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Is Divi the Right WordPress Page Builder for You?

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A page builder is an essential part of most web design – especially on WordPress. While the content management system allows for a wide range of applications and uses from blogs to eCommerce stores, WordPress itself is not robust and comprehensive. Instead, plugins that extend the functionality make it one of the most versatile platforms to choose for your website.

There are a variety of different page builders available for WordPress, so choosing the right option can be difficult. The functionality offered by the plugin you choose controls what your site will look like and how it will function, so it’s important that you know what you’re doing before making the choice.

Divi Builder is one of these options to consider, and perhaps one of the most popular. But is it right for you? Keep reading for an in-depth review of Divi Builder and to learn what it can unlock for your next website.

What is Divi Builder?

Divi Builder is a page builder tool offered by Elegant Themes, creators of the incredibly popular Divi theme (and all associated tools and features included). The plugin comes with all subscriptions to Elegant Themes and can be used with or without their Divi theme. However, when using Divi, the plugin is included by default and does not need to be downloaded separately.

Who is Divi Builder For?

Divi Builder is a very versatile page builder, offering one of the highest element counts, an exceptional template library, and comprehensive web design tools without the need for code. It makes it easy for all levels of web designer to create something beautiful on WordPress quickly, or take the time to make a unique site that fits the task perfectly. It is beginner-friendly and easy to use, making it a solid choice for any application. 

However, due to the pricing and subscription model that Elegant Themes offers, the tool likely offers more value to multi-site owners and developers who can benefit from the unlimited licenses. Otherwise, the cost may be inhibitive when compared to other page builders on the market for single-site applications.

Additionally, Divi Builder is likely best for designs that are utilizing the Divi theme. This is both for the added value it offers you with the subscription model, but also because using the theme with the builder unlocks more customization features like the theme builder – available only for Divi theme sites.

All About Divi Builder

Interface

Divi Builder is a drag-and-drop page builder that utilizes different modules to place content on a webpage within defined sections, rows, and columns. You can design your website either on the backend, which creates an overview of the modules used in the site, or you can use the frontend visual builder that lets you update the site in real time.

On the backend, you will create a new page and then use the “+” in the content area to bring up the module list. From here you can choose which module, row, or section you want to include and it will place it within the current structure of the page. Each element of the page can be edited with the cog icon, which pulls up the customization options for that element. To see your progress, you will have to preview the page.

The visual builder involves the same steps for adding modules and elements to the page, but instead of previewing the page, your additions and changes will be reflected as you do them. This means you can change text size and see it grow or shrink as you change the value, giving you control over the look without trial and error. You can hover over the various parts of the page and choose where to add elements, change column sizes so your content fits better, and of course make edits with real-time feedback. This includes inline text editing, which saves you a ton of time when it comes to refining your message.

The builder also includes the ability to customize an entire page with a page settings option on the bottom task bar so that you can change the styling or custom CSS for that page only. This is useful for creating custom headers for your landing page that may not fit elsewhere.

The view selector in the bottom left of the builder lets you change the visual builder area’s size to reflect different devices like a tablet or phone. With this preview, you can see what your site will look like on different screens to help you ensure it is responsive while maintaining your look.

When done editing, you can save the draft or publish the page in the bottom right, and exit the builder in the top left.

Features

Your page builder should be simple enough for anyone to use, but feature-packed enough to be the only solution you need for designing your website.

Divi Builder includes a ton of elements and templates for you to choose from when creating your website. This includes eCommerce support with WooCommerce integration that adds WooCommerce-specific elements like pricing, product galleries, and buy buttons. These can be added to custom product pages or as a way to make your landing page sell better.

To improve conversion rates, you can create multiple landing pages, sales pages, or other important aspects of your site and then implement the split testing feature it offers. With this, you’ll be able to display different versions of your content and record the interaction and feedback from each to optimize your site for conversions.

Divi Builder also makes it easy for you to move content from page to page with global elements and styles or link content from different pages together so that when one is edited, they all are. This will save you the time of recreating elements or having continuity errors on interactive parts of your site.

If you build a design that you really love, you can save it and even employ it on other websites by downloading the template and importing it again. Or, if you change your mind after an edit, you can use the length revision interface to take steps back until things are back to where you want.

In addition to these standard features, Divi Builder offers additional perks when combined with the Divi theme. The Divi Builder plugin was built to work most effectively with the Divi theme. As a result, the plugin is at its best when used alongside Divi.

One of the major benefits of using Divi and Divi Builder is the theme editor interface. On this screen, you can take control over the theme without using a child theme. This lets you customize the header, content area, and footer for individual pages or all pages, and allows for multiple templates to be used for the site that can be switched as needed. Within these content areas, you can use the page builder to create headers and footers the same way you create standard pages. As a result, you won’t be restricted to just the default theme header or footer settings – you can make a custom solution that works for you, not one that you make work.

