Why I Built This Website Using Divi WP Theme

Divi is the WordPress theme with its own builder that I use exclusively on new WordPress builds.

• Is it the very best WP theme out there? Maybe, maybe not.
• Does it have some issues? It is in constant development.
• Are there other themes or builders that are easier to use? That’s very subjective, but quite possibly.

Having said that I have sound reasons for using Divi theme and Divi Builder and life has become simpler and more profitable since making that decision. Read on to discover why…

IMPORTANTE!  Divi has two parts – the theme and the page builder. DiviBuilder can be used on themes other than Divi, so once you get comfortable using it you can use it on non-Divi theme websites. Bonus!

The Dark Days Before Divi Theme (only joking!)

I built my first WordPress website in 2010 using the default theme. It was a very ugly and simple site, typical of many websites at that time.

Over the years I have built hundreds of WordPress sites,and until around 2018 I would begin each new project with a search for the best theme to use on that particular build. A lot of time would be spent searching for a theme that had the elements and the look and feel I needed for that particular project.

The “WordPress Themes” folder on my laptop was full of themes I had picked up over the years, many of which had stopped being developed (did someone say WooThemes?), or just looked out of date.

What changed was that in 2018 I started doing SEO for a client whose website was built in Divi theme by Elegant Themes. Although there was a learning curve in figuring our how the logic of Divi theme worked I found it easy to redesign and create pages. The next project I had to create a site from scratch I decided to use Divi.

Starting A Website With Divi Theme and Divi Builder

As I built that website with Divi I learned more about the theme. If I had any questions there were plenty of tutorials on YouTube (like the one below) to take me through the whole process, or to find the answer to a specific question. There are dedicated Facebook pages for users of Divi (you’ll find me in this one). Of course, there are similar groups and videos for other WP themes and builders, so I guess the point I am making is to use a theme that has a good ecosystem of support. A theme, or builder, that is widely used so help is readily available if, and when, you need it.

Another point in going all-in on one particular theme is that I am not having to start fresh on every site. My team and I can take the skills we have on Divi and work more efficiently and with less headaches. This saves time and money, meaning sites are delivered quicker to clients and profit margins are improved. The quirks and nuances of the theme are understood, and we don’t need to reinvent the wheel with every website design.

Saving Money With Divi Theme

Over the years I have spend thousands buying up WP themes (I’ve tried calculating in dollars, pounds, or euros, and it always ends up as being far too much money!), sometimes buying something because I thought it looked good and believed that at some point in the future I might need it. I hardly ever did. I shudder to think how much I could have saved over the years if I had just bought one theme to begin with rather than jumping from one to another.

This is where Divi has made sense in my business. It comes with the options of an annual fee ($89) or a one-time lifetime membership ($249). The license covers use on unlimited websites, with unlimited users. It also includes Extra (a magazine style WP theme), Monarch (a social media sharing plugin) and Bloom (an email opt-in and lead generation plugin).

What If You Don’t Have Website Design Skills?

It may be that you have the words, videos and images for your website, but you just don’t know how to put them on a page so it all looks appealing to your visitors. If this is the case then, as I see it, you have three options.

Hire A Website Designer Yep, pay someone to get the site looking good and then you can edit and update to your heart’s content.

Use One Of The Inbuilt Templates Divi comes with hundreds of pre-loaded layout packs. These are essentially pre-designed websites, which you can install with a few clicks. You can use the one that you prefer and simply swap out the default images and content as you see fit, or move elements around if you are inclined to do that. Elegant Themes releases a new custom layout pack every week.

Buy A Divi Child Theme One of the great things about WordPress is the fact that it is large enough for many thousands of developers to have sustainable businesses servicing the community of users. In a way Divi is a sub-niche of this. Given the high number of Divi users there are numerous providers of pre-designed child themes. My favourite is markhendriksen.com with a good selection, particularly for making sites for local businesses.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are ‘affiliate links.’ This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.