This text was written by WebDevStudios Director of Accounts Jen Miller, MBA, MSML. A WP Engine Company Associate, WebDevStudios is a WordPress web site design and growth company creating quality-driven digital experiences that gasoline shopper success.

In accordance with W3 Techs 43.2% of internet sites worldwide are powered by  WordPress, with 62.8% utilizing WordPress as their content material administration system (CMS). Of these WordPress web sites, 23% make the most of Elementor.

The recognition of Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface is as a result of builder’s ease of use. Traditionally, earlier than the arrival of the WordPress Block Editor, Elementor made it less complicated for non-technical customers to construct an internet site. Sadly, a easy take a look at using Google’s PageSpeed Insights reveals that web sites created with web page builders rating decrease than these constructed within the block editor.

Testing signifies that web page load velocity is affected by Elementor, because the web page builder makes bigger than common web page sizes and prompts the necessity for migration, as these points have an effect on search engine marketing (search engine optimisation). Usually, the invention of issues reminiscent of these happens throughout a routine web site audit.

“An audit is among the most crucial items of the invention course of, because it helps to set our baseline for enchancment,” says WebDevStudios Director of Engineering Mitch Canter. 

“As such, 99% of the tasks we tackle right here at WebDevStudios begin with an audit for efficiency, code high quality, and safety.” 

On account of this, purchasers search out WebDevStudios emigrate their present WordPress web site from Elementor to a block-based theme.

“We’ve seen an uptick in new leads occupied with migrating away from Elementor,” says WebDevStudios CEO Brad Williams. 

“Whereas the web site design produced by the group might look nice, they finally select a no or low-code resolution like Elementor as they don’t have the consultants on employees to really develop a contemporary block-based theme in WordPress.”

Migrating from a Web page Builder – A Widespread WordPress Problem

When you have but to try emigrate from Elementor, you’re doubtless unaware of the problem it presents. 

Web site pages normally export and import comparatively simply. Nevertheless, web page builders current distinctive challenges on this space.

For instance, Elementor layouts turn into a stable block on import, which removes the unique design components and should lead to lacking content material and unauthorized designs. Widgetized areas turn into one block as properly, including to the migration problem. When migration challenges exist, extra hours are wanted, growing the shopper price. 

Till lately, migrating a web page builder website to blocks required guide migration. Nevertheless, that was not essentially the most environment friendly resolution. WebDevStudios Chief Operations Officer Lisa Sabin-Wilson explains this intimately: 

“Historically, migrating web site knowledge from a WordPress set up utilizing the Elementor web page builder to 1 that leverages the Block Editor was a cumbersome and time-intensive job,” she says. 

“It required important guide effort, was vulnerable to errors, and sometimes resulted in elevated mission timelines and prices. Understanding these challenges, we developed this Elemetor-to-Block migration script that automates the conversion of Elementor-designed pages into the Block Editor format, successfully eliminating the guide labor that was as soon as a staple of some of these knowledge migration tasks. Because of the quantity of requests, our engineering group determined to design an Elementor to Block Editor resolution.”

WebDevStudios Develops Time and Price-Saving Migration Answer

WebDevStudios engineers analyzed why this downside occurred and developed a framework to deal with the problem. Our specialised framework converts Elementor blocks and widget content material to the WordPress block editor by way of the customized command line interface. This ends in faster system line integration for engineers, permitting automated conversion of Elementor pages to core WordPress blocks when utilizing a conventional theme, saving businesses and purchasers money and time.  

“It will be significant that our purchasers are capable of take their knowledge with them, regardless of the place they’re headed on the internet, guaranteeing their content material stays intact and accessible, whatever the platform,” says Sabin-Wilson. 

“Our script helps knowledge portability, facilitating easy transitions with out the danger of knowledge loss, embodying our dedication to delivering versatile and future-proof net options. Whether or not it’s for a facelift or a full-on re-platforming, it’s critical that your knowledge is able to transfer if you end up.”

“Operationally, the Elementor-to-Block migration script has helped us understand effectivity beneficial properties, decreased prices, improved mission high quality, and reaffirmed our dedication to innovation on this area and our capability to deal with and overcome the challenges of contemporary WordPress growth,” Sabin-Wilson provides. 

“The precise tech could make our work higher, not simply quicker, and including this script to our toolkit means we spend much less time on the tedious and extra time on the artistic aspect of net growth, and helps us preserve prices down for us and our purchasers.”

The method is straightforward, requiring deactivating the Elementor plugin and activating a brand new theme, such because the WP 2024 default theme, as seen within the demo video. As soon as loaded, the web site content material stays with out type and structure as one block in each the entrance finish and the Elementor editor. 

Nevertheless, when the WebDevStudios block editor framework runs within the customized command line interface, that one block turns into a collection of blocks, as supposed. The WordPress editor can now entry Elementor widgets and components present in earlier layouts, as all Elementor widgets at the moment are WordPress blocks. From right here, our WebDevStudios group updates block designs and types to match the design of the unique Elementor pages, leading to a extra performant web site.

To be taught extra about this modern Elementor migration resolution, please get in contact with WebDevStudios or name us at 1.855.932.3380. Tell us if in case you have a unique downside for us to resolve! We love creating modern enterprise web site options that create worth.