WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – landing pages, portfolio pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you learn how to create stunning content faster and design beautiful page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress sites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The WordPress Visual Editor Meeting All Of Your Web Design Needs?
With all the many developments that the WordPress platform has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users and developers believe that the WordPress editor is more suitable for performing regular content editing than building or editing content elements with more sophisticated layouts.
(The default WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding more complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, users would normally have to insert short codes into the content for each of the page elements they want to add to their page …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you want to change the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the background color inside a box from red to dark red. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create complex page elements, often what you see in the visual editor is not exactly what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, users would probably be better off working with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to create complex layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for WordPress users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge about using shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see in the editor does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for your new content to refresh.
Many WordPress developers have tried to come up with various solutions to try and make the visual editor more intuitive. Some of these solutions range from WP plugins you can install on 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 including so many page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these solutions work, but they don’t address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, adding and editing sophisticated content elements on a 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 “just right” quickly, this can start to become really frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content editor to function?
Now, imagine this …
- You spot something in your content that needs correction so you, just click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You simply drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for an item of content you’d like to add, so you just begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, without delays, no tab switching, and without waiting for new web content to refresh.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your web site? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts quickly 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 Plugin – Create Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag and drop content builder.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins combined into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We will take a look at all of the above plugins and how all of this powerful functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your website and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Editing Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be created and changed using ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once elements have been added to a page, you can then edit them without going through multiple steps or opening more settings windows …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you create beautiful landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages and working on content with the plugin installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that you will never look back once you start using it
To learn more about this plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin for WordPress that we have written about on this site.
See this page to read about this plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content And Landing Page Builder
Here we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Quick Installation
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Simply upload it to your Plugins folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit And Add Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is really simple and intuitive to use and lets you create, edit and add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include:
- Stunning Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Short Codes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use drag and drop WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of customizable web design elements that you can add to your content layouts without using short codes, like columns, styled lists, call to action buttons, responsive video embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or wait for your page to reload frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, styled lists, call to action buttons, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers site owners a number of great features. Here are just a few:
- Regular WordPress Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the regular text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph formatting, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching 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 being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display great on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Template Sets
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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building and customizing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No tech skills needed
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder 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, conversion optimized 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 over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the existing templates, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web developer 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 mess around with 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or customize any aspect of the page …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Change text in all buttons, headlines, bullet points, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Change the background image or background colors
- Edit the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify content area size
- Change the order of page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add any type of custom content anywhere inside your pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build a custom landing page templates library.
(Change and edit anything on the page template)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your web pages …
(Add opt-in forms and animated elements to your WordPress website with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps to improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on a button or image, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms help to increase your conversion rates.)
Thrive Lightbox 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 a range of animation effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress website with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Here are just a few of the testimonials that customers have submitted 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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”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 WordPress theme, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress short codes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder comes with 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 really well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 Licensing – This edition enables you to configure the plugin on 1 domain only. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This lets you set up the plugin on unlimited domains that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This license enables you to use the plugin on all of your own web sites and your client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The price of Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The above reflects the current pricing when this content was published. This may or may not be the actual price set by the software developer when you visit the plugin website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin developers 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made web page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized template sets that help to speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to edit everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how-to” videos showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
In Conclusion …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create awesome sales pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, visit the plugin website:
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