As web developers for over 15 years, the Page Progressive team has worked on many websites from custom-coded themes, to other sites that use WordPress templates. As a result, we have had the opportunity to learn a great deal about how to get the most from various WordPress themes and plugins. Consequently, we have formed an opinion on WordPress themes. Today, we will share why we find the Divi theme to be a great choice for so many website situations.

What is the Divi Theme?

Divi was created by Elegant Themes* and is a multi-purpose approach to website design. Whether you want to set up a news site, blog or even an ecommerce site, Divi will suit your needs. It is simple to use, featuring a drag and drop editor that makes it perfect for even a novice website owner. You don’t even need to know how to code to use it! The theme comes with its own page builder, Divi Builder, so it is unnecessary to purchase a separate tool to create your website with. It offers over 800 pre-made designs, 100+ full website packs and more than 40 website elements. Whether you need a blog, gallery, a Call to Action (CTA) button(s) or contact forms, no matter what you are wanting to create for your business, the Divi theme will work wonders. Better yet, it is affordable, ranging from under $100 to $250, based on your specific needs.

*Note, this is an affiliate link, but we wrote this article because we love Divi!

Elements of the Divi Theme:

  1. Advertising – If you so choose to run advertisements on your website to make some passive income,  the Divi theme offers ad banners up to 488×60 for images, as well as the URL and AdSense code for the advertisement.
  2. Bloom – Email marketing is a Must Do activity for any business today. Bloom is a WP plugin that works with Divi designed to help you gain more subscribers. It connects with a plethora of email marketing tools and allows you to customize how it works based on your particular needs. Perhaps the only drawback to Bloom is that it only allows you to have one subscriber list (i.e. news and updates, tips, coupons, etc.) You can circumvent this by directing subscribers to choose which email notifications they want in their welcome email.
  3. Coding and Scaling – When you are just starting your business – especially an e-commerce site- you may not need to display a long list of items. Or perhaps, you want to add new pages as needed for future promos, blogs, etc. With Divi, it is easy to change things, so adding future updates is easy. Plus, the theme extends to meet your needs. Better yet, because there are so many different Divi themes, you won’t have any trouble finding one that meets your needs now as well as for the future.
  4. Custom CSS – For the layperson, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) means very little. But for the website design and development team at Page Progressive, this means that we can easily combine our coding and Divi’s to create a visual design that is to your liking.
  5. Divi Builder – Unlike other approaches to website design, the Divi Builder offers a wireframe view which is basically a skeleton of your page. It contains columns, rows, and modules that allow the user to see exactly what changes – if any- you need to make. But, there are restrictions in Divi. For instance, if you want to have a page with 7 columns. Divi only has options for 1,2,3,4,5,6 columns.
  6. Divi Library – This feature allows you to save layouts, sections, rows, and modules that you want to use later. Simply create the design, save it and then use it whenever you are ready. You can also save headlines body copy and other content, then drop it into place when you need it.
  7. Drag and Drop – This makes it easy to design a page to your liking. Sometimes referenced as a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), this approach lets you see your website as your site guests see it – immediately, without needing to click for a page preview.
  8. Global Elements and Style – Rather than needing to set up each page of your website individually, this allows us to set up website-wide design settings. For example, if you need to update the copyright info in the footer section, you can make the update one time and it is applied to every page – an especially helpful feature if you have a large website. Consequently, this saves time and you money.
  9. Making Changes – Mistakes are inevitable, and changing your mind as a website is being built isn’t uncommon. Divi makes it easy to track changes, then easily undo, redo, and navigate through all your edits so you can have the look and content you desire – regardless of how many edits you make.
  10. Monarch – This is a WP plugin developed specifically for Divi, add makes social media sharing simple. Monarch can be tailored to your needs, is totally responsive and has a built-in dashboard that allows you to track social media statistics, too. It works with more than 20 social media platforms, so you can be sure that whatever platform you use, you will be able to connect with, as well as build more followers. As with Bloom, it is both responsive and crafted to allow you to track an assortment of data, all in one easy to use dashboard.
  11. No Language Barrier – Have clients in non-English speaking countries? No worries, Divi translates into 32 different languages, so having a global reach is not a problem.
  12. Portability – Do you already have a website, but would like to change it to a Divi design? No problem. Thanks to the ease of portability, this is a simple process. Plus, when you have finished crafting layouts in DIVI, you can save them and easily export or import them for use on other sites. However, something to keep in mind is that that once you change to a Divi theme, you will want to stay with it. This is because if you opt to change the theme, Divi will leave behind a myriad of codes that will need to be removed.
  13. Quick Loading – Studies show that if a website takes more than 2 seconds to load, the average user will leave the site. The Divi Theme is designed to load quickly, regardless of the platform and the browser.
  14. Responsive Web Design – If you are planning on having a website, then you need to plan for it to be a responsive web design. Failing to do this, means that your website is not seen the same way on mobile devices as it is on your laptop. And, since for many people, a handheld device is the norm for accessing the Web, responsive design is a must! With Divi, you don’t have to be concerned. Divi makes it easy to adjust the font size and content for any device and allows you to see what it will look like on each of those devices.
  15. SEO – We all know that SEO (search engine optimization) is a must for any successful website. With Divi’s SEO section, you will find a variety of SEO configurations that can be used based on specific pages of your website. Some of the most noteworthy choices are meta keywords, custom title, meta descriptions, canonical URLs, and defining the separator.
  16. Shortcodes – As stated, you don’t have to know how to code to use Divi. And, thanks to the selection of shortcodes available, you can add a wide range of features to your content. Some of these offerings include slideshows, an assortment of button sizes, various box types (warnings, download, bio, info, etc.), toggled and tabbed content, author info, and many others.
  17. Split Testing – When it comes to web content, design and aspects like Call to Action elements, it can be difficult to know what approach will best get your followers/site guests’ attention. This is where trying out a couple of different designs can help. This approach is called Split Testing. Since Divi 2.7, split testing can be done using Divi Leads. Using this feature, you can easily test two or more variations of a page or specific element and track which format is getting the best results.

