WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that can be used to create all types of websites.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover the ultimate drag and drop front end editor for WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The WordPress Visual Content Editor Meeting All Of Your Page Design Needs?
With all the many improvements that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers believe that the WordPress content editor is now lagging behind the developments being made to the software.
(The built-in 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 …
Adding the above boxes with text and buttons would require adding something that looks like this into your WordPress content editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … unless you have to change your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background colour inside a box from dark green to purple. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the editor.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex page elements, often what you see on your screen is not really what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, you may even be better off working with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to add complex page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for WordPress users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem of using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see when working in the editor doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which then affects how fast you can create your content, as you wait for your page to reload.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. These range from standalone WordPress plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that come with built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions end up requiring so many complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they fail to address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding non-linear content 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 your web pages to look ”perfect” quickly, this can become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content builder to behave?
Now, visualize this …
- You see something in your content that needs correction so you, just click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly changed.
- You just drag and drop elements around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally abstract from HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content you’d like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your page as you go, without delays, with no switching of tab browsers, and no waiting for new pages to republish and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the 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 Create Beautiful Web Page Layouts In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly add amazing content to WordPress posts and pages with true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to set up conversion-focused pages on your WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content editor to your WordPress site)
The plugin 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 each of the above and how all of this functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your web page can be built by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been positioned on the page, you can then edit them without having to go through additional steps or opening extra option screens …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, it’ll ruin the experience of using any other content editor forever, and you’ll never look back!
More info: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress that we have reviewed on this site.
See this article for more information about using the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Below are just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Ready To Go To Work In Very Little Time
Thrive Content Builder is really easy to install. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WP admin user section and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit content 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 – fonts, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include:
- Beautiful Layouts With Drag And Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Design Elements With No Shortcodes Involved: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and an easy-to-use drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of professional design elements that you can use on your content layouts without using short codes, such as flat design elements, feature grids, call to action buttons, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, content toggle, feature grids, section dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides a number of powerful features to WP users. Below we have listed just some:
- Regular WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, paragraph centering, headings, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen when creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, text boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated content elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you add conversion-optimized web pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building beautiful-looking landing pages for your web site
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with any theme
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, conversion optimized landing page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are 30+ 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, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire a web 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 complex 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-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or customize any element of your page template …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Change the background image and background colors
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add custom content anywhere inside any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize any aspect of the page template)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your web site …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your WordPress web site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and are presented with an opt-in form)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover 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 images on your web pages, using various animation effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Testimonials
Here are a couple of the testimonials and feedback that customers have provided for the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”You guys are simply awesome I am loving everything you are doing at the moment. Keep up the great work you really are making such a big difference in this field. Jule Fuller”
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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”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Product Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 software is very well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, 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 just keeps getting better.
Software Cost
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 Edition – This option allows you to activate the plugin on 1 site only. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License Edition – This enables you to use the plugin on all websites that you own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – Use on your web sites & on all your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Current pricing for the Thrive Content Builder product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. When we last checked, the plugin sells for the amounts shown above. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the plugin seller when you visit the product website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing here:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin emphatically 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 web page elements and templates that help make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over your design process and the ability to change 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 go through multiple steps.
For ”how-to” videos of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you will 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 position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website:
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