What Is Page Builder?
Page Builder is a popular, free WordPress plugin by SiteOrigin that provides more freedom to customize the layout and appearance of your pages.
Why Should I Use PageBuilder?
It’s easy to use, fun, and can improve page performance! We’ve seen several pages with improved traffic, time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rates YOY after we update them with Page Builder.
Can I See Examples?
Yes, you can! We have created numerous blogs and static pages using Page Builder that you’re welcome to review for inspiration and an introduction to the plugin. Here are just some of them:
- https://topsideinn.com/things-do-in-boothbay-harbor-me-attractions/
- https://stonehurstplace.com/things-to-do
- https://stonehurstplace.com/weddings-elopements
- https://stonehurstplace.com/best-time-to-visit-midtown-atlanta
- https://theesmeralda.com/events-calendar/
What Should Know Before I Get Started?
- In some cases, the Page Builder plugin has not been installed and set up on your client’s website. Speak with your CSM if you notice that it’s missing. There may be a specific reason why the plugin is incompatible with the website, or it may have been a minor oversight in the development process.
- It can be more time consuming to create content on Page Builder rather than the standard editor. Keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to use it. You may want to only dedicate the extra time to important blogs and landing pages.
- The Page Builder plugin has so many features that it might be overwhelming at first. Don’t worry, and don’t go overboard. Just stick to the few features that we explain in this guide. The last thing you want to do is stress yourself out or break the page!
Let’s Build Some Pages!
- Add a new blog post or static page.
- Click the tab that says “Page Builder.”
- Click “Add Row” and select how many columns you’d like to use.
- Click “Add Widget.”
- Select “SiteOrigin Editor” for text or “SiteOrigin Image” for photos.
- (Note: You can also create customizable buttons with the “SiteOrigin Button” and image/video sliders with “SiteOrigin Slider,” and even link the slide frames. I can go more in-depth about these in-person, but we’ll stick to the basics for now.)
- Go ahead and paste in your text for the SiteOrigin Editor blocks. Ignore the “title” portion at the top. You don’t need to fill that part out.
- For images, go to “Choose Media” and select your image. You can edit the image size and add a URL to link it to.
- You can click and drag all of the rows and blocks to make the page look the way you prefer.
- Once you are done, complete the title tags, meta description, categories, tags, featured image, and preview and publish the page as you normally would.
- Congratulations! You’ve created a page using Page Builder!
Tips:
- Consider changing the WordPress template to “Landing Page” to remove the sidebar touts. This often gives the page a cleaner, uncluttered appearance.
- (Note: You can only do this for static pages.)
- Use the row slider to adjust the image sizes on the fly.
- Save time by using the “Duplicate Row” option.
- You can still create buttons the same way by going to the “text” tab. While there is a Page Builder widget to create custom buttons, we recommend sticking to our normal process for brand consistency.
- Consider only doing this for important landing pages, since it can be time-consuming.
- You can create a photo gallery with links using Page Builder. The regular photo gallery doesn’t allow you to link the images.
- Always preview before publishing! It’s even a good idea to preview it while you’re adding elements so that you don’t get to the end and realize your page looks awkward.
- Make sure you check how it looks on mobile, too!
- If an image has alt text in the media library, the alt text will show up without having to fill out the spots on the edit screen.
- You can also convert a normal page to Page Builder. It will just put all of your content in one SiteOrigin Editor row.
- There is currently a common issue with the Yoast SEO plugin not interacting properly with Page Builder. It doesn’t always detect the content, which means you won’t always see the coveted “green light” that all your content is optimized. Don’t worry — as long as you are following our SEO guidelines, you’re fine!
Do You Have Questions? We Have Answers!
Page Builder, similar to Google Analytics, is one of those things that can take some time for you to get used to it. Practice makes perfect, and we’re here to help you through the process. Feel free to reach out to me, Matt Kuraska, or a coworker if you have any questions or run into any issues. I also recommend checking out SiteOrigin’s own guide to using Page Builder. It has a wealth of information and video walkthroughs!