    Better yet, split testing can be implemented by going to a particular module, right-clicking, and selecting Split Test. You can then set up another module and make your changes to it. After the ‘testing period’ is finished, you can stop the test and set the best version as the default item, or start a new test with different variables. Also beneficial is that you can run numerous split tests at once, and you can set it up to test for a range of outcomes such as bounce rates, shopping cart abandonment, high/low sales, CTA button, and others.

  1. Support – If you plan to do the majority of the website designing yourself, but are concerned about getting stumped, there are a ton of videos and resources available due to the extreme popularity of Divi. And our support team is well-versed in Divi, so if you are a client of Page Progressive or host with us, we’re only an email or phone call away.
  2. Text Editing – Need to make a change to a paragraph or sentence? No problem With Divi – you can simply click on the page and start typing. Plus, because everything is done on the front end, you can see exactly how your text will appear as you do it.
  3. Visitor Traffic – For many businesses who have swapped to Divi, there has been a distinct increase in website traffic – and who doesn’t like that!

Divi Theme in Summary

While Divi may not be for everyone, it should definitely be considered a viable approach for building a website. Why? Here are a few basic reasons:

  • Less expensive development
  • Quicker development
  • Easy interface for that allows you to edit your own website
  • Wide variety of features that can be customized to suit your needs

With Divi, it is possible to create websites that have it all – speed in page loading, easy navigation, design clarity, ad space, CTAs, SEO tools, and responsiveness. And, you don’t have to be a website designer to accomplish it!

The Divi Theme is perhaps one of the most popular choices available. From its ease of use to its versatility, it is money well spent. If you are ready to upgrade your website or plan to build your very first website, Divi is a great place to begin. Give the Page Progressive team a call today to learn more about how Divi can make your website goals a reality.