WordPress Themes vs. WordPress Page Builders: Which Is Right for You?
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If you’re new to WordPress, you in all probability have numerous questions on the simplest technique to construct your web site. This is smart, contemplating you’ve gotten numerous totally different choices.
WordPress newbies can rent somebody to construct their web page for them, customise a WordPress theme, or use a web page builder like Divi or Elementor.
If you’re studying this publish, you might be in all probability extra within the DIY web site constructing choices, however could also be questioning which route it’s best to take.
This publish will cowl the variations between utilizing a WordPress theme vs. a web page builder and the professionals and cons of every methodology. By the tip of the article, you’ll have a greater understanding of which methodology is a more sensible choice for you, based mostly in your pursuits, ability, and web site necessities.
What is the distinction between a WordPress theme and a web page builder?
First issues first, it’s essential to know what a WordPress theme and a web page builder even are and the way they differ. They each show you how to customise the way in which your web site seems to be and the way it operates, however let’s take a better take a look at how every works.
What is a WordPress theme?
A WordPress theme is a pre-coded format, design, and the show settings of your web site. A WordPress theme is actually what that you must set up and activate to decorate your web site up and provides it a cohesive look and a method.
The excellent news about WordPress is it’s an open-source platform, that means any developer can create a theme, free or paid, and supply it to different WordPress customers for set up. As a WordPress person, you may set up a free WordPress theme, a paid premium theme, or a third-party theme.
WordPress themes fluctuate vastly from one theme to a different, and what a theme will permit you to customise will even fluctuate relying on the theme you select. Some fundamental parts you may customise on most each theme embrace:
- Logo and headline
- Color scheme
- Layout
- Menus
- Typography
- Widget choices
If you understand a little bit of fundamental code, you may edit different parts of your theme by including your individual customized CSS or PHP to a theme. However, since every theme has its personal knowledge construction, for those who replace your theme, WordPress received’t save your edits, and also you’ll have to re-edit your theme.
To provide you with a greater thought of what a pre-coded WordPress theme will do for your web site, let’s take a look at just a few visible examples. In the next examples, the one factor I modified on the web site is the theme. I didn’t do any coding, back-end edits, or theme customizations.
As a fast be aware, I used to be capable of change the theme by going to “Appearance,” “Themes,” after which urgent on “Live Demo” for the three high themes I appreciated. You’ll additionally discover on the left aspect of the display screen, there’s a menu. This menu is the theme customization menu, which exhibits every little thing I can probably change inside a selected theme.
Live preview of the Bueno theme (free)
Live preview of the Interface theme (free)
Live preview of the Twenty Twenty theme (free)
As you may see, every of those three themes could be very totally different from the others when it comes to the appear and feel, the model, the colours, and the way it shows the content material. You’ll additionally discover on the customization bar that what you may customise on every theme varies barely.
The cool factor about themes is it solely took me one-second to press “reside preview” on every theme and I’ve a superb visible thought of what my web site would appear to be if I put in and activated one in every of these themes. It’s equally as straightforward to activate a brand new theme when you resolve which one you want greatest.
While a WordPress theme will give your web site a distinct look and a really feel from theme to theme, the one templated theme you decide on (irrespective of which one you select) will management the show settings for each publish and web page you publish.
If you don’t have a web page builder plugin, then the one technique to customise these settings inside your theme is to manually edit your theme settings, which requires coding information. It additionally requires you to replace the code each time you replace your theme.
Now that you’ve a greater thought of what a WordPress theme is, let’s speak about what a web page builder is.
What is a web page builder?
A web page builder is one other, extra complete technique to create a novel feel and look for your WordPress web site. Instead of choosing a theme after which making slight customizations to your total theme, a web page builder lets you delve a little bit deeper and customise these particular person pages and posts inside your WordPress theme. In different phrases, a web page builder permits you extra flexibility on particular person pages, posts, and areas inside your theme you can’t customise from page-to-page inside your WordPress theme settings.
A WordPress web page builder is actually a WordPress plugin that can enable you these enhanced customization options without having to edit the theme settings or create another customized strains of code.
It’s additionally worthy to notice that it’s doable to put in a web page builder plugin (e.g. Divi Builder Plugin) and use it to customise the pages of the WordPress theme of your selection. However, it’s sometimes extra frequent to make use of the identical theme that the plugin helps (e.g. use the Divi Builder Plugin to customise the Divi Theme).
WordPress web page builders work by supplying you with immediate entry to an intuitive drag and drop editor. Instead of fixing theme settings or including strains of code to the back-end, all you must do to construct a personalized web page is to pull and drop totally different parts the place you need them to look.
A drag and drop editor is a wonderful approach for a brand new WordPress web site proprietor to construct a extremely personalized web site from the get-go. However, here’s a essential bit of knowledge. If you utilize a drag and drop editor and later wish to change your web site to a distinct theme, your customizations received’t save. Your new theme’s settings will override any customizations you’ve made.
The ethical of the story? It’s greatest to resolve from the get-go whether or not you wish to choose a WordPress theme or use a web page builder plugin to construct your web site. To show you how to make a extra knowledgeable determination, let’s check out the professionals and cons of a WordPress theme vs. a WordPress web page builder plugin.
WordPress theme professionals & cons
If you solely want a easy web site and are happy with the design of a selected theme, a WordPress theme is a gentle guess.
