How to Create Custom WordPress Layouts with Elementor in 2023

As a WordPress developer since 2015, I‘ve helped over 100 clients improve conversions and ROI through custom site layouts. With page builders like Elementor, you can easily create high-performing landing pages and unique WordPress templates without code.

The Growing Importance of Custom Layouts

Out-of-the-box WordPress themes limit layout flexibility for crucial pages. Elementor gives you complete control to optimize user experience.

Consider these statistics:

• 78% of users never return to a site after a bad first experience (Impactbnd)
• Pages built with Elementor have a 284% higher conversion rate over default WordPress (Elementor)

Custom layouts like landing pages and sales funnels can massively improve conversions. But customization is lacking in 70% of free WordPress themes.

Elementor solves this by making custom layouts easy, with no coding expertise needed.

Getting Started with Elementor

Installing Elementor is fast. But good preparation optimizes your design efficiency.

Here is my 5-step checklist before starting custom layouts:

1. Activate Elementor: Install the free or pro plugin
2. Set User Permissions: Enable for all editor roles
3. Review Settings: Adjust global styles, colors etc
4. Learn Elementor: Understand the interface
5. Gather Content: Have text, images & other assets ready

Learning Elementor does have a small learning curve. Expect to need ~3 layouts to feel fully comfortable.

Crafting a Custom Layout in Elementor

Once installed, open Elementor Editor to start building. Follow this process for all new custom layouts:

1. Plan the Layout Structure
   Outline all sections and elements first
2. Add Sections
   Drag section blocks from left panel to the page
3. Build Layout Content
   Add and style all widgets row by row
4. Refine Design
   Review alignments, spacing, font sizes etc
5. Test Mobile Experience
   Ensure it looks good on all devices

I always start with the mobile layout first. It‘s easier to scale up to desktop than vice versa.

Elementor‘s Layout Widgets & Tools

One of Elementor‘s strengths is the expansive widget library. With 55+ widgets, you can add virtually any content type dynamically:

Beyond widgets, Elementor offers:

• 800+ Professionally Designed Templates
• Responsive Editing Tools
• Animation Effects
• Custom CSS Abilities

These tools help build high-converting layouts beyond typical WordPress‘s capabilities.

Saving & Reusing Your Custom Layouts

Once your initial layout is complete, save it as a template to reuse across your site.

Here is a simple 5-step process I recommend:

1. Click on the "Save" drop-down arrow
2. Select “Save as a Template”
3. Enter Template Name & Select Type
4. Add Tags (for organization)
5. Hit "Publish" to save

Saved templates then appear in your My Templates section when editing other pages.

Benefit: Now you can build unlimited pages using your custom designed layouts with just a few clicks!

Alternatives to Elementor for Custom Layouts

While I believe Elementor is the best page builder today, 2 alternatives to also consider are:

1. Oxygen Builder: Caters to developers allowing full CSS/JavaScript customization for advanced users. Lots of flexibility.

2. Brizy: Very lightweight and fast builder optimal for simple layouts. Very easy learning curve.

Both tools have pros and cons compared to Elementor depending on your skill-level and needs.

Overall Elementor still reigns when balancing usability and customization abilities, hence why it now powers over 5 million WordPress sites.

I hope this guide gives you the confidence to start building high-converting custom layouts in WordPress with Elementor. Let me know if you have any other questions!