Templates

Starting with a blank webpage can be incredibly daunting for new designers, and even many experienced developers prefer to begin with a template instead of from scratch. With the right template you can cut down on development times and ensure that you are getting something that will help you sell – as long as the templates provided by your page builder are professional.

Divi Builder has no shortage of templates available. The options span from simple row and column templates to single-page templates to even full-website designs. There are over 800 pre-made design templates to choose from in a variety of different industries and for all kinds of pages. The 100+ full-website packs include a template for most standard pages you’ll need and help to ensure that your site stays uniform throughout. Tweaking the content and colors then gives you a professional website in hours – not days or weeks.

In addition to the various templates available from Elegant Themes, the Divi Marketplace includes even more options to choose from. There are packs specifically for headers, footers, pages, specific modules, and all of the above. While they are an additional cost, the ability to seamlessly add other templates for your website and content makes Divi Builder more beginner-friendly and better at accommodating various needs.

Elements

A page builder is only as good as what it allows you to do. When it comes to customizing your site, the more options you have to work with, the more you can accomplish. This not only includes the specific modules that are provided, but also requires the ability to customize them quickly and easily to make the most of the module.

Elements in Divi are called modules, and there are over 46 different modules to choose from included with Divi Builder. Each can be customized with a variety of different settings within the page builder, including colors and styles, padding, positioning, hover effects, sticky attributes, and more. Each module also has the option to use custom CSS specifically on that module, which helps designers to custom-tailor content to their vision even if there isn’t a setting that makes it easy.

Additional modules can be found on the Divi Marketplace to ensure that your individual requirements can be met. Carousels, special parallax effect images, social media embeds, and custom gallery styles are just a few of the different modules that can be purchased if you don’t want to customize a base module yourself.

Compatibility

When page builders create the blocks of content that you drag into the page, they do so in one of two ways. This can be through the use of shortcodes, which are WordPress tags that embed a module onto the page, or through semantic HTML which uses standard code to create the elements.

Divi Builder is a shortcode-based plugin, which means that it requires the builder to be able to read and interpret the code it creates. When you remove the plugin, the webpages can break and leave you with an unsightly wall of text or broken content.

To put it simply, if you are using Divi Builder, you will need to commit to continuing to use it. Otherwise, the design may need to be scrapped and converted to another page builder.

Pricing

Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing your page builder tool because it’s another startup expense you must account for. In many cases you will be paying for a domain, hosting, security, theme, page builder, additional plugins, and more just to get a website up and running for your business. These can all add up quickly – and for smaller businesses just getting started, the cost can be a problem.

Depending on who you are, Divi’s pricing is either an incredible value, or towards the top of the market in terms of cost. This is because Divi does not offer individual licenses for their theme and page builder. Instead they are bundled together as part of a subscription model offered by Elegant Themes, which means that you’ll be paying for both regardless of whether you intend to use Divi theme or not. This subscription is available yearly, or for a one-time fee you can gain lifetime access to all things Divi.

Developers using Divi Builder will love the versatility that a single Elegant Themes membership provides. With unlimited licenses, a flexible theme in Divi, and the comprehensive Divi Builder, you’ll be able to start designing websites with just a single subscription. Plus, the more sites you create, the cheaper the subscription is per site which helps offset the higher initial cost.

Business owners looking to take a shot at designing a website may not love the price tag that comes with the yearly or lifetime subscription options. When creating a single website, there is no benefit to having unlimited licenses and if Divi theme doesn’t work for your project, it just makes Divi Builder that much more expensive. The cost becomes easier to swallow with each new project, but compared to single-license page builders, Divi can be expensive to start out with.

Regardless of your intended use, be on the lookout for promotions that make the cost of Divi Builder more feasible for all users. There are sales for holidays, Cyber Monday, end-of-the-year sales, and more throughout the year. Because the lifetime license is single-charge, you can subscribe when the price is low and enjoy the benefits forever.

Support

Elegant Themes puts an emphasis on providing exceptional support for their subscribers, which not only helps to keep yearly members renewing their membership, but benefits lifetime buyers as well.

With an Elegant Themes subscription of any kind, you gain access to multiple support channels. This includes live chat directly with the technical team on the website, a ticketing system for general inquiries about your account, community help and feedback, and a ton of documentation for if you get stuck. They also publish helpful blog posts on how to accomplish certain types of websites or how to customize modules a certain way.

Final Verdict

Overall, Divi Builder is a solid choice for many different kinds of websites. The subscription model makes it more geared to developers or owners of multiple sites, but the combination of a theme and page builder in one can present an awesome value for any type of customer. But to make the most out of the plugin, consider combining it with Divi theme to unlock all the features and benefits offered by an Elegant Themes subscription.

The page builder itself offers a ton of tools and features that make it easy to get started with a new website quickly, and the marketplace just extends what is possible without writing a single line of code. Just be certain that you want to stick with Divi Builder for your site because the shortcode-based modules can cause a problem if the plugin is removed.

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Get in touch today to learn more about what we can do for your website.

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