. The pro version has a lot of widgets that make website building an easy process.
Beaver Builder
Beaver builder is a popular WordPress page builder that works primarily on the front end of your WordPress website. Beaver Builder provides features like content module, video and photo row backgrounds, semantic and lightweight markups. Using the pro version of Beaver Builder, you can build custom modules. In addition, Beaver Builder is better optimized for performance compared to many other page builders.
WP Bakery (Formerly – Visual Composer)
The WP Bakery provides you with a wide range of grid design templates, predefined layouts, and 200+ third-party add-ons. While the front-end editor shows the edits you make in real-time, the backend visual editor has a grid-based interface with drag and drop modules.
The WP Bakery also provides you with an option to use the backend visual editor.
DIVI
The Divi WordPress page builder has a lot of WordPress themes and plugins you can use to build your website. The Divi builder contains 40+ content modules and 20+ templates. In addition, the Divi builder allows you to do unlimited un-dos and re-dos so that you can go back to the website version of your choice. This loads a lot of scripts and css which sometimes slows the website down.
Summary
WordPress page builders can help you build a website without ever having to code. However, understand that when you choose to use WordPress page builders, you are taking a risk as page builders can be difficult to transition from, and possible performance issues can creep up on your website. Nevertheless, WordPress web professionals exist for a reason, and it would be a wise choice to at least consult them before trying your hand on WordPress page builders.