Pros of WordPress Themes
Here are another professionals of opting for a WordPress theme:
- You have hundreds of choices for free and premium themes
- Skilled programmers have already coded the theme for you
- All you must do to get began is press “Install”
- New and up to date WordPress themes are cell responsive
- You can decide for a high-converting theme
- You don’t must make any format designs, because it’s already achieved for you
- You can change between themes with a pair fast clicks of a button
- You can reside preview themes
- WordPress themes permit you to make fundamental customizations
- WordPress themes are straightforward to activate and customise
- You could make customized CSS edits within the theme editor
- You can get your web site up and working in lower than a day
Cons of WordPress Themes
Here are among the cons to deciding on a WordPress theme for your web site:
- Your web site could appear to be different web sites for those who choose a standard theme
- You don’t have as a lot customization flexibility
- If you need extra options or performance, you have to set up a plugin
- The sidebars, widget places, and normal format are fastened on each web page
- If you desire a new format design, you want a brand new theme
- They don’t have web page templates
- There are restricted design choices for pages and posts
- Customizations exterior of the theme settings require coding
- Customizations aren’t saved while you replace your theme
The backside line on WordPress themes: WordPress themes are a simple technique to get your web site up and working with a pleasant design, however lack flexibility in customizations.
WordPress web page builder professionals & cons
If you’ve been toying round with the concept of utilizing a web page builder to construct your web site, you’ll wish to think about all the professionals and cons.
Pros of WordPress Page Builders
Here are the highest benefits of a WordPress web page builder:
- You can use a web page builder plugin for any theme you want
- You have way more flexibility with customizations
- You can begin instantly with a web page builder constructed for a well-liked theme (e.g. Divi or Elementor) and nonetheless have a completely distinctive design
- You have a number of customized design choices for totally different pages and posts
- You can change the format
- You can choose a customized background
- The drag and drop editor makes it straightforward to construct pages without having to code
- Free variations can be found
- You can use a baby theme
- You can customise widget places
- You can add customized widgets to totally different pages
- Functionality is built-in to the web page builder, decreasing the necessity for a number of plugins which may bathroom down your web site
- You can customise your theme settings
- You can choose a web page template for those who don’t wish to customise every little thing from scratch
- It takes much less time to develop a webpage with a web page builder than it does to code one
- Many web page builders supply A/B testing performance
Cons of WordPress Page Builders
Here are the disadvantages of a WordPress web page builder:
- It takes extra time to construct a web site with a web page builder than it does to put in and customise a theme
- You nonetheless want a fundamental eye for design to get essentially the most out of the plugin
- You received’t launch your web site as shortly as for those who’d opted for a WordPress theme
- There is a bigger studying curve for web page builders than for choosing a theme
- You received’t get to maintain the identical customizations if you wish to choose a theme later
- Many superior options are premium options
The backside line on WordPress web page builders: WordPress web page builders enable you extra flexibility, however require extra time, consideration, and a watch for design.
Should you utilize a WordPress theme or a WordPress web page builder for your web site?
Whether or not you utilize a WordPress theme or a WordPress web page builder plugin is dependent upon how a lot you wish to customise your web site and the way a lot work you wish to do.
Who ought to use a WordPress theme?
You could wish to decide for a WordPress theme if the next describes you:
- You’re not very tech-savvy and simply desire a “set it and overlook it” design
- You don’t have an awesome eye for design
- You just like the theme settings and customization choices of your favourite theme
- You don’t wish to make any modifications to your theme
- You know fundamental coding for those who do wish to make modifications to your theme
- You don’t care for those who can’t customise the pages and publish parts
- You just like the format choices of a selected theme
- You don’t plan on making any CSS customizations to your web site
- You wish to activate automated theme updates
- You wish to set up and activate plugins to supply extra web site performance
- Simplicity is necessary to you
Who ought to use a WordPress web page builder?
On the opposite hand, think about a WordPress web page builder if this describes you:
- You like studying new issues
- Drag and drop modifying appeals to you
- You have a watch for design
- You are a inventive particular person
- You don’t wish to study any coding
- You don’t ever wish to have to the touch the back-end of your WordPress web site
- You need to have the ability to customise your pages and posts
- You wish to change up the format of your web site
- You need extra flexibility than a theme will supply
- You don’t need too many plugins in your web site however nonetheless need added performance
- You don’t plan emigrate your web site to a theme later
- You are affected person and don’t have to launch your web site instantly
Host your WordPress web site on a dependable internet hosting platform
And there you’ve gotten it! Those are the primary variations between a WordPress theme and a WordPress web page builder, the professionals and cons of every, and methods to know which one is a greater match for you.
Regardless of which approach you intend to create your web site, you’ll want a dependable internet hosting platform. HostGator offers inexpensive WordPress internet hosting and a number of other different internet hosting choices for different content material administration platforms.
If you have an interest in utilizing a web site builder to make your web site, you’ll be joyful to study that HostGator simply launched a brand new web site builder that can show you how to design a customized, beautiful, eCommerce-friendly web site very quickly in any respect.
Ashley R. Cummings is an expert freelance author specializing in SaaS, tech, and promoting/advertising and marketing. In a earlier life, she was a Russian instructor at Brigham Young University, a company coach, and a grad scholar—all on the identical time. When she’s not writing, you will discover her touring the world together with her 2 children and husband, studying poetry or taking a deep dive into the fabulous world of comedy. Connect together with her on Twitter at @ashleyrcummings.
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