WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to create all types of web sites.
Whatever you can think of, someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest visual content builder for WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Content Editor – Is There A Faster Tool To Create Great-Looking Content In WordPress?
With so many developments that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users feel that using the WordPress WYSIWYG editor to build or edit more complex web site pages can sometimes be quite challenging.
(The default WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and images, but adding complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above layout, you would normally need to insert shortcodes into the content for each of the page elements you want to display to visitors …
Normally, this is not an issue … until you choose to edit something in the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 2 from dark green to gray. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to edit complex layouts, what you see is not exactly what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, users could even be better off working inside the text editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to build something other than simple layouts …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it difficult for WordPress site owners without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see when working in the content editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple 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 then impacts how fast you can create your content, as you wait for your content to refresh.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with different solutions with the goal of making the visual editor more intuitive. Some of these range from plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex content easier!)
Some solutions end up requiring so many complex page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these editors work fine, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, adding and editing 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 content quickly, this can become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs to be changed, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You just drag and drop items around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate any HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you’d like to add, so you just begin typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, without switching tabs, and without having to wait for edits to refresh and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts in real-time for your web content with no technical skills required!)
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 And Landing Page Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and landing page creation plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating content on your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins rolled into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We’ll examine each of the above and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be designed by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once you have placed elements on the page, you can then customize these without having to go through additional steps or opening more configuration windows …
You can also create beautiful landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with the Thrive Content Builder plugin installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that you’ll never look back once you start using it
Go here to learn more about this plugin: 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 written about on this site.
To read more about the plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder Plugin
Below are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Fast And Easy To Install And Implement. Ready To Use In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs like every plugin. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your admin user section and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is really simple and intuitive to use and lets you build and add content right inside your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Really What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of using the plugin include:
- Beautiful Layouts With Drag And Drop Ease: Create any kind 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 a visually exciting click-to-edit WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of functional and eye-catching design elements that you can insert into your layouts without using shortcodes, such as pricing tables, borderless content, buttons, countdown timers, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to wait for your page to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Add, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, columns, table of contents builder, dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many powerful features to web site owners. Here are just a few:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, left-aligned text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add responsive elements like columns, boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated page content, 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 all the way from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building and customizing landing pages for your WordPress site
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with all themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only can be used to create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, page templates that are conversion-optimized 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 planned for release. In addition to the templates that are currently available, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web site designer to do the work, or learn web coding languages like HTML and CSS 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 mess around with code or use overly 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you stunning pre-designed web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit any element of the page template …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Edit text in all bullet points, headlines, buttons, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change any background images or background color
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the page
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any type of custom content in your pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own page templates, or even build a custom landing pages library.
(Change and edit any element of your page)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your WordPress Website Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your website …
(Add lead capture forms and animated elements to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-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 2-step opt-in process)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse over a button or graphic elements, 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 web pages, using a range of effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from top to bottom, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Below are just some testimonials that users have submitted regarding the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”Wow! This is just getting better & better. This plugin is making my websites look so professional. Keep up the great work and thank you for the new features. Ladonna Ragalin”
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”Your stuff is beautifully designed, fast and has great options for marketers that you just don’t see with other themes. Great, great job! Absolutely love Thrive! David Coleman”
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 on pages or posts that were not created using the plugin.
You can add shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on on your web site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content and Page Builder Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Software 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 – This license enables you to configure the plugin on one domain only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This option enables you to configure the plugin on all of your personal websites. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on your websites and on all your client sites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase the Thrive Content Builder product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Presently, the software is selling for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the software seller when you visit the website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin repeatedly maintain 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 web page elements and template sets that help to speed up the content creation process, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over your design process and the ability to edit and customize anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you get things done without having to open multiple dialog boxes.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
We Highly Recommend This …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you’ll see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create amazing sales pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, visit the plugin website:
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