Design an Entire Website in Elementor Without Code

Preface

Are you ready to unleash your inner web designer without wrestling with complex code? You’re in the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of designing an entire website using Elementor, the leading WordPress page builder. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience with WordPress, this tutorial will equip you with the knowledge and skills to create stunning, professional websites with ease.

Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface and vast library of templates and widgets make it incredibly accessible to anyone, regardless of their coding background. So, let’s dive in and start building your dream website today!

Why Use Elementor for Website Design?

Before we jump into the how-to, let’s explore why Elementor has become the go-to choice for many website creators:

• No Coding Required: As the title promises, you can design a complete website without writing a single line of code. Elementor’s visual editor allows you to drag and drop elements, customize their appearance, and create layouts with ease.
• User-Friendly Interface: Elementor boasts an intuitive interface that’s easy to learn and navigate. You’ll quickly become comfortable with its various features and settings.
• Extensive Template Library: Get a head start with Elementor’s extensive library of pre-designed templates for various industries and purposes. Customize them to fit your brand and save valuable time.
• Vast Widget Collection: Elementor offers a wide range of widgets, including text editors, image galleries, buttons, forms, and more. These widgets allow you to add functionality and visual appeal to your website without coding.
• Responsive Design: Ensure your website looks great on all devices with Elementor’s responsive design features. Easily adjust the layout and styling for desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
• SEO Friendly: Elementor is built with SEO in mind, allowing you to optimize your website for search engines and attract more visitors. For further information on SEO you can check out our in-depth SEO guide!

Getting Started with Elementor

Here’s how to get started with Elementor:

1. Install WordPress: If you haven’t already, install WordPress on your web hosting account. Many hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation, such as Bluehost, DreamHost or Hostgator.
2. Install the Elementor Plugin: Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” > “Add New,” search for “Elementor,” and click “Install Now” and then “Activate.” For detailed Instruction on that have a look at this blog post!
3. Choose a Theme: Select a WordPress theme that’s compatible with Elementor. Popular choices include Astra, GeneratePress, and OceanWP. Astra is even better in conjunction with the so called starter templates which are explained here: How to Install Astra Starter Templates !

Hint: Always keep your plugins and themes up to date to ensure optimal performance and security.

Designing Your Website with Elementor: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you have Elementor installed and activated, let’s start designing your website:

1. Planning Your Website Structure

Before you start building, it’s important to plan your website structure. Consider the following:

• Purpose: What is the main goal of your website? (e.g., selling products, providing information, building a community)
• Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach with your website?
• Pages: What pages will your website need? (e.g., Homepage, About Us, Services, Contact, Blog)
• Navigation: How will visitors navigate your website? (e.g., Menu, Footer Links)

2. Creating Your First Page

Let’s create your first page with Elementor:

1. Go to “Pages” > “Add New” in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Give your page a title (e.g., “Homepage”).
3. Click the “Edit with Elementor” button.

You’ll now be in the Elementor editor, where you can start building your page.

3. Understanding the Elementor Interface

The Elementor interface consists of three main sections:

• The Panel (Left): This is where you’ll find the widgets, settings, and styling options.
• The Canvas (Center): This is where you’ll see a live preview of your page as you build it.
• The Bottom Bar: This provides access to page settings, history, responsive mode, and more.

4. Adding Sections and Columns

To start building your page, you’ll need to add sections and columns:

1. Click the “+” icon in the canvas to add a new section.
2. Choose a structure for your section (e.g., one column, two columns, three columns).

Sections are the building blocks of your page, and columns allow you to divide the section into smaller, manageable areas.

5. Adding Widgets

Widgets are the elements that make up your page, such as text, images, and buttons:

1. Drag and drop a widget from the panel into a column.
2. Customize the widget using the options in the panel.

Experiment with different widgets to create the desired look and functionality for your page.

6. Styling Your Elements

Elementor provides extensive styling options to customize the appearance of your elements:

• Click on an element to select it.
• Go to the “Style” tab in the panel.
• Adjust the colors, fonts, spacing, and other settings to match your brand.

Info: Consider checking out our guide to choosing the right fonts for your website. Also take a look at our recommendation for the top 10 Free Google fonts for your website!

7. Using Templates

Elementor offers a library of pre-designed templates that can save you time and effort:

1. Click the folder icon in the canvas to access the template library.
2. Browse the templates and choose one that fits your needs.
3. Customize the template to match your brand.

Hint: Experiment with different templates to find the perfect starting point for your page.

8. Creating a Header and Footer

A consistent header and footer are essential for website navigation and branding. With the free version of Elementor its a little bit challenging to create headers and footers however with the pro version you could use Elementor’s Theme Builder to create custom headers and footers:

1. Go to “Templates” > “Theme Builder” in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click “Add New” and choose “Header” or “Footer.”
3. Design your header or footer using Elementor’s widgets and styling options.
4. Set the display conditions to specify where your header or footer should appear.

Alternatively, you can use themes like Astra Pro, which provide built-in header and footer builders. We explain how to achieve a sticky header with Astra here: create a sticky navigation for astra starter templates or for a design without javascript/jquery click here!

9. Ensuring Responsiveness

Make sure your website looks great on all devices by checking its responsiveness:

1. Click the responsive mode icon in the bottom bar of the Elementor editor.
2. Switch between desktop, tablet, and mobile views.
3. Adjust the layout and styling as needed to ensure optimal viewing on each device.

Advanced Elementor Techniques

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, explore these advanced Elementor techniques:

• Custom CSS: Add custom CSS code to further customize your elements.

 selector {
   color: red;
 }
 

• Dynamic Content: Use dynamic content to display information from your WordPress database.
• Elementor Pro Features: Upgrade to Elementor Pro for access to advanced widgets, theme builder, and other powerful features.

Info: In the past we compiled 10 expert tips and tricks for mastering Elementor – consider reading them!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to design an entire website using Elementor without touching a single line of code. With its user-friendly interface, extensive template library, and vast widgets, Elementor empowers you to create stunning, professional websites with ease. Keep experimenting, explore new features, and unleash your creativity to build the website of your dreams.