Welcome to our comprehensive guide to the Divi theme. In this article, based on insights from WLA’s expert web developers, I will explore the key features and benefits of Divi, a powerful WordPress theme that empowers web designers and delights clients.
Although WLA’s main focus being custom build websites, about 20% of the sites WLA builds are based on premium pre-built themes. There are definitely cases when agencies and their clients decide that it’s the best way to go. This article will discuss precisely in what scenarios it may be a better choice. It will also provide you with valuable information about Divi’s suitability for different types of client websites.
Key features of the Divi theme
Visual builder and a drag-and-drop interface
Divi’s standout feature is its visual builder and a drag-and-drop interface that gives web designers full creative control. With Visual Builder, they can create custom layouts directly on the front-end website, ranging from landing pages to comprehensive business websites.
With these features, designers do not have to rely on HTML and CSS coding, making it easier for them to create, edit and customize everything on their websites.
Extensive library of pre-designed layouts and modules
The Divi WordPress theme offers an extensive library of pre-designed layouts and modules, providing web designers with a wide range of design assets at their fingertips. Elegant Themes, the creators of Divi, offer a vast collection of free page layout packs, adding new ones weekly.
Additionally, other designers and developers contribute to this ecosystem by offering their own Divi page layouts. These resources are valuable for web designers, as they can find ready-to-use designs that only require content and image updates with just a simple click.
Built-in SEO features
Considering themes with built-in SEO features, Divi is the best option in the market. Accessing Divi’s SEO settings is straightforward, found in the WordPress dashboard. From there you can configure meta titles, descriptions, and keywords for each page. Divi also supports schema markup, aiding search engines in better understanding a website’s content and context. Divi is lightweight and has fast loading speeds, which is crucial for SEO.
These settings contribute to SEO ranking, but they may not fully optimize it. To overcome this limitation, Divi integrates with several SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath, enhancing its optimization capabilities.
However, in terms of SEO, custom themes are still generally superior. They can have all the above-mentioned features but unlike pre-designed themes, custom-built themes have significantly shorter code. This concise codebase reduces loading time. Of course, a custom theme requires more development time, so Divi’s SEO capabilities might be sufficient for your agency if you need something that is fast and easy to set up.
Is Divi right for you?
Who uses Divi?
After consulting with WLA’s sales team, I’ve gathered insights about the types of businesses that benefit from using the Divi theme that can help you decide if it’s right for you. The common theme (no pun intended) is that Divi can be a great choice if you’re looking for something quick and easy to set up, and you are fine with taking an “out-of-the-box” solution.
- Small businesses and startups: Divi is an excellent choice for small businesses and startups aiming to establish a strong online presence quickly and at low cost.
- Creative agencies and designers: Divi’s drag-and-drop builder and customizable elements empower designers to bring their creative visions to life even with limited coding knowledge.
- E-commerce and online stores: By integrating with popular e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce, the Divi WordPress theme enables businesses to create visually appealing product pages and optimize the shopping journey.
The main benefits of Divi
- It’s easy to use. Beginners and non-technical users can easily make changes to their Divi websites. Its user-friendly interface, intuitive drag-and-drop builder, and extensive documentation provided by Elegant Themes ensures your clients can modify their websites without coding knowledge.
- It’s affordable. Divi is not expensive if we compare it to other builders. While most site builders have a monthly recurring fee, Divi offers the option to purchase a lifetime license. It has two options: $89 per year or a lifetime plan for $249, both of them for as many websites as you want
- It has a large library. If you find a layout that looks like what your client wants, you can just download it and replace the content.
Limitations
Divi WordPress theme and other prebuilt themes have “additional wiring”, or software integrations, that allow you to create different configurations without much development skills. However, when your client needs a configuration that isn’t built into the theme already, the developer has to explore the whole complex realm of theme code, hoping that their modifications won’t trigger errors and bring the entire site down.
To provide you with a concrete illustration, I’ll share a real-life example from WLA’s CEO Einar, who highlights the scenario when a custom-built theme can be more beneficial than a pre-built theme:
“We encountered a situation when the form plugin integrated into the theme lacked the necessary functionality. Because of this, we invested 32 hours in re-coding the theme to replace it with a more suitable plugin (Gravity Forms), which offered the desired features. If we had developed the website from scratch, fulfilling the same request would have likely taken us only 4 to 8 hours.”
As long as your customers are ok with the existing functionality Divi offers, it can be an efficient option. But as soon as they start asking for adaptations, you may run into difficulties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the choice between using a pre-designed theme like Divi or opting for a custom WordPress theme depends on your client’s specific needs. If the Divi WordPress theme perfectly matches your client’s desired design and functionality, it can save you significant development time and possibly allow clients to handle the customization themselves, even without extensive coding skills. However, when a website requires unique configurations or updates with new functionality in the future, a custom theme becomes the ideal solution.
