WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the fastest and most easy-to-use visual content editor for WordPress web sites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Content Editor – Is There A Better Way To Create Web Pages In WordPress?
Using the default WordPress WYSIWYG content editor to create or edit complex website pages can be difficult for non-technical WordPress users.
(The WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
Adding the above to your content would require typing something that looks like this into the WordPress visual editor …
Normally, this is not really an issue … until you want to reconfigure the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background color inside a box from bright red to orange. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with more complex page elements, often what you see in the WordPress visual content editor may not be the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, you may even be better off working directly with the source html itself instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem with having to use 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 this 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 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 several steps before you can begin 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 pages to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions to try and address this issue. Some of these alternative solutions range from standalone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex page layouts easier!)
Some solutions combine so many complex page design 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 challenge of using shortcodes and HTML 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 to create or edit complex page layouts quickly, this can start to become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your page builder to function?
Now, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be changed, just click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You can drag and drop items on the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally visualize any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you would like to add, so you simply begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, with no delays, no tab switching, and no waiting for edits to refresh.
Would this not be the perfect way to build content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web 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 creation plugin for WordPress.
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 an item menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to your WordPress site)
The 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 take a look at each of the above plugins and how all of this powerful functionality works together to help you transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
You can easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be built and changed with ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” ease …
Once elements have been added to a page, you can continue to further customize or edit these without having to go through multiple steps or switching screens …
You can also work inside stunning landing pages and easily customize these …
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 plugin installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
For more details 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 previously written about on this site.
To read more about this plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content And Landing Page Builder
Below are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your site:
Installation Is Easy
Thrive Content Builder installs like any other WP plugin. Just upload a zip file containing the plugin to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Building And Editing
Thrive Content Builder is really simple and intuitive to use and lets you edit and add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include the following:
- Create 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 Short Codes Involved: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and an easy-to-use drag and drop content builder, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of design elements that you can use on your layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: flat design elements, content reveal feature, buttons, credit card icons, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the new content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, styled lists, dividers, custom HTML and CSS, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides a number of great features to website owners. Here are just a few:
- Built-In Content Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, justified text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Page Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, guarantee boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you add animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – 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 from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you add conversion-optimized web pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating pages
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 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 templates that are currently available, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to have completely customizable landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web site developer 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 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 beautiful pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit anything on the page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in all bullet points, buttons, headlines, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change all background images and background colors
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Change content area size
- Change the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content in any of the pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own templates, or even build your own library of custom landing pages.
(Change and edit anything on the page)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your pages …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps to increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and are presented with an opt-in form)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form 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 in, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Plugin Users
Here are a couple of the testimonials that plugin customers have published about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
“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”
Thrive Content Builder – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. 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 the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on on your web site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content and Page Builder Plugin comes with free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is really well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 License – This option allows you to install the plugin on 1 web site only. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This license lets you activate the plugin on all of your personal websites. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – This lets you install the plugin on all of your own sites and any client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost of purchasing the Thrive Content Builder plugin depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The price above was current when this article was published. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the product seller when you visit the product site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and template sets that help speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to see how the content you are working on will display on the “front end” after being published.
For a demo video showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Get The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you just 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, you drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site and create awesome sales pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, check out the plugin here:
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