Hey there! If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for some genuine feedback on Crocoblock and its Elementor page builder plugin for WordPress. Well, you came to the right place!
As a web designer who has tried all the popular page builders out there, I wanted to share my personal experiences using Crocoblock to build WordPress sites. I’ll cover what it is, what’s good (and not so good) about it, how it compares to the competition, and whether I recommend it overall.
Crocoblock Review – Introduction to Crocoblock and Elementor
For those not familiar with it, Crocoblock is the company behind the Elementor page builder plugin – one of the most popular drag & drop site builders for WordPress.
Elementor lets you create beautiful, custom WordPress pages using a live frontend editing interface. It’s insanely flexible since you can build pages just by dragging and dropping different widgets exactly where you want them.
Some cool things you can do with Elementor include:
- Building landing pages, coming soon pages, 404 pages, etc
- Creating popups, sticky elements, and other dynamic effects
- Customizing headers, footers across your site
- Integrating with WooCommerce to design ecommerce shops
- Leveraging pre-made templates and site kits
Now that you know what it is in a nutshell, let’s get into the pros and cons based on my own experience using Crocoblock’s tools…
The Good – Benefits of Using Crocoblock
Overall, I’ve found Crocoblock’s solutions like Elementor to be hugely valuable for building WordPress sites quickly and painlessly. Here are some of the major benefits I’ve experienced:
Extremely User-Friendly Interface
The drag and drop page builder is so well-designed that even non-techy users can build beautiful, custom pages in WordPress without touching any code. It’s as simple as clicking on a widget you want, dragging it onto the page, and customizing the settings in a visual interface.
I love that I can create layouts and see changes happen in real-time right on the frontend itself. Much better than fiddling with code or waiting for preview refreshes!
Design Flexibility and Control
With Elementor’s huge library of content widgets, you have an insane amount of design flexibility. I can craft pages exactly how I envision them without compromise. Columns, images, buttons, icons, lists – you name it, they have a customizable widget for it.
Plus, you can create templates and apply them across multiple pages to maintain consistent designs. This level of design control is hugely valuable when building websites, especially for clients with specific needs.
Built-in Responsiveness
Every element and template you design with Elementor is inherently responsive and mobile-friendly. It looks great on all device sizes without any extra effort.
This saves a ton of time compared to tweaking desktop and mobile layouts separately. With Crocoblock tools, I don’t have to worry about wonky responsiveness at all.
The Not-So-Good – Drawbacks to Be Aware Of
While overall I’m a big fan of Elementor and Crocoblock’s suite of tools, there are some disadvantages to note as well:
Can Cause Bloat and Performance Issues
The flexibility of Elementor comes at a cost – it adds a lot of extra weight to your WordPress site that can slow it down, especially if you go overboard with adding tons of widgets and effects.
I’ve found that sites I build with Elementor tend to have slower load times compared to using a lightweight theme and adding only essential plugins. It requires more optimization work to counter the bloat.
Steep Learning Curve
Elementor is easy to use at a basic level, but mastering its hundreds of settings and options takes time. Expect a learning curve if you want to tap into more advanced features like custom CSS, nested templates, motion effects, etc.
Some aspects like writing custom code snippets definitely require web development knowledge. Total beginners may find it overwhelming.
Licenses and Support Cost Extra
While you can try Crocoblock tools for free, the licenses for additional features, plugins, and support are paid-only. And they aren’t cheap for serious developers and agencies.
This can add up quickly if you rely on Crocoblock for all your client projects. Factor these recurring costs into your budget if you want access to the full suite of tools.
How Crocoblock Compares to Other Page Builders
Crocoblock is far from the only drag and drop page builder for WordPress. The plugin ecosystem has tons of options like Beaver Builder, Brizy, Divi, Thrive Architect, and more.
Here’s a quick rundown of how Elementor stacks up to the competition from my testing:
Vs Beaver Builder: Beaver Builder is also very powerful and flexible but has a steeper learning curve. It can produce faster sites if optimized well. Elementor still wins for pure ease of use.
Vs Divi: Divi has great templates but can be sluggish and bloated. Its interface is more confusing than Elementor’s. Better for beginners.
Vs Brizy: Brizy is blazing fast but has far fewer features and customization options compared to Elementor. Great for simpler sites.
Vs Thrive Architect: Thrive has unique conversion focused templates but fewer design widgets overall. Elementor is better for creative freedom.
The bottom line is Elementor strikes the best balance of usability and customization power in my experience. But competitors like Beaver Builder are great alternatives depending on your specific needs and skills.
The Verdict – Is Crocoblock Worth Using?
So what’s the final verdict – would I recommend Crocoblock’s tools like Elementor based on my experience creating WordPress sites over the past few years?
In short – absolutely.
While it has some drawbacks like potential performance issues, overall I’ve found Elementor to be an invaluable tool for building high-converting sites quickly and with complete creative flexibility.
Once you take the time to learn it in-depth, you’ll be cranking out beautiful pages faster than ever while still maintaining full design control. And it’s constantly improving with new features added all the time.
Just be strategic in how you use its many widgets and really optimize the site for speed. For most WordPress users, especially developers, agencies and serious bloggers, Crocoblock’s suite of tools are well worth the investment.
Who Is Crocoblock Best Suited For?
Given the pros and cons covered, who should consider using Crocoblock’s solutions like Elementor versus other website builders?
For WordPress users, it provides an excellent in-platform page builder that gives you more design control compared to most themes. It eliminates the need for extra plugins and tools.
For web designers and agencies, the customization options, templates, and workflow make Elementor perfect for building client sites efficiently. Less hassle and better performance than starting from scratch.
For bloggers and publishers, you can create beautiful, conversion-optimized landing pages, popups, and layouts to complement your content and grow your following.
For ecommerce stores, integrating Elementor with WooCommerce provides the ultimate flexibility to customize product pages and convert more sales.
For beginners, the intuitive drag and drop editor makes it possible to build a complete WordPress site without coding expertise. But expect a learning curve mastering advanced features.
The bottom line is Crocoblock tools excel for WordPress users who want extreme design flexibility without touching code. But they involve tradeoffs around performance and learning time.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, while not perfect, I firmly believe Elementor and Crocoblock’s suite of plugins provide immense value in terms of beautiful design capabilities and ease of building complex WordPress sites.
For me, the benefits far outweigh the potential downsides for most projects. But as with any tool, take time to learn it thoroughly and use it strategically before integrating it into your tech stack.
There are certainly viable alternatives too like Beaver Builder or Brizy depending on your needs. But overall Crocoblock remains a top choice that I confidently recommend for creating WordPress sites, especially if you value design freedom and flexibility above all.
Summary – Main Takeaways
To recap my key thoughts after extensively using Crocoblock’s offerings:
- Elementor’s drag and drop page builder is easy to use yet immensely powerful and flexible
- You can create beautiful, conversion-driven sites and pages faster than ever before
- But beware of potential bloat and performance issues if you go overboard
- Factor in the learning curve and paid licensing costs beyond the free trial
- For WordPress users who value design freedom, it’s 100% worth trying out
- Competitors like Beaver Builder are great alternatives depending on your needs
- Overall I recommend Crocoblock tools for most WordPress sites and users
Ready to try Elementor and Crocoblock plugins for yourself? Don’t just take my word for it – go to Crocoblock.com and test drive Elementor to build your next WordPress site.
See if the flexibility and ease of use resonate with you. There are also plenty of Elementor tutorials and docs to leverage.