If you’re in the world of WordPress website building, chances are you’ve heard of Elementor Pro—a powerful page builder plugin that enables users to create visually stunning websites with ease. I recently had the opportunity to work with Elementor Pro on a Hostinger-hosted website. Overall, the experience was manageable, but it wasn’t without its quirks. Let’s break it down.
The Good: Elementor Pro’s Design Capabilities
Elementor Pro remains one of the most versatile tools for WordPress website design. With its drag-and-drop interface, an array of pre-designed templates, and an impressive selection of widgets, it makes web design accessible to professionals and beginners alike. During this project, I loved how quickly I could create a fully customized website layout without touching a line of code. The ability to tweak everything—from typography to responsive settings—was a major plus.
Hostinger’s Basic Plan: An Affordable Start
Hostinger’s basic plan was chosen for this project because of its affordability. Starting at just a few dollars a month, it offers an entry point for those launching their first website. It includes essential features such as:
- Free SSL certificate included
- 100 GB bandwidth
- Weekly backups
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
This budget-friendly option is ideal for smaller projects or websites that don’t expect heavy traffic.
The Not-So-Good: Performance Challenges
While Elementor Pro is an amazing plugin, it’s also resource-intensive. This became evident when paired with Hostinger’s basic hosting plan. Here are a few challenges I encountered:
- Slower Loading Times: As I started adding more Elementor widgets and dynamic elements, the page loading speed began to take a hit. While this didn’t render the site unusable, it was noticeable enough to be a concern for user experience.
- Occasional Timeouts in the Editor: When working within Elementor’s editor, I occasionally experienced timeouts and lag. This is likely because Hostinger’s basic plan doesn’t allocate significant server resources—a limitation that becomes apparent when using a robust page builder like Elementor.
- Caching and Optimization Dependence: To mitigate performance issues, I had to rely heavily on caching plugins and optimization techniques like image compression and minimizing JavaScript and CSS files. While these steps helped, they required additional time and effort.
Tips for a Better Experience
If you’re planning to use Elementor Pro on a Hostinger website, here are some tips to ensure smoother sailing:
- Consider Upgrading Your Hosting Plan: If your budget allows, upgrading to Hostinger’s premium or business plans can provide more server resources, faster performance, and fewer hiccups when working with Elementor.
- Use Optimization Plugins: Install plugins like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache to improve your website’s performance. These can help speed up loading times and reduce the strain on your hosting plan.
- Limit Heavy Elements: While it’s tempting to use all the bells and whistles Elementor offers, try to limit the use of heavy elements like animations, sliders, and dynamic content—especially on a basic hosting plan.
- Monitor Your Website’s Performance: Regularly test your website’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. These tools provide actionable tips to optimize your site further.
Final Thoughts
Using Elementor Pro on a Hostinger website was an enlightening experience. While Hostinger’s basic plan offers great value for beginners, it might not be the best fit for resource-heavy plugins like Elementor.
If you’re committed to using Elementor Pro and want a seamless experience, consider investing in a hosting plan with more robust performance capabilities. With the right combination of hosting and optimization, you’ll be well on your way to building a website that looks great and performs like a dream.
0 Comments