WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that is now used to design all types of pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to build stunning content in WordPress websites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There A Better Way For Designing Pages In WordPress?
Using the built-in WordPress visual content editor to create or edit complex web pages can sometimes be challenging.
(The default WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and images, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would normally need to insert short codes into the content for each element you want to display to visitors …
Generally, this is not an issue … unless you have to change a fundamental aspect of your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background color in a box from bright red to another colour. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, when creating with complex page elements, often what you see on your screen is not the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, users may even be better off working directly with the html source itself instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for non-technical users to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above, what you see when working in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you have to mentally translate what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the page to refresh.
A number of WordPress developers have tried to come up with various solutions to make content editing easier. Some of these solutions range from stand alone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex layouts easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding sophisticated content elements on a web page becomes overly complicated, involves multiple steps and doesn’t match what users expect to see on the “front end.”
If you want to create or edit complex page layouts quickly, this can start to become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your content?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine this …
- You see something in your content that needs to be changed so you, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly fixed.
- You just drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for an item of content that you would like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, without delays, no tab switching, and no waiting for new pages to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your WordPress site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages ”on the fly” for your web content without technical constraints!)
If you are ready to change the way you create content in WordPress site, then here is a plugin that you may want to consider using …
Thrive Content Builder – The Fastest Way To Build Stunning Content In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content and landing page creator for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of creating great content on your WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with an item menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins merged into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
Let’s examine all of the above and how these features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be created, edited and customized by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then further customize or edit them without having to go through additional steps or switching tabs …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build beautiful landing pages that can also be easily customized …
Thrive Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Learn more here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin that we have previously reviewed on this site.
To read about this plugin, go here:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress website:
Fast And Easy To Install And Set Up. Ready To Use In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any WP plugin. Just upload it to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you edit content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits include the following:
- Stunning Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements With No Shortcodes Required: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing drag and drop content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of web design elements that you can customizable and use on your layouts without using shortcodes, such as pricing tables, feature grids, dividers, responsive video embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for the content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, tabbed content, table of contents builder, dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users many features. Below we have listed just a few:
- Regular WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, centering text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen for creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you create animations, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Templates
Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language to take your visitors from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating attractive-looking pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No technical skills needed
- Works with all themes
Thrive Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, conversion optimized landing page templates and fully customizable …
(Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently over thirty templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the available templates, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either pay a web site designer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages and figure out how to edit the page code yourself.
As Shane Melaugh, co-founder of Thrive Themes says …
“There are many ways to get a pre-designed page published quickly, but the problem comes with customization. Total design freedom requires either hiring web developers to do the work for you, or learn how to do it yourself, which involves learning how to code or use complicated editors. Customizable usually means complicated, expensive or time-consuming. So, you can either have something that is fast and easy to set up, or something that is customizable and flexible. But you couldn’t have both … until now! With Thrive Landing Pages you get the best of both worlds for creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you stunning pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or customize any aspect of your page template …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Modify text in all headlines, bullet points, buttons, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change all background images or colors
- Edit the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Edit the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own web pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or edit any element of your page templates)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your Website Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your site …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can help increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a two-step opt-in process)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when your visitor clicks or hovers over a button or an image, or when someone scrolls down to a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate attention-getting elements on your pages, using a range of effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are just a few of the testimonials that customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
“I have had nothing but the best experience imaginable with this tool since I purchased it. This is by far one of, if not the best plug-in I have purchase to date and it has definitely made working with WordPress a whole new experience. Jim Bond”
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”Great stuff! I am really impressed by all the new additions. You guys have shown a true commitment to making these themes and the Content Builder awesome. Michael Johnson”
Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly on the front end.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are very well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Product License Price
At the time of writing, the pricing information shown below includes all three components described above (Thrive Content Builder, Thrive Landing Pages & Thrive Lightbox):
- Single Site License Edition – This license option enables you to set up the plugin on a single web site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This license lets you activate the plugin on all of your personal web sites. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – This edition allows you to activate the plugin on all of your own web sites and all client websites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Presently, the software sells for the prices shown above. This may not be the actual pricing set by the software author when you visit the product website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin repeatedly assert that the plugin’s architecture gives you the “best of both worlds,” and help bring back the “joy of creating content.”
On the one hand, you have time-saving features like ready-made page elements and conversion-optimized templates that help speed up your content creation, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the ability to change and customize anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For demo videos of the plugin, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you need to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, visit the plugin website here